Guile

Yonie Watereye, the memorable heroine of Cooper%E2%80%99s debut, lives with her talking cat, LaRue, in a city reminiscent of New Orleans. Orphaned and rejected by her surviving relatives, 16-year-old Yonie makes a modest living thanks to LaRue, who is sensitive to guile, a magical substance that suffuses the river. A series of adventures, initially episodic and rushed, leads Yonie to seek out her relations%E2%80%94both the bayou-dwelling paternal cousins she grew up with and the mysterious High Town family of her disowned mother. Before long, the ever-curious Yonie and her smitten cousin Gilbert are headed upriver in a sentient houseboat, on the run from a terrifyingly irresponsible villain, and on track to discover the origins of guile. A slower pace in the second half, despite the ramped-up suspense, allows for more exploration of Yonie%E2%80%99s world and character. Cooper adeptly captures the transition from adolescence to adulthood as Yonie faces temptations and hard choices, but the real star of the show is LaRue, whose primness amuses while her mutual loyalty with Yonie gives the story its heart. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: John Silbersack, Trident Media Group. (Mar.)