Going to the Dogs

Set in a depressed Canadian mining town, this modern-day coming-of-age novel, convincingly chronicles a sensitive teenager's passage from alienation to rebellion and, finally, to hope. Shocked by the ugliness of his parents' emotional outbursts and revolted by his teachers' smug rigidity, 19-year-old Billy Mackenzie carves out a private refuge using drugs and alcohol. Attractive, popular and outwardly successful, both at school and on the playing field, disillusioned Billy is nevertheless deeply ambivalent about growing up in a world he deplores. But when he is stung by tragedy, Billy decides to take hold of his future, rallying with admirable verve to reject hypocrisy and heed his own compassionate, principled instincts. This sincere first novel by a high school English teacherthough occasionally burdened by repetitive and excessively cerebral proseinvests a traditional theme with new urgency. (September)