Maybe I'll Move Lost

Elderly Mrs. Hearn moves out of an apartment on Gilly's floor, and an intriguing new girl, Victory, moves in. Gilly and her best friend Frannywho doesn't like Victorystart fighting; Arnold, the nerd who lives upstairs, becomes the object of Victory's aggressivefor a ninth graderadvances and Gilly finds herself becoming attracted to him, too. Finally, upset by her divorced parents' behavior, Gilly runs away to Mrs. Hearn's home. This stew of young-adult problems is overcooked, somewhat bland, but warming. Despite a fast pace, there are too many points being made about too many subjects: the forgotten elderly, divorce, the-boy-next-door-turned-prince syndrome, allowing for an individual's eccentricities, and the clash of best friends. An original touch is that the wicked stepmotheractually a girlfriendreally is nasty, someone to be tolerated, but not loved. Ages 10-up. (March)