A collection of stories grouped under headings like "It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time" and "What Do I Do Now?" with situations teens will certainly recognize. They will also recognize some of the fine names in this collection, M.E. Kerr, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Graham Salisbury among them. In Will Weaver's powerful opening tale, "The Photograph," a budding photographer learns how much images can hurt. Virginia Euwer Wolff's "Un-Numbing of Cory Willhouse" is a dark and sensitive look at guilt and quasi-redemption, David Klass's "Cradle Hold" examines a difficult father-son relationship, and Ron Koertge's "Duet" is a wry and charming tale of the First Time that isn't. The unifying theme is somewhat unwieldy—few stories or novels for this audience are not about teenagers making "touch choices," and the lessons sometimes loom so large that they get in the way of the stories. This is still an honest, sturdy collection; it poses complicated questions and allows readers to search for the answers in some very good company.
