<div><p>"Virginie Despentes's <I>Apocalypse Baby</I> kept me up several nights in a row?in part because it's a terrific page-turner, and in part because I was anxious to see how Despentes would sustain her narrative ride. <I>Apocalypse Baby</I> is more than a compelling punk, queerish spin on the noir genre. It is a choral performance that tumbles its readers into the heart of violent spectacle, with all its attendant grief, unease, and unclarity."?Maggie Nelson, author of <I>The Art of Cruelty</I> and professor at the California Institute of the Arts</p><p>"Virginie Despentes's social criticism is blistering, but her prose is laid-back. <I>Apocalypse Baby</I> is an addictive feminist thriller that reads like shameless gossip from your smartest friend."?Johanna Fateman</p><p><I>Apocalypse Baby</I> is a smart, fast-paced mystery about a missing adolescent girl traveling through Paris and Barcelona. She is tailed by two mismatched private investigators: the Hyena, part ruthless interrogator, part oversexed rock star, and Lucie, her plain and passive?almost to the point of invisible?sidekick. As their desperate search unfolds, they interrogate a suspicious cast of characters, and the dark heart of contemporary youth culture is exposed.</p><p>Cult author and filmmaker <B>Virginie Despentes</B> has written many award-winning books, including <I>King Kong Theory</I>, and <I>Apocalypse Baby</I>, which won the 2010 Prix Renaudot when it was first published in France. She is the co-director of the screen adaptations of her controversial novels <I>Baise-Moi</I> and <I>Bye Bye Blondie</I>.</p></div>