Waite, Judy. Shopaholic.

WAITE, Judy. Shopaholic, Simon & Schuster, Pulse. 211p. c2001.0-689-85139-1. $6.99. JS

Taylor's life is falling apart. Her best friends are distancing themselves from her and she has no one to turn to. Still grieving the loss of Taylor's sister, her mother becomes increasingly despondent and ineffectual. Taylor is forced to try and hold their lives together while her mother drifts through each day in a stupor. Taylor takes over as "mother," doing all the household chores and managing their budget. Then one day Taylor meets the glamorous Kat, an older, rebellious girl with a shopping obsession and a lot of hidden problems of her own. To keep up with Kat, Taylor, desperate for Kat's approval, starts to skim money off the grocery fund. When that isn't enough, she signs on for a scheme assuring her she'll "earn amazing money in the comfort of [her] own home." When even this doesn't prove helpful, Taylor resorts to stealing her mother's credit card. Things get out of control, but thankfully Taylor's mother manages to pull herself together when she's most needed.

Not the light-hearted read the whimsical title may indicate, Shopaholic is often dark and serious. This book will appeal to readers who like an endless string of unhappy events happening to relatively nice, decent people. Amanda MacGregor, Boston, MA

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.