Losing It, by Lara Harte (Phoenix, £6.99 in UK)

A surreal story of abuse told in a deadpan voice by one of the victims, the denouement in this second novel by twentysomething…

A surreal story of abuse told in a deadpan voice by one of the victims, the denouement in this second novel by twentysomething Dubliner Lara Harte is the book's most impressive achievement. Unfortunately, it is preceded by a build-up that is longwinded and repetitious. We follow first-year college student Merle through a confusing labyrinth of clues on her mission to discover why Corinne, her adored older sister, has attempted suicide. Harte is adept at capturing the argot of disaffected Dublin girls as they go between the suffocating suburban world of home and the thrills, dangers and disappointments of bus shelters, back alleys, pubs and parties. However, Merle's narrative voice veers uneasily between street slang and flowery descriptions of skyscapes ("a sky the colour of an ageing white veil"); between renditions of drunken nights with her friends and sensible, adult-sounding analysis of the unpredictable personalities in her circle. Harte's strength lies in her evocation of the moody alienation of late-teenhood - "Poor Mam, she doesn't have a clue about anything . . . it means we can do whatever the f**k we want" - making this a book of choice for younger readers.