Dancing with Molly

This diary-style novel offers a straightforward cautionary tale about the drug Ecstasy. The unnamed 17-year-old narrator, %E2%80%9Can average-looking band geek with mousy, frizzy hair the color of dishwater,%E2%80%9D feels invisible and awkward both at school and at home. She%E2%80%99s thrilled when the band is invited to participate in the Macy%E2%80%99s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, but her mother is more impressed that the narrator%E2%80%99s younger sister, a sophomore, has been invited to prom by the school quarterback. Sick of being stuck in the shadows, the narrator is seduced by the prospect of %E2%80%9Cpure bliss%E2%80%9D by taking Ecstasy offered by her friends. She only plans on trying the drug once, but she falls in love with the feeling of losing her inhibitions and being lifted out of her normal life. Soon she%E2%80%99s engaging in other high-risk behavior and can%E2%80%99t enjoy anything, even her new boyfriend, while sober. While the plot is predictable, it%E2%80%99s a realistic look at how easily one can be lured into drug use, and most readers will be pulled through the story by the candidness of the narration. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (June)