Field Trip

This would-be thriller is the latest addition to the endless parade of high school horror stories with catchy, high-concept titles. Its flashy cover art and come-hither jacket copy are belied by the tepid tale within. A snowstorm traps a history class and its teacher at an old-fashioned inn. As Tom's fellow students disappear from their locked bedrooms, he sets out to investigate. Feeble red herrings abound, but Tom perseveres and uncovers a farfetched conspiracy hatched by the innkeeper's two children. The characters are minimally developed and lacking in motivation; the depiction of the novel's spandex-clad villainess is so flatly sexist that it would offend--if it weren't so silly. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)