I Never Asked You to

DeClements's novels for preteens have become quite popular. Her latest story concentrates upon students who have chosen or been forced to attend an alternative high school. Didi is there because she becomes truant during her mother's terminal illness, terrified at being left with a distant father and a great-grandmother. The action revolves around Didi's struggle to find her own truth. How responsible are we for our destinies? Didi looks for answers in the context of her new circleteachers who stress self-actualization with kids who have experienced drug abuse, detention centers and other tragedies. When she helps her desperate friend Stacy out of the dilemma of incest, Didi begins to find direction. Whether it's Didi's father forgetting a Christmas present or her friends partying with dope, DeClements creates memorable incidents with her large group of well-delineated characters. (12up)