ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN HIGH SCHOOL
(and it usually does)
by William D. McCants
Gossamer-thin suburban comedy, set in idyllic southern California, about a teenager who can't decide whether to stay with his true friends or join the in-crowd. T.J. Durant is smarting: after three glorious months, luscious, well-connected classmate Janet Brooks has dropped him for student body Pres David Whitworth, ``a guy whose hair has never needed combing.'' Vivian ``Take No Prisoners'' Chandler, a friend since grade school, firmly snags him on the rebound, but when T.J. founds a school club and appears on the evening news after a successful fund-raiser, Janet comes trotting back. Jealous David tries to sabotage the club, but his plots backfire ludicrously. The author sends his cast of beautiful, familiar types flitting from party to party, porking out on ice cream and triple-thick pizzas as they do good, snap out one-liners, and work on their love lives. No surprises in this first novel (except that the hardcover's tidy trim size is the same as the paperback's), but sunny and readable, with a dash of social concern and funny repartee. (Fiction. 11-15)