The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

In the summer of 1974, six teenagers meet at a summer arts camp and form a bond that will shape their lives for decades. They call themselves “The Interestings,” believing their talent and ambition will set them apart from the ordinary world. As the years unfold, success, envy, love, and disappointment pull them in different directions—some rise to fame and fortune, while others struggle to reconcile their youthful dreams with the compromises of adulthood. Spanning from adolescence to middle age, The Interestings is a richly layered portrait of friendship and fate, exploring how time and privilege shape who we become and what remains of the people we once hoped to be.