John Williams of The New York Times reports on newly released book titles and the world of publishing in The Book Reader.

"Young Skins," Colin Barrett's first collection of short stories, was published in 2013 in Ireland and last year in Britain. It arrives this month in the U.S. having won rave reviews and several prestigious prizes overseas. It lives up to the praise.

The stories are all set in a fictional town in Ireland, not unlike the one where Barrett, who is 32, grew up. Barrett's style is both exact and poetic. His stories are crowded with young men and women making a racket while going nowhere.

Some of Barrett's men work as bouncers, and others could have. What separates his tough characters from those written by others is how carefully he applies the details that soften their edges. The most vivid and lasting impression is left by Arm, short for Douglas Armstrong. He's the central character in "Calm With Horses," the remarkable 89-page novella that anchors the collection. Arm, an ex-boxer, is the friend and the significant muscle of a local marijuana dealer. He's also the father of an emotionally volatile 5-year-old boy. A clumsier writer might have made Arm and other characters here an unconvincing juxtaposition of outward violence and inner sentimentality. But Barrett makes him seamless and convincing.

Barrett has a gift for capturing moments when things go very bad, and "Young Skins" marks the beginning of a promising career.