Hollis lives in an area not too far from where he graduated from college. His friends do, too. They all sleep late, talk about jobs they might get, girls they might date, money their parents might send them. In other words, their lives are seemingly on hold. Everything is going to happen. But despite the day-to-day boredom, Hollis has something to bolster him: Another reality is constantly running through his head, and it's one that leads him to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, it's time to get serious. Greatly exceeding typical tales of post-graduation angst, Lev Grossman has written a lucid and immediate novel of what and where a twenty-something's mind is when it isn't even made up yet.