College Girl (2008)

College Girl by Patricia Weitz

Very little actually happens in Patricia Weitz's novel: Natalie, a straight-A college senior, develops a crush on a not-so-nice boy, loses her virginity to him, and consequently self-destructs. Yet College Girl might as well be a dissertation on quarter-life female behavior. Weitz is so adept at capturing the pain and insecurity attached to campus life and love, it's impossible to read without squirming — or at least without recalling the stupid decisions of your own early 20s. The book wraps itself up a bit too neatly, and not everything rings true: How is it that brainy Natalie has never heard of Ayn Rand? But it's still more memorable than a boozy night at a frat party. B+