THE ROMANTIC OBSESSIONS AND HUMILIATIONS OF ANNIE SEHLMEIER

An honorable mention entry in the third Delacorte Press Outstanding Young Adult contest, this is a promising, if unexceptional, effort. Annie's ""obsession and humiliation"" involves her passion for Tom Wooley, the school hunk; an otherwise cool and self-possessed person, she shares this passion with her younger sister, Henny, who Annie feels is silly and lacks self-control. As a result, Annie is ashamed of her own feelings and conceals them from everyone, including her boyfriend Jack. The strain of this and the worry over Oma, her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's and has not adjusted well to the family's recent immigration to Salt Lake City from the Netherlands, comes to a climax on the night that Oma wanders off and Annie is caught behaving, despite herself, exactly like Henny. The painful events that follow leave scars, but help Annie grow into a more mature, understanding person. The stock, underdeveloped characters; abrupt transitions; and lack of real feeling for the immigrant experience as it would affect a teen-ager--all are serious flaws here. But, overall, the story is unusual and strong, and Plummet tells it with credibility.