Lynn, Tracy. RX, a novel.

LYNN, Tracy. RX, a novel. Simon & Schuster. 262p. c2006. 1-4169-1155-3. $6.99. S

At Ashbury High, it isn't just the honor roll students, the prom queens, and the jocks who pop pills. Teachers and parents are also hooked on prescription drugs--any magic potion to help "dial down the pain." So, when 16-year-old Thyme diagnoses herself with ADD, she finds Ritalin, "the study drug," easy to procure. Episodes of hand tremors, racing heart and panic attacks seem a small price to pay for getting the grades she needs for college. From her Ritalin fixes, it's a short step to buying, stealing and trading drugs with friends. Dealing becomes the ultimate power trip for Thyme, allowing her to use her superficial medical knowledge to diagnose and medicate her peers. It takes the suicide of a schoolmate to finally shock her to her senses.

Descriptions of drug parties, with kids vomiting in the bushes, and having sex in guest rooms point to the perils of getting hooked, yet the story never becomes preachy. In the Afterword, the author reveals that she knows at least two people whose lives were ruined by addiction to illegally obtained prescription drugs. "The one thing worse than having a friend who hates you," she concludes, "is a friend who is dead." A must-read for every school counselor as well as an easy sell for book talks and discussion groups. Jessica Swaim, Cataloger, Cherry Creek Sch., Denver, CO