First published 2014
Brian starts his first year at university as a working class kid who thinks he knows everything. When he meets Alice Robinson, a beautiful student from a wealthy family, he falls hard. Both make the university quiz team for a televised general knowledge competition. Brian feels invincible with Alice by his side and victory seems certain. But as Brian opens himself to this new world, he discovers his encyclopedic knowledge means little when it comes to real life. The gap between what happens in his head and what happens in the outside world grows wider. Brian must navigate love, class differences, and the realization that academic brilliance cannot prepare him for the complexities of actual relationships and adult life.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, contemporary, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, social-climbing
Setting: University
Period: First Year
398 pages · Paperback