Care Factor Zero

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Stilted dialogue and disconnected plotting lessen the impact of Australian writer Clark's novel about a teenage runaway. Larceny Leyton hears voices that tell her to hurt people, and she attacks a man during one of these episodes. Thinking she's killed him, she flees for Melbourne, where she encounters a variety of people she's willing to use for a hot meal or a shower. Finally, near the end of the novel, Larceny forms a bond with a saintly social worker named Kaz, who ignites in the protagonist the will to start putting her life together. Unfortunately, most of the dialogue feels cliched ("Where are you from?" asks Bex, another homeless teen; "Everywhere and nowhere," answers Larceny), though Clark develops some intriguing characters, such as Lynx, a mixed-raced orphan adopted by a rich white family, who feels alienated from his true identity and takes to the streets. Readers may be bothered by the sudden disappearance of Larceny's voices, and the plot takes such strange turns (e.g., a scene in which Larceny has tea with an eccentric man who tells her that he is Jesus Christ) that the twists detract from the main thrust of the novel. Graphic descriptions and the sophisticated subject matter make this best suited for teenagers. Ages 9-12. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|