Noughties — Ben Masters

Inspired by Martin Amis and Zadie Smith, Ben Masters bursts on the literary scene with his lively and erudite debut novel about a college graduate on the cusp of adulthood.

Eliot Lamb has had countless nights like this before. He's out with his mates, pint in hand, shots at the ready. They're at the King's Arms and will soon be making their familiar descent: pub, bar, club. But this time it's different. When the night ends and tomorrow begins, he'll graduate from Oxford and head reluctantly into adulthood. As he stares into the foam of his first beer, he knows it won't be easy. He'll have to confront his feelings for Ella, an Oxford classmate whose passion for literature matches his own, as well as Lucy, his first love, whose ominous phone calls and text messages are threatening to unravel him. And then there's the tragic secret he's been hiding all this time, which is about to find its way out and send his night into serious turmoil.

Ben Masters has written a thoroughly modern coming of age story full of style, heart, and humor. Eliot Lamb -- for all his mastery of literary theory, postmodern novels, and classic poetry -- is going to be dragged into adult life, whether he likes it or not.