If you like the sound of a book that shocks as it amazes, moves as it appals and is as poetic as it is crude you'll love this debut novel by Scottish author Jenni Fagan. 15-year-old Anais is brought up in foster care but following her mystifying role in a serious assault, she is hauled into the protective control of The Panopticon, a youth offenders' correctional facility that watches inmates' every move from all angles. They found blood on her uniform, a policewoman is in coma, and she does have a penchant for illegal hallucinogens, but is she to blame, or is she really just a girl hopelessly let down by society? Controversial, puzzling and unforgettable.
The Panopticon, Jenni Fagan (William Heinemann, £12.99)
