Keep Laughing

Shepherd Youngman, 16, resents his divorced mother's overprotectiveness and her constant frugality. When his father, Joey, a well-known comedian, reenters his life, Shep seizes the opportunity to become acquainted with the man he hardly knows. Bent on success, Joey left his family during Shep's infancy and has since been heard from only intermittently. When he moves to San Francisco, an hour's drive away, he decides he wants his son to live with him. Grant's novel is burdened by a surly main character whose stream-of-consciousness narration rehashes an anemic plot. The foreseeable ending is another weakness, as is the flimsy thread that binds this material; Shep sees right through his insensitive father, so that his even contemplating a move and his ensuing shock at Joey's behavior are mystifying. And for those curious about show-biz parenting, this has the usual cliches. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)