When a new student shows up, no one can tell if Lani is male or female. And then the question arises about whether Lani is human at all, or rather a "floating angel." According to <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW, "the plotting exerts a sure grip." Ages 14-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

Plum-Ucci follows her debut novel, The Body of Christopher Creed , a 2000 Printz Honor Book, with another offering about an enigmatic high-schooler who engenders the wrath of his fellow students--but this one might be an angel. Popular 16-year-old Claire can't immediately tell whether Lani Garver is a boy or a girl. Lani turns out to be a guy, and most people think he's gay. His friendship empowers Claire, who has her own problems: a possible cancer relapse, an eating disorder, and an alcoholic mother. Lani's wisdom and kindness make Claire wonder if he's one of those floating angels she's heard about, but members of the macho set consider how far they can push him. They do drown him, but is he really dead? A misplaced opening chapter gives away the ending, and the sometimes-stereotypical characters laugh incessantly; they giggle, crack up, and snort, usually stopping the narrative flow. Plum-Ucci has the core of a good story here. Lani's androgyny and his angelic possibilities are intriguingly played out, but readers must wade through a lot of extraneous scenes and situations to get the good stuff. For larger collections.

Claire befriends Lani, a new student shunned because of his androgynous appearance and effeminate mannerisms. Lani helps cancer survivor Claire confront her eating disorder, but Claire is unable to save Lani from the town bullies. The novel is weighed down with serious issues, endless philosophical discussions, and a first-person narrative that relies too heavily on contemporary jargon.

Plum-Ucci seems to be establishing a pattern: disaffected teen with a mysterious past moves into a cliquish, closed community and shows them the errors of their superficial ways. What saves this from being formulaic and sappy are the strong characterizations and vivid settings. Lani Garver moves into a small, insular fishing island called Hackett, populated by the hunky sons of fisherman and the spoiled cheerleaders they date. At first it is unclear how old Lani is, where Lani is from, or even if Lani is a boy or a girl. Claire is drawn to him, having grown increasingly dissatisfied with the shallowness of her life and friends. She's coping with her mother's increasing descent into alcoholism, the possible recurrence of her childhood leukemia, and an eating disorder. Lani and Claire establish a relationship that is based on honesty, something sorely lacking on Hackett Island. Her "in crowd" will not tolerate any dissension in the ranks and decides to show Lani how things work on their island. Their ridicule escalates into much more and their actions have tragic consequences. Ucci is a pro at teen dialogue, worries, and thought processes. The characterizations are superb, from Claire's troubles to her over-the-top friends' shallow concerns to Lani's fierce individualism and his artsy, eclectic city friends. The hint of supernatural only adds to the appeal. Successfully raising many valid issues, this should appeal to teens from the popular to the marginalized. (Fiction. YA)

Gr 9 Up-Claire McKenzie, 16, is a cheerleader, musician, and leukemia survivor. She's haunted by dreams, day and night, that her cancer is back. She secretly writes music with lyrics inspired by dark visions of girls who cut themselves with razors and watch themselves bleed. Her friend Macy is controlling, but she helps Claire feel "normal." Lani Garver enters the picture as a new student at their high school. With his porcelain skin, high cheekbones, longish bob, and seductive walk, it is hard to be sure if he's a guy or a girl. Claire's friends decide that he is gay. He is intelligent and worldly wise and is the one person to whom Claire can talk about her darkest dreams and fears. He seems incapable of not speaking the truth even when his life depends on it. Plum-Ucci also introduces magical elements into the story through Lani's philosophical reflections on Andovenes' Angels, and Claire's growing speculation that her new friend may indeed be a floating angel. She discovers who she is, in the face of unbelievably strong peer pressure, and the determination to decide what is real and what is not. Prejudice, homophobia, friendship, tolerance, individuality, and the possibility that something spiritually bigger than all of us rules this universe are wonderfully woven into this powerfully told story. Outstanding writing, strong characterization, and riveting plot development make this title rise above many recent coming-of-age stories.-Lynn Bryant, Great Bridge Middle School, Chesapeake, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.