A prime number is a lonely thing. It can be divided by only itself or by one; it never truly fits with another. Alice and Mattia are both “primes” – misfits who seem destined to be alone. Haunted by childhood tragedies that mark their lives, they find themselves unable to reach out to anyone else. When the two meet as teenagers, they recognize in each other a kindred, damaged spirit. (Dust jacket description)

This book will keep your interest from cover to cover. The story is precise, meticulously unfolding with details that draw you in and shake your perception of regret and redemption. A similar theme runs through the movie, The Tracey Fragments by Bruce McDonald.

Paolo Giordano is a professional physicist, writing this, his first novel at just 27 years old, winning the Premio Strega literary award.