Out of Control

Johnny, lead singer of a popular high school band, has a history of intense, short-lived involvements with drugs, drinking and girls. Jessica, the band's guitarist, is his latest--and most serious--infatuation. While the boy's lavish attentions are initially thrilling, Jessica soon feels stifled and restless. In a finish that is both predictable and genuinely dramatic, Johnny's thwarted passions lead him to a tragic end. Though there are a few moments when the characers seem as flat as the figures on the novel's unattractive cover, they are more often lively and engaging. With her clear-eyed assessment of Johnny's brand of romantic love, Jessica stands in welcome contrast to the garden-variety boy-crazy heroine. Infused with the bittersweet tang of nostalgia, the Rashomon-like narrative captures the drifting rhythm of the all-important teenage pastime of hanging out. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)