Kantor, Melissa. Confessions of a Not It Girl.

KANTOR, Melissa. Confessions of a not it girl. Hyperion. 247p. c2004. 078681808-5. $8.99. JS

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2004: Kantor is a teacher and this is her first novel. Her strengths are understanding the lives of smart YAs as they are preparing to leave high school: college applications, friendships, quarrels with parents, academic struggles, and romances. The friends are Jan (pronounced Yawn, because her father is an art historian who named her after Jan van Eyck) and Rebecca (who is named an It Girl by a national magazine). Much of this novel consists of their endless conversations dissecting each little thing that has happened in their lives. Rebecca is more sophisticated and even manages to deceive a law student into thinking she is actually a college senior (instead of a high school senior)--their relationship is hot and heavy and full of lies, of course, until he sees her name in that very same national magazine. Jan is much less sophisticated, but certainly very intelligent. Much of the plot narrows down to Jan's crush on Josh and how misunderstandings and awkwardness keep getting into the way of their romance.

The YA characters go to a private school in Manhattan. They attend parties where everyone drinks, where there are views of the NY skyline from people's terraces, and people get home in cabs--in other words, exotic to 99 percent of American teenagers. For witty repartee, for angst over wardrobes, and for entertaining reading, this is a good choice. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.