This novel is set in the bizarre alternative reality of today's youth culture - it's about the search for meaning in a culture gone mad with celebrities and advertising. Depicting a group of friends transitioning between school and adulthood, Lin reminds us that youth is still-refreshingly - a time of deep questioning, poignant realization, fun, and hope. It is a place where animals talk, books and music matter, honesty counts, and you can ask, without fear of embarrassment, 'What's a Jhumpa Lahiri?'