Lori remembers their strange, brief meeting years before, and becomes fixated on him - that is, she is determined to meet him. She hopes that maybe he will fulfill her desire for tenderness. Eric, too, is looking for someone to be tender with. Once Lori and Eric meet, they begin a strange, exciting trip. The conclusion of this trip is unexpected, and a little unnerving.
Tenderness is a very offbeat book.
It includes some topics that may be inappropriate for certain age levels. The storyline throughout the whole book is a little weird, and at some points it is downright scary. I would not recommend this book to people who get frightened easily, or who tend to read the more mainstream types of books - you would most likely not enjoy this novel. Cormier definitely strays off the beaten path taken by most writers, but he does not necessarily head in a very good direction.