Set in Montreal, Fréchette's (The Four Lives of Marie) compact novel presents a sometimes sketchy, sometimes polished portrait of the friendship between two teens. As the tale opens, Véro thinks she spies her friend, Dolorès (nicknamed Do, as in do-re-mi) across a street. It has been two years since Véro last saw Do, a separation that goes unexplained until story's end; readers know only that Do has hurt Véro. Writing in Véro's sympathetic voice, Fréchette alternates an account of the narrator's search for Do (instigated by the apparent spotting) with flashbacks to the girls' earlier experiences. The teens seem to be polar opposites. Do, entering Véro's school as a new student, boasts long dyed hair "like some tropical forest you need a machete to hack your way through," and wears such eccentric clothing that the class wag dubs her a "walking flea market." Véro, by contrast, wants only to look ordinary. But the two share a love of fiction and forge a credible friendship, and Véro learns to borrow Do's seeming strength. Back in the ongoing story line, Véro does eventually locate her onetime soul mate, with bittersweet results. Striking some affecting notes, the narrative makes worthwhile observations on love and loss, yet lacks the emotional intensity promised by its premise. Ages 13-up. (Apr.)
