THE KINGS OF COOL, Don Winslow’s prequel to his critically acclaimed SAVAGES, will now be released in time for those summer trips to the beach.
The novel was previously slated for a Fall release, but Deadline is reporting that it will now be released on June 26th to coincide with the release of Oliver Stone’s film of SAVAGES.
In Savages, Don Winslow introduced Ben and Chon, twentysomething best friends who risk everything to save the girl they both love, O. Among the most celebrated literary thrillers in recent memory, Savages was a Top 10 Book of 2010 selection by Janet Maslin in the New York Times and Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly as well as Sarah Weinman in The Los Angeles Times and publications around the world.
     Now, in his high-octane prequel, Winslow reaches back in time to tell the story of how Ben, Chon, and O became the people they are. Spanning from 1960s Southern California to the recent past, it is a tale of family in all its forms—fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friends and lovers. As the younger generation does battle with a cabal of drug dealers and crooked cops, they come to learn that their future is inextricably linked with their parents’ history. A series of breakneck twists and turns puts the two generations on a collision course, culminating in a stunning showdown that will ultimately force Ben, Chon, and O to choose between their real families and their love for each other.
Personally, I felt that SAVAGES was not just the best novel of 2010, but the best novel of the last five years. Winslow is a hell of a writer and seems to just get better and better. I look forward to seeing what THE KINGS OF COOL will have in store for Ben, Chon and O.
Oliver Stone’s film stars Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Benecio Del Toro, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Emile Hirsch and Salma Hayek and features a screenplay by Winslow and Shane Salerno.