A group of six New York high schoolers first bond at an idyllic Berkshires art camp in the summer of 1972. New to the world of irony, and grasping at self-knowledge, they call themselves The Interestings (Riverhead, $27.95). Enthrallingly, exuberantly, Meg Wolitzer follows these “creatives” into adulthood, tracing their life-defining relationships with one another and with the complicated mantle of being interesting. One turns his back on early musical promise, another rides his animation talents to stunning Simpsons-like success. And at the center of it all, awkward Jules has defined her aspirations as a part of this creative set, but flounders after trading comic acting for training in social work, as life renders her more and more, well... normal. Engrossing and fun, these characters and their eccentricities will maintain an enduring hold long after you finish this flawless novel.