When the nines roll over

The witty, deftly crafted and poignant stories in this collection explore the sometimes thrilling, sometimes pathetic emotional lives of a diverse set of characters. Over the course of eight tales, often with an appealing touch of the surreal, we are introduced to a record company exec searching for a rock star, an inexperienced Russian soldier trapped between his murderous colleagues and a clever old woman, a faded football star recalling his lost chance at love, an actress who has a shot at a role that will free her from a lifetime of waitressing, a young man who kidnaps his ex-girlfriend's father's ashes, and other young people on the cusp of discovery, jubilation or loss. As he evokes the various states of agony and pleasure - humiliation, rebellion, cameraderie, and desire - Benioff displays a profound understanding of how single moments lead to transformation, and how sadness can be illuminated by a humorous flip side.