Framed in Fire

Although the plot quickly drifts into the realm of the improbable, readers willing to suspend disbelief will find an above-average potboiler. From the beginning it is clear that narrator Peter is neither hyperactive nor crazy, despite the allegations of his villainous stepfather Buck (owner of Buck Champagne Motors). Buck, however, holds an unexplained grudge against Peter and convinces doctors to commit him to a psychiatric hospital. Once at Resthaven, where most of the story takes place, Peter receives frequent phone calls from his psychic younger half-brother, who convinces Peter that his real father, who supposedly died years ago, is still alive. With the help of two fellow ""inmates"" (flat caricatures of an anorexic girl and a traumatized boy) and a compassionate aide, Peter makes a daring escape from the hospital in order to learn the truth about his father's disappearance. The story's mix of fast-paced action, psychological drama and family conflict, all spiced with a pinch of the paranormal, has mass appeal. Patneaude's (The Last Man's Reward) one-sided appraisal of psychiatrists and ""evil"" stepfathers may raise some eyebrows, but will not necessarily stop pages from turning. Ages 11-14. (Apr.)