Overview

The Hookmen by Timothy Hillmer is a coming-of-age novel about Roy Cruz, a 19-year-old who takes a dangerous summer job with a river rescue crew on California’s Kern River. The crew, known as the “hookmen,” uses grappling hooks to recover the bodies of people who drown in the river. 

As Roy learns to navigate the dangerous river, he also struggles with problems in his personal life, including his responsibility for his alcoholic father. He develops friendships with two older men, Crawdad and Walker, and falls in love with Rita, a mysterious woman with a troubled past. 

The story combines adventure, romance, family conflict, and personal growth. A dangerous rafting trip down the upper Kern River brings the characters’ conflicts to a dramatic conclusion and forces Roy to face difficult choices about love, family, courage, and becoming an adult. The novel ultimately shows Roy’s emotional growth as he learns to take responsibility for his own life.