London, 2016: our hapless protagonist Paul wants to write about books but instead finds himself reviewing haircuts for a living. He's in the process of losing both his old home up North and his new one, the only cheap flat in London. Then he becomes obsessed with an author.

A very readable, funny state-of-the-nation novel. Reminded me a lot of Jonathan Coe. The hipster magazine trying so desperately to be edgy reminded me of the one in Brooker and Morris's Nathan Barley.