Elena Ferrante burst onto the literature scene with her Neopolitan trio of books that started with My Brilliant Friend. I did not read those, in fact, her latest novel The Lying Life of Adults is the first of hers that I have read.
And it’s certainly makes my teen angst pale in comparison. It is a comparison that sets the events in motion as the worldly father compares his teenage daughter to his sister, whom he hates. At first it seems a comparison based on physical appearance but is actually deeper.
The daughter, Giovanna, demands to meet this aunt and from there her orbit becomes widened and secrets and lies and family history start to show. It is a cracker of a book. Loaded with emotional bombs going off.
To pair with this, I would recommend starting with that sub-style, Italian pilsner then you can move on to a sour IPA because there is acrimony aplenty and you will need to match it.