cover image Brace Yourself, P.J.

Brace Yourself, P.J.

Janice Harrell, Harrell. Simon Pulse, $2.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-671-69670-2

After her recent romantic disaster with the unjustifiably jealous Pete, Andie has sworn off amatory entanglements. These days she is content to spend time with her stepbrother P.J.'s friend Chris, the high school lothario. Chris is tiring of his love-'em-and-leave-'em lifestyle, so the easy camaraderie he shares with Andie is a refreshing change. Yet rumors soon proliferate about the nature of their relationship, which the two eventually realize may not be as platonic as they thought. This final installment of the Andie and the Boys trilogy is strictly lightweight fare. The premise--that friendship can lead to love--seems contrived here; one senses that Andie has harbored a crush on the gorgeous Chris all along. But Harrell's comedic flair, reflected in her dialogue and first-person narrative, amply compensates for this deficiency. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)