LOVE IS A HOPSCOTCH THING

Here is one long sigh, sustained from page one to the end. A triangle of palpitating hearts (which belong to Carly Williams, a prize-boarder in the senior class; Danny Koller, who beasts a heart bigger than his brain; and Chuck, who proudly attends the local college) is narrated by Carly who enjoys hopping and skipping from Chuck to Danny, from Danny to Chuck, until she gives up the game to attend a far away state university. Early is unrealistically flawless; her sole problem is choosing between the two desirable lads. The characters are not individuals; they are vulnerable, love-stricken hearts. A few days of scuba diving--romance below sea level-- does not save this book from being a puritanical True Romance.