The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Really liked this one. Although could be said it's a bit on the extremely nihilistically depressing side. Sorry but I don't think being a magician so clearly turns life into such a meaningless, pointless affair. He could use his magic ability to combat all the corruption in politics and the resulting misery of the populace. I suppose that just wouldn't work though for what he wanted to do. He wanted perhaps to use magic/Harry Potteresque world as a vehicle to examine the malaise and emptiness that us ordinary people are stuck with, except, I just don't think these magicians would really be stuck in such a similar situation. And, I don't know but, the fact that he makes them such that they are, makes them appear to be annoyingly mopey in a stupid kind of way.

I suppose it could be said that that's just what the main character is about, except, it really isn't. Most of the others seem to be similar... No one clearly contradicts his viewpoint. Eliot is quite similar. Alice's parents are that way and there's the idea that this is just how it is for magicians.

There are holes it could be said. There's no antagonist really at all for almost the first half of the book, which is unusual and probably a big turn off for most readers. I suppose it's got a Herman Hesse edge to it, basically. It could be said to be like Harry Potter but for teenagers. Intelligent teenagers. Some of the characters and relationships are somewhat psychologically complex with useful insights. In a lot of ways it's a much more realistic world. Not all the typical silly plot jumps and so on that make up typical story telling. I think there's a book two. Think I'll go start reading it, if there is one.... Although, I doubt it could be as good as book one... Which is really a compliment. There's no simple formula that I can see to be applied to churn out another similar book.