THE OTHER ISLAND

The setup seems perfect for some junior-grade Mary Stewartish action: 15-year-old Daphne, ""naive in so many ways,"" is off to spend the summer at her father's archeological dig on a Greek island and meets a dazzlingly blond, slightly older, mysterious stranger (perhaps a reincarnated Apollo?). In addition you'll find a hoary, snake-worshipping sorceress, quaint natives, and even a few ominously circling kestrel hawks. The atmosphere of impending adventure and sublimated romance is so thick that only the most clear-sighted readers will notice that nothing much ever happens. The intimations of intrigue lead only to a brief scene with an impetuous adolescent suitor and the stranger, who turns out to be an American philanthropist, meets some long lost relatives. Even those who find this sort of thing food for daydreams will have to supply their own endings.