Where Have All the Tigers Gone?

Jo Herne reflects on her childhood as she prepares to attend her 32nd high school reunion. As a youth she felt insecure and aimless, without real friends. She felt rejected by boys and preferred to spend much of her time alone. And she believed herself odd compared to the other girls and imagined what their future lives would be like. Years later Jo is a successful writer, fulfilled by her career, close friendships and the life she has made in Arizona. At the reunion, she is startled to learn that others had envied her in high school and that ``we did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves.'' Jo describes her experiences in a wise, wry voice, allowing readers the chance to find out, just as she does, how her reunion turns out. It's a reassuring portrait of a life, a message in a bottle to teenagers who may feel like outsiders in their own high schools. Because Hall's view of these events is not shrouded in nostalgia but presented objectively, the story rings true. And that gives it real power. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)