Cry Baby

With three older sisters, Sam is quite content being the baby of the Sloan family. So she's not exactly thrilled when she hears that her 47-year-old mother, Marsha, the high school girl's tennis coach, is pregnant. In fact, the 14-year-old is downright angry and unequivocally communicates her feelings to her parents, grandmother and siblings. Through Sam's chatty if often rambling first-person narrative, Karas (The Hate Crime) explores the issues of resentment, perceived betrayal and jealousy. These feelings are edged out by fear and guilt after Marsha's soaring blood pressure lands her in the hospital. Treading on some soap-opera-ish ground, Karas has the far-too-mature-to-be-true Peter (who happens to be dating bulimic Patsy, one of Sam's best friends) step in to comfort and counsel Sam--and begin a semi-clandestine romance with her. Patsy, the victim of the author's rather belabored but sound point about eating disorders, forgives both Sam and Peter in the end. The plot line frequently relies on long, explanatory monologues from various characters in order to advance, but specific developments are often involving. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)