Sweet Sixteen

Best friends Carrie, Zane and Mary Beth eagerly anticipate their 16th birthdays. Timid Mary Beth hopes that turning 16 means her mother will stop pressuring her to try new things. Zane, attractive and carefree, believes 16 will bring her many handsome boyfriends. To Carrie, 16 is when her overprotective stepfather will permit her to make her own decisions. When the three friends spend the summer with Carrie's real father at his beach house, they begin to understand what growing up actually means for them. Mary Beth becomes more assertive; Zane discovers the risks of impulsiveness. And Carrie discovers that making decisions for herself is more complicated than she first thought. By mixing lightly romantic moments for each of the girls with what is mostly a story of their three-way friendship (and complementary personalities), the author provides readers with entertaining summer fare. The book isn't subtle--the plot becomes annoyingly obvious--but fans of the genre won't mind. Ages 14-up. (June)