Shepherd

Shepherd Catlett, 17, lives on a large dairy farm with his parents in Vermont. A loner hampered by low self-esteem, Shep talks freely only to his best friend, Tara. But everything changes when he develops a major crush--his first--on 14-year-old Mary (``who I think could be Julia Roberts's younger sister, going by her looks''), and he's delighted to oblige when she asks him to help her out in Spanish class. Pretty Mary is thrilled by the attention cast her way by some rough-and-tumble senior guys; according to Tara, however, Mary is ``drinking much too much and getting treated like . . . let's say some kind of toy.'' Inspired by a ``message'' he thinks he hears in a rock song, Shep is convinced he's fated to save Mary--a mission that reaps physical and emotional pain. Thompson ( Gypsyworld ) blends humor and pathos to characterize a teenager's budding sexuality. Shep's clear, true voice counterbalances the slightly clunky symbolism, and readers savvy enough to look past the stolid title will be glad they did. Ages 13-up. (Nov.)