Bonjour tristesse

This could be the ultimate French book. A young narrator, Cecile, drifting into adulthood, in France, is learning about the pleasures of a first love and is experiencing rivalry with her father's new self-assured girlfriend. It's a moody book, full of schemes and chess-like moves in the complex relationships in this story. The author has perfectly captured the tugs toward and away from people, the back-and-forth, love-hate feelings that occur between people. I see why this book is so often included on must-read lists.