Girl of Many Parts

New in town, Jane is a loner, so when she discovers the high-tech computer equipment her father has in the garage, it is only natural that she toy with it to see if she can make a portrait of herself. Fascinated by her creation, Jane hopes the self-portrait might somehow become a real person and, incredibly, gets her wish. At first she enjoys this other self, but Jane gets worried, and before long, the inevitable happens: the fake Jane sends the real one away through the computer. From the prologue, readers know that the real Jane makes her way back, though many years have passed, and gets revenge on the adult clone. Unfortunately, the clever idea is executed in a wooden style and peopled with stock characters. Using short cuts and stereotypes to make his points, the author circumvents real storytelling; readers will find this effort unsatisfying. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)