It's really not a bad idea. Adele Lang joins the throng of post-Bridget Jones novelists with Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber, a fictional diary by Katya Livingstone, an advertising copywriter-turned-journalist who is, in short, a nasty piece of work. Katya has never met a friend she didn't stab in the back, a boss she didn't take advantage of, or a man whose net worth she didn't appraise in five seconds flat. Most of Ms. Jones's offspring are dear, dewy, put-upon creatures. Sure, they crack wise, but mostly they seem to mope around hoping for Mr. Right to happen upon them. The idea of a vile anti-heroine out to screw the world before it screws her has a certain appeal. Unfortunately, Lang's reach has exceeded her grasp, and the result is far from heavenly. The book veers wildly in tone. We never know quite how we're supposed to feel about Katya: Should we despise her? Admire her for her chutzpah? Or just shut the book in frustration? Meanwhile, sloppy grammar and unfunny jokes topple this tenuous house of cards. --Claire Dederer