OTHER FISH IN THE SEA

Elly Fisher, the central character in Kusel's debut collection of 10 linked stories, leads an active life of romantic adventure (mainly on the West Coast), but lacks insight or wit. In the first story, "Juvenile Hall," Elly shares uninspired entries from the diary she kept as an adolescent: "I went to the bus stop and talked to a really cute guy named Doug. He lives down the street from us. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and flip-flops." This passage's banality sets the tone for letters Elly later receives from boyfriends and a journal she keeps in her 20s. Traveling in Germany, she writes, "I'm hungry, but nobody speaks English, so I don't know how to order." In "Bars," the protagonist clingingly falls in love with a man seeking an independent woman; "Bones" finds her recalling her "almost love" affair with another woman. At book's end, Naomi, a bored new mother, finds Elly's diary at a garage sale, reads it, and tracks her down. Elly becomes Naomi's romantic guru and offers advice like "Just don't assume you should be looking for something you can't find right here." The book's patched-together structure and shallow characters make for a disappointing first effort. Agent, Brian DeFiore. (Sept. 3)

Forecast:With its low price and cover image of a young woman in a black dress gazing into a fish tank containing a swimming man, Kusel's book is aimed squarely at chick-lit readers. They might bite, but weak reviews may stunt sales.