Early Thirties: A Novel

Written by Josh Duboff

Narrated by Graham Halstead, Rachel F. Hirsch, Helen Laser and 2 more

Kaia Gerber’s Library Science March Book Club Pick • Best Books of 2025 List by Vogue • Most Anticipated Novels of 2025 List by Marie Claire • Best New Books of Spring 2025 List by Bustle • Must-Read Books of Spring 2025 List by Town & Country

“The year’s best coming-of-age novel is about adults.” —GQ

A hilarious and painfully relatable debut novel about two thirtysomething best friends’ messy search for connection and love in New York, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle, Gabrielle Zevin, and Dolly Alderton.

Sometimes friendship can be its own love story.

Victor and Zoey are getting old, well older-er, and it’s beginning to be a real problem.

Best friends for a decade in New York City, they have supported each other through bad dates and office drama, late nights and hungover brunches.

As their wild twenties come to a close, though, the dynamic between the two is shifting. Coming off a tough breakup, Victor dedicates his energy towards building a career writing celebrity profiles for one of the last glossy magazines left, while Zoey navigates the terrain at her nascent fashion startup, questioning her future with her fiancé. The friends and acquaintances in their orbit—authors, influencers, “It girls”—are also searching for a sense of belonging amidst anxieties and self-doubt.

But when tragedy befalls Victor, his once unbreakable bond with Zoey really starts to crack. They find themselves ignoring their ongoing text thread and pushing away what might be the most meaningful relationship of their lives. An immersive, hilarious, and heartbreaking story, this is a debut novel about best friendship, finding yourself, and realizing growing up has as much to do with the person you were as it does with the person you are desperately trying to become.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Mar 18, 2025
• ISBN: 9781668109762

Josh Duboff

Josh Duboff is a novelist, journalist, and playwright. A former senior writer for Vanity Fair, Josh has written cover stories on Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Gigi Hadid, among others, and contributed to The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ, W Magazine, Town & Country, Bon Appétit, Air Mail, and more. A graduate of Yale University, he lives in New York City.

Reviews for Early Thirties

[Makhanana Malungane · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The intersection between adulting and knowing your worth - brilliant!