Scary Kisses

Fashion models may go to plastic surgeons, but it would take a heart surgeon to breathe some life into the narcissistic, yuppie mannequins who stumble zombie-like through this semi-pornographic romp. The prose style might be called mod-minimalist, and the trite dialogue is typeset like a film script (a hint to Hollywood?), which doesn't help matters at all. The plot could be loosely summarized as boy loses girl, boy (very briefly) gets boy, boy wins back girl from the second boy. The action hops from New York's East and West Villages to Paris and Milan, then returns to the Big Apple where Sister Ruth Theresa's psychotherapy sessions help Lucy fall back into the arms of handsome young Todd, thus saving him from a lonely, glitzy lifestyle. Short-story writer Gooch ( Jailbait ) has been a fashion model himself, yet he lacks the least bit of critical distance or humor to animate this self-styled scoop on the fast-track world of male modeling with its drugs, sex and glitter. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo. (September)