CLAWS

This tension-filled novel about a teen's downward spiral will almost certainly hit a nerve. As the story opens, narrator Jed Berg seems to have it all: parents everyone (including Jed) admires, an older, very popular girlfriend, a Camaro (which he's allowed to drive to school) and the top spot on the tennis team. But before the first chapter ends, Jed's perfect life begins to fray: a "punk chick" with pink hair who identifies herself, unconvincingly, as "Gertrude," informs him that his father is having an affair with her mother. Jed starts investigating Gertrude's claims: Gertrude turns out to be Laura Sanborn, an all-American type very much like himself, and a powerful relationship develops. Prodded by Laura, Jed confronts his father with his knowledge, and before long both the Berg and Sanborn marriages are over. Carried by a wave of shock and anger, Jed makes some bad decisions (like picking up a joint he finds on the Sanborns' property) and suffers the consequences (he gets kicked out of school when officials find the joint in his coat pocket). In his usual fashion, Weaver (Hard Ball) stays one step ahead of his audience, planting unexpected twists in every chapter. The final bomb he drops will have a stunning effect on those expecting an upbeat or even neat ending. A fascinating study of a flawed young hero whose fall is as disturbing as it is swift. Ages 13-up. (Mar.)