Eleanor Catton's debut novel follows a group of teenage girls as a rumour about a teacher sleeping with a student ripples through their lives, blurring the lines between private and public. The saxophone teacher directs the girls in workshopping their desires, while the local drama school adapts the scandal for a show.

Exhilarating and original, this tender evocation of young protagonists is also a shrewd exposé of emotional compromise, revealing the singular daring that has defined Catton's career.