Abby Graven is the young, geeky, going-nowhere heroine of the engaging, sharp-witted debut novel “The Paper Wasp“,” written with immediacy and panache. Abby’s former best friend Elise is now the next hot thing in Hollywood and Abby impulsively inserts herself into Elise’s turbulent life, with unexpected consequences. I’ve read many of these “beauty and the beast” dramas but this one distinguishes itself by immersing the reader in Abby’s coiled psyche. I loved the savage look at Tinseltown and dreaded, then enjoyed, the dark ending. An impressive debut.