The Cat Came Back

Set in 1980, Mullins's first novel takes the form of a journal kept by 17-year-old Stephanie (Stevie) Roughgarden during her last six months at a posh Connecticut prep school. Stevie copes with the usual concerns, such as grades and where to go to college, and with some less common ones: she is dogged by depression and, since the age of 14, has been caught in a sexually exploitative relationship with a male teacher at her school. Into Stevie's grim world bursts Andrea Snyder, a vivacious student who brightens--but confuses--her days: Stevie finds herself increasingly attracted to Andrea, although she is sure she is ``not supposed to feel this way about girls !!!'' Adults will soon weary of her anguished adolescent prose and perspective in this novel (``Yaghhhhhhhhh!!!!! Those hands! Agghhh!''), and this work can be recommended to teenagers only with considerable reservation. Despite its sympathetic portrayal of Stevie coming to terms with her lesbianism, a darker message that comes through here is, if you are sexually abused, don't bother telling adults: they won't help you or stop the abuser. (Sept.)