Irresistible

The first installment of the aptly titled Bloodlust series dishes up down-and-dirty pleasure-readers can be vicarious members of the in-crowd and exult in the spectacle of high school gods and goddesses destroying one another. When a vengeful individual (whose identity is gradually revealed) mails tiny vials of a highly potent perfume called Irresistible to the most popular girls in school, a chain of ghoulish, erotically charged events follows. Just a few drops make the wearer overwhelmingly attractive to the first person he or she encounters. More than a few drops induces an unrelenting obsession that can fuel a variety of grisly acts, including murder and necrophilia. One cheerleader accidentally spills the contents of an entire vial on her legs (``Suddenly Sara wasn't sure if the tingling sensation moving up her thighs came from the cheap perfume or from Nick's hot hand'') and is torn to shreds as her besotted date attempts to eat her alive. An ending that leaves the embittered perfumist at large sets the stage for further sequels. Gleefully recounted, this slick combination of macabre softcore porn and whiny schadenfreude should captivate its target audience. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)