The Chemo Kid

The first few chapters of this novel promise a run-of-the-mill account of a brave and likable boy's struggle with cancer. Soon, however, the tale changes course and becomes an unwieldy but intriguing examination of the connections among drugs, sports, big business and politics. When the egg-shaped lump Fred discovers below his ear turns out to be cancerous, the boy begins an experimental course of chemotherapy. Gradually he becomes aware that the treatment has made him into a superhero of sorts--there are moments when his senses are extraordinarily heightened and he is possessed of unusual physical strength. Putting his newfound powers to use, Fred organizes a two-pronged attack on the high school's bullies and the factory that has polluted the town's reservoir. Unlike the gritty, streetwise individuals that people such Lipsyte novels as The Brave and The Contender , Fred's cohorts and enemies alike have little life aside from the big ideas for which they stand. These one-note characterizations give the novel a cartoonish quality that detracts from the power of its timely arguments. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)