The Magicians

Lev Grossman's The Magicians.  How would I describe it?  Take Harry Potter and make him older, an anti-hero.  Take Hogwarts and make it far more serious, even perhaps a tad sinister?  Throw in a land like Narnia, but not quite so benign.  And then imagine giving Stephen King license to create some Evil.

I finished The Magicians quickly, partly because it was an engrossing read, partly because I was stuck in a plane on the tarmac for hours, and the next day stuck in an airport for hours.  This is not a book for kids by any stretch of the imagination (and this book does stretch the imagination).  It takes on some big themes head-on, particularly the notion of searching for happiness.  I was reminded more than once of the expression, "Be careful what you wish for - you may get it."