Strut

With its abundance of cleavage and low-slung, perfectly accessorized denim, this novel's hip, sexy cover is going to appeal to a lot of readers. So, too, will its trendy, wisecracking narrative, its frequent--though ultimately tame--allusions to sex and its gaggle of engaging, drug-free teens who crow ``Rock 'n' Roll!'' whenever they get happy. The star of this far-fetched melange of subtle feminism, supernatural romance and wide-eyed pop mythology is Holly, air-guitarist extraordinaire, who is hard at work writing her first rock song when Jasper, the shade of a dead '60s rock star, materializes out of the ether. Jasper's presence is conveniently attributed to the psychic ability possessed by many of the women in Holly's family; he alternately prods and encourages Holly in her musical pursuits. In addition to falling in love with her spectral mentor, other beneficial side-effects of Holly's limited stardom include greater self-esteem, better relations with her police officer father and a slightly less credulous view of the show-biz world. The Harts ( Now or Never ; Sooner or Later ) provide a grittily glamorous vision of the honky-tonk N.J. rock scene that will find an audience among the MTV generation. Ages 12-up. (June)