*A rogues' gallery of the boys in one girl's life *From the age of twelve, Phoebe Fine, the shy but observant daughter of an oboeist, finds that love is a risky game to play. There is Roger Mancuso, who offers Phoebe her first cigarette, her first kiss, and her first experience of loss. There is Spitty Clark, an alcoholic and a possible criminal but also somehow one of the good guys. Later comes arrogant Pablo Miles, who licks the back of Phoebe's hand moments after he meets her at a party. And so it goes, as Phoebe struggles to reconcile her conflicting desires for safety and adventure. Lucinda Rosenfeld's debut novel is poignant, witty and refreshing; her vision is 20:20.'A terrific eye for the telling absurdity and a blissfully deadpan sense of humour' New York Magazine'Darker and more profound than just another sexed-up single-girl romp . . . An astute examination of the perks and pitfalls of beauty in a looks-obsessed culture' Vogue
