At the age of 26, this is Jon McGregor's first novel. What he has managed to produce here would be no mean feat at any age.

The story follows the events of a day in the life of a suburban street leading up to a catastrophic event. The unfurling of the events of that day run parallel to the story of one of the inhabitants of the street, picked up at a later date.

McGregor's prose reminded me of Peter Carey at his best - he shows an uncanny knack for characterisation and is able to make many of the characters live for the reader without even naming them.

He also has the gift of hooking the reader in with his effortless style.

But McGregor's poetic observations of city life are what really stand out, especially the way he is able to tap into the interaction between people and pull apart the way that city society works, enfolding some while allowing others to fall out of the loop.

Readable, funny, moving and a truly remarkable first novel.

Updated: 09:23 Wednesday, July 02, 2003