No Promises

The author of Leave It to Christy returns with a new book that begins as many formula romances do: a girl, Dana, solidly happy in her love for her steady boyfriend Paul, is rattled by the arrival of a new boy, Jared. Jared and Dana hit it off right away; they have a special rapport and share a love of horses. But Paul--and Dana's best friend Lynn, who has a crush on Jared--is hurt by their growing attachment. A turn of the page takes away all the emotional complications in that line of plotting, for Jared is conveniently killed off in an auto accident. Dana has to sort out her feelings alone, which she demonstrates by choosing the less-conventional behavior (like riding her horse after dark) that Jared touted. Drily presented, the story's most involving aspect is Dana's confident way of handling herself, e.g., not letting Paul's jealousy influence her actions. But even that falls away by the end, when it seems as if Dana goes where the wind blows. Neither relationships nor the grieving process are genuinely probed here; this never rises above its formulaic beginnings. Ages 13-up. (June)