Ancient Enemies

An adolescent's stormy relationship with her stepfather is the cornerstone of English novelist North's seventh novel. Seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Petra are the effects of her stepfather's departure and the troubled family life that preceded his flight. North simultaneously grapples with the problems of a contemporary adolescent's growing pains, an alienated household and society's confused values, but does not give fair play to any one idea or allow the different elements to form a cohesive whole. However poignant Petra's narrative is at times, it is also strained and cliched and does not sustain sympathy. Her relationships with her contemporaries and with her shadowy mother germinate seeds of fascination but ultimately fail to satisfy. Despite these flaws, the novel is quick-paced and provides some compelling reading on an age-old subject: strained relationships in familial settings. (October)