Until Whatever CL

High school junior Karen faces peer pressure and high-level moral decisions when she discovers that an estranged friend, Connie, has AIDS. Though Connie--who is from the wrong side of the tracks--has little in common with Karen, the girls were once very close, sharing the pain of Karen's parents' divorce. As the school closes ranks against Connie, citing her reputed promiscuity as the cause of her illness, Karen breaks with her clique and renews her friendship with Connie. Karen's dilemma in wanting to remain popular even while taking an unpopular stand will strike a responsive chord in readers. The graceful handling of a timely subject, coupled with exemplary characterization and a responsive ear for teenage conversation, raises this problem novel above the genre. Ages 14-up. (Sept.)