Fifteen-year-old Vernon Gregory Little is in trouble. And it has something to do with the recent massacre of 16 students at his high school. News of the tragedy serves as open invitation to the media and soon the quirky backwater of Martirio is flooded with wannabe CNN hacks all too keen to lay claim to their 15 minutes, and lay the blame for the killings at Vernon's feet. Eulalio Ledesma, in particular, sniffs out the opportunity to make good at Vernon's expense and as the media net tightens, Vernon finds himself drawn into a series of increasingly bizarre circumstances. Eventually, with the LSD safely diluted in the ginseng, and essential travel funds procured from a distasteful trade-off with old Mr Deutschman, he succumbs to the workings of Fate and takes off for Mexico and a date - or so he hopes - with the divine Taylor Figueroa. Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2003Fifteen-year-old Vernon Gregory Little is in trouble. And it has something to do with the recent massacre of 16 students at his high school. News of the tragedy serves as open invitation to the media and soon the quirky backwater of Martirio is flooded with wannabe CNN hacks all too keen to lay claim to their 15 minutes, and lay the blame for the killings at Vernon's feet. Eulalio Ledesma, in particular, sniffs out the opportunity to make good at Vernon's expense and as the media net tightens, Vernon finds himself drawn into a series of increasingly bizarre circumstances. Eventually, with the LSD safely diluted in the ginseng, and essential travel funds procured from a distasteful trade-off with old Mr Deutschman, he succumbs to the workings of Fate and takes off for Mexico and a date - or so he hopes - with the divine Taylor Figueroa. Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2003 Winner of Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2003 and Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2003 and Booker Prize for Fiction 2003. Short-listed for Guardian First Book Award 2003 and Whitbread Prize (First Novel) 2003.