Higuri, You. Gorgeous Carat.

HIGURI, You. Gorgeous carat. Vol. 1. Tokyopop. 192p. illus. 02006. 1-598-16102-4. $9.99. S

In fin de siecle France, young Florian Rochefort's noble family has fallen on hard times. After selling most of their possessions, he and his mother cling to their last remaining treasure: a 120-carat diamond called the Flame of Mughal. Enter a rogue named Ray Balzac Courland, also know as Noir, an infamous thief. Noir suspects the diamond is held at the Rochefort's estate, and disguising himself as an Arabian usurer, strikes a deal with Florian's mother. Faced with a desperate choice, she signs Florian's guardianship over to Noir, who in turn, has fallen deeply in love with him. The saga unfolds as the two men must make their way through a corrupt and harsh landscape.

This historical fantasy manga is a stellar example of the boys' love genre, which relies heavily on romantic suggestion between very beautiful, yet highly androgynous male characters. A stylish melange of time period, setting, attire and social rank smartly fuses into a debonair romance. As a first volume, the story is fine-tuned and well detailed, leading up to a second volume that should be highly anticipated. A dashing story filled with intrigue and innuendo (but little explicit content), this selection would be fitting for most teen collections. Jennifer Feigelman, YA Svcs. Libn., Goshen PL, Goshen, NY

S--Recommended for senior high school students.