Hot Little Hands — Abigail Ulman

For fans of HBO's Girls, Abigail Ulman's heartbreakingly tender and often darkly funny fiction is a fresh take on the experiences of contemporary young women.

Claire is magnetic. On the cusp of adulthood and letting go of her adolescence one miserable responsibility at a time, she's moved from London to San Francisco to work toward her PhD and minor in cheap whiskey, pour-over coffee, and guys who can't be bothered to shower. When she finds out she's pregnant by a heartsick ex-boyfriend, the solution seems clear, if only to her.

Kira is a talented thirteen-year-old Russian gymnast who leaves her traditional family to travel to America.

Elise and Jenni, two Australian high school students, seek asylum from the hooking up and heavy drinking they've been doing for years by reenrolling in their childhood sleepaway camp.

Over the course of nine loosely connected stories, "Hot Little Hands" introduces us to young women, at once clever and naïve, who struggle to navigate the chronic uncertainty and very real dangers that come with being impatient for the future and reluctant to leave childhood behind.

Abigail Ulman's voice feels of the moment -- sharp and powerful -- as she deftly explores ageless themes of sex and maturity among girls who are both confident and frighteningly exposed.