False Face

Laney, put-upon younger daughter, is the protagonist of this problem novel. Her parents' bitter divorce has left her confused and vulnerable. Her mother favors Laney's older sister; Laney's resemblance to her father seems to alienate her mother further. When Laney discovers a small Indian ritual mask and takes it home, it highlights the tensions between her mother, a successful antiques dealer, and her father, a professor determined to preserve Indian relics. Laney soon realizes that the mask and its larger companion mask harbor an evil power: it seems to be corrupting her mother. The strong resentments produced by the parents' soured love, divorce and Laney's own envy are presented carefully and convincingly. Katz welds the supernatural element onto the family's conflicts with grace and competence, offering a new view of a somber situation. Ages 10-14. (September)