McDonald, Janet. Chill Wind.

McDONALD, Janet. Chill wind. (Sequel to Spellbound.) Farrar, Straus & Giroux. 134p. c2002.0-374-41183-2. $6.95. S

Nineteen-year. old Aisha Ingrain is desperate. In 60 days, her welfare benefits will be terminated, and she will have to participate in New York City's workfare program. Scrubbing city streets or working on subway patrol is not the high school dropout's idea of "living the good life," so she begins to create one scheme after another. But ignoring termination-of-welfare notices and feigning mental illness will not help her hold on to the public assistance she's received for five years. Her only hope is to land a job that will allow her to continue to take care of her children without help from the children's father or her family. Responding to a television ad for "BIGMODELS, Inc." seems to be the solution, but Aisha's temper prevents her from getting the job. The workfare program appears inevitable until an unbelievable "twist of fate" lands her a job in a television commercial that miraculously changes her life.

As in Spellbound, where readers first met Aisha, the novel seems contrived and not very convincing. Nevertheless, McDonald should be applauded for treading on infrequently explored territory: few novelists have dared to write about life in the projects, teen welfare recipients or teen parent recovery. Readers will appreciate the book's humor and the author's genuine use of vernacular. Chili Wind would make a good addition to public, school, and classroom libraries. KaaVonia Hinton, Ph.D., Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.