Josh Duboff's debut novel, Early Thirties, begins with Victor (the only character who narrates in the first person) recovering in a New York City hospital from ostensibly attempting suicide after his boyfriend dumped him. His best friend, Zoey, is there when he wakes up; she's the first person he texts whenever something big (or small) happens to him. While still in the hospital, Victor finds out he got a job at a celebrity website and print magazine. It's his big break, and after a few months, he lands an assignment to interview someone famous. Meanwhile, Zoey works for a fashion startup but has vague dreams of starting something of her own. These two are the heart of the novel, which traces their relationship's vicissitudes, interspersed by secondary and tertiary characters who sometimes intertwine with the main narrative.
Early Thirties is lively and chatty, filled with real actresses, podcasters, influencers, and #girlbosses who appear alongside purely fictional ones. Duboff, a former senior writer at Vanity Fair, knows the territory well. Celebrity culture and the circus behind it, such as the publicists, profile writers, and fans who keep the show going are all featured here.
Over the course of about two years, Victor and Zoey settle into their 30s, love lives change, careers ebb and flow, and characters gain agency. Amid the volatility of fame, Duboff captures the uncertainty and randomness of growing older, and the tender heartbreak of friendship. Expect to laugh, cringe, and maybe cry. --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator