Yours Truly

After the disappearance of her cocaine-addict father, Nicki resents her mother for being so eager to move the family away from New Hampshire and to start a new life with her business partner/boyfriend. While little brother Jerry has no trouble adjusting to life in New York City, Nicki turns rebellious and gets involved with a group of ``fast'' older kids. Trouble brews when the 13-year-old begins skipping school, staying out late and dating an ex-gang-member. Although some of the subsequent events (a friend's fatal accident, the death of a trusted guidance counselor) are predictable, Angell's ( The Buffalo Nickel Blues Band ; Don't Rent My Room ) messages about self-deception and self-control remain provocative. Only after Nicki reunites with her father and realizes that he will never change does she decide to take more responsibility for her own life. This disturbing contemporary novel offers a perceptive take on a bitter girl desperately searching for love. If readers are critical of Nicki's actions, they will empathize with her feelings of loyalty to her father and her anger toward those encouraging her to forget him. This painfully realistic account of the build-up and breakdown of a teen's defenses will not soon be forgotten. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)