Is Kissing a Girl Who Smokes Like Licking an Ashtray

Randy Powell is the author of many books for young adults, most recently Three Clams and an Oyster, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

A light teen comedy about a shy, underdeveloped senior and his rebellious younger cousin, who meet and loosen each other up. Biff has driven past classmate Tommie Isaac's house 184 times but can't work up the nerve to say more that ``hi'' to her; Heidi, suspended for mouthing off and needing a break from her foster parents, is spending a week with her aunt and uncle. At first she looks on Biff only as a convenient way to sneak out for a smoke, but as the two spend time together it becomes plain that his reliability and common sense strike a chord in her; meanwhile, Biff is dazzled by Heidi's daring attitude and pronounced mood swings. The adult cast is appropriately quirky but also faintly tragic--Heidi's father is a burned-out writer; Biff's uncle is a talented English teacher who has sold out and entered law school; Biff's sister, 26, is a wealthy but driven entrepreneur. An engaging, readable story featuring razor-sharp dialogue, nicely articulated chemistry between the characters, and a happy ending. (Fiction. 12-15) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.