---
product_id: 5825454
title: "Tapping the Source: A Novel"
price: "฿1740"
currency: THB
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.co.th/products/5825454-tapping-the-source-a-novel
store_origin: TH
region: Thailand
---

# Tapping the Source: A Novel

**Price:** ฿1740
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- **What is this?** Tapping the Source: A Novel
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## Description

desertcart.com: Tapping the Source: A Novel: 9781451645545: Nunn, Kem: Books

Review: Glad I finally read this - I've had TAPPING THE SOURCE in my "need to read" list since 1997 when I read and enjoyed Nunn's DOGS OF WINTER. So glad I finally got around to reading it. I'm actually shocked to see that this was published in 1984. Reading it today thirty years later it doesn't feel dated at all. This book wraps up a coming of age story, surfing, mystery, action, suspense in a nifty 300 page package. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I loved how pieces of the story were revealed over the course of the book as things were revealed about the characters or they just chose to come clean for one reason or another. The Ike character was especially well done. He starts out as this very noble and innocent kid, but really goes through the wringer over the course of the story. I did not realize that the book had inspired the movie POINT BREAK. But if you've seen that film, you'll recognize all of the things that they borrowed from here. I hope the author got paid for the "inspiration"! I noticed some other reviewers who complained about the ending being too "left field". I don't really agree with that at all. There was clearly some shady stuff going on at the beach and the ending is warped but not unexpected. Anyway, don't hesitate to take a look at this book you may have missed the first time around.
Review: Reaching back to discover the source - "Tapping the Source" is Kem Nunn's first novel, and it won critical acclaim. Ike Parker is growing up in a small town in the California desert, with no parents and only an older sister as friend and confidante. When she leaves, to follow sun and surf, Ike stumbles around for a long time until a stranger comes to town and tells Ike his sister had gone to Mexico with some bad dudes and never came back. He has some names, and a location: Huntington Beach pier. Ike is only sixteen, and he's not sure what he can do, but he has to do something. Thus begins the story of Ike's excursion into the culture of sun, surf and sin. Sounds simple, but it's not. Nunn understands surfing in a way that few writers do, but he also understands the weirdness surrounding it. He gets the reader so far inside the main character that you easily feel every thrill, disappointment, confusion or fear that Ike feels. It's all beautiful at the start, but as Ike tries to find out what has become of his sister, he is gradually drawn into a seamy underside of the surf culture, where older, has-been surfers prey on young girls. The main characters are strong; the supporting cast well drawn. The mystery behind Ike's sister's disappearance is complex and unfolds slowly. Maybe she's holed up somewhere and needs his help; maybe she's beyond help, but who, how? There are some twists and surprises as the novel concludes. Some may seem contrived to a reader in 2013, but considering it was written in the 80's, it makes total sense. Nunn continued to provide insight into the surf culture, but not in a sunny, Beach Boys kind of way. In each of his novels, there's a darkness looming just as heavy and sure as the crest of a wave behind your shoulder. In "Dogs of Winter" (2004), he explores the peculiar mystique of big wave riders. Now that we've all seen news video of a surfer on the face of a hundred-foot wave, what is mystifying and plain crazy to most people makes total sense to Nunn's readers. Even if you never surfed, but wanted to, Kem Nunn can help you drop in off the crest, take the long ride down the face, waiting, waiting, then turning sharply and shooting inside the curl and rolling over the shoulder of big waves. But there's a price - a lot of psychological drama goes on before you get there. Nunn became more of a TV writer, penning episodes for "Deadwood"; and other dramas. But his readers are hoping for a new novel.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #250,372 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3,037 in Murder Thrillers #9,233 in Literary Fiction (Books) #10,271 in Suspense Thrillers |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (459) |
| Dimensions  | 5.25 x 0.9 x 8 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 1451645546 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1451645545 |
| Item Weight  | 9 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 320 pages |
| Publication date  | June 19, 2012 |
| Publisher  | Scribner |

## Images

![Tapping the Source: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81b94HFUF9L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Glad I finally read this
*by B***S on April 14, 2014*

I've had TAPPING THE SOURCE in my "need to read" list since 1997 when I read and enjoyed Nunn's DOGS OF WINTER. So glad I finally got around to reading it. I'm actually shocked to see that this was published in 1984. Reading it today thirty years later it doesn't feel dated at all. This book wraps up a coming of age story, surfing, mystery, action, suspense in a nifty 300 page package. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I loved how pieces of the story were revealed over the course of the book as things were revealed about the characters or they just chose to come clean for one reason or another. The Ike character was especially well done. He starts out as this very noble and innocent kid, but really goes through the wringer over the course of the story. I did not realize that the book had inspired the movie POINT BREAK. But if you've seen that film, you'll recognize all of the things that they borrowed from here. I hope the author got paid for the "inspiration"! I noticed some other reviewers who complained about the ending being too "left field". I don't really agree with that at all. There was clearly some shady stuff going on at the beach and the ending is warped but not unexpected. Anyway, don't hesitate to take a look at this book you may have missed the first time around.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reaching back to discover the source
*by G***Z on February 8, 2013*

"Tapping the Source" is Kem Nunn's first novel, and it won critical acclaim. Ike Parker is growing up in a small town in the California desert, with no parents and only an older sister as friend and confidante. When she leaves, to follow sun and surf, Ike stumbles around for a long time until a stranger comes to town and tells Ike his sister had gone to Mexico with some bad dudes and never came back. He has some names, and a location: Huntington Beach pier. Ike is only sixteen, and he's not sure what he can do, but he has to do something. Thus begins the story of Ike's excursion into the culture of sun, surf and sin. Sounds simple, but it's not. Nunn understands surfing in a way that few writers do, but he also understands the weirdness surrounding it. He gets the reader so far inside the main character that you easily feel every thrill, disappointment, confusion or fear that Ike feels. It's all beautiful at the start, but as Ike tries to find out what has become of his sister, he is gradually drawn into a seamy underside of the surf culture, where older, has-been surfers prey on young girls. The main characters are strong; the supporting cast well drawn. The mystery behind Ike's sister's disappearance is complex and unfolds slowly. Maybe she's holed up somewhere and needs his help; maybe she's beyond help, but who, how? There are some twists and surprises as the novel concludes. Some may seem contrived to a reader in 2013, but considering it was written in the 80's, it makes total sense. Nunn continued to provide insight into the surf culture, but not in a sunny, Beach Boys kind of way. In each of his novels, there's a darkness looming just as heavy and sure as the crest of a wave behind your shoulder. In "Dogs of Winter" (2004), he explores the peculiar mystique of big wave riders. Now that we've all seen news video of a surfer on the face of a hundred-foot wave, what is mystifying and plain crazy to most people makes total sense to Nunn's readers. Even if you never surfed, but wanted to, Kem Nunn can help you drop in off the crest, take the long ride down the face, waiting, waiting, then turning sharply and shooting inside the curl and rolling over the shoulder of big waves. But there's a price - a lot of psychological drama goes on before you get there. Nunn became more of a TV writer, penning episodes for "Deadwood"; and other dramas. But his readers are hoping for a new novel.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Worth The Purchase
*by R***. on December 26, 2025*

A wonderful read and the paperback follows along just as well with the hardcovers. No quality difference other than the feel of the book.

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*Product available on Desertcart Thailand*
*Store origin: TH*
*Last updated: 2026-02-28*