First published 2005
Brian Jackson arrives at university in 1985 with a scholarship and a secret obsession. The working-class freshman has dreamed of competing on University Challenge, Britain's most watched academic quiz show. When he makes the school team and they pass the qualifying rounds, Brian sees his chance at television glory within reach. His first filmed match approaches as he falls for Alice Harbinson, a teammate whose beauty matches her intelligence and upper-class sophistication. Brian believes he has everything figured out. The quiz show spotlight awaits, the brilliant girl captivates him, and university life unfolds exactly as he imagined. But Brian discovers that knowing facts and understanding life require different kinds of intelligence. His pursuit of quiz show fame and Alice's affection teaches him lessons no textbook contains. The gap between his working-class background and the privileged world around him widens as the stakes rise, forcing Brian to confront what he truly wants and who he really is beneath his academic ambitions.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, friends-to-lovers
Setting: Britain, University Challenge
Period: 1985
437 pages · Hardcover · Kein & Aber