From Publishers Weekly Pete and Lily are best friends. They also happen to live in the same apartment building on Manhattan's Central Park West. Pete's (short for Patricia) Mom is a recent widow who's coping with a job and being a single mother. Lily's father is a divorced detective and a jogging addict. When the girls discover that their parents have been dating on the sly, they form the Anti-Romance Mission to ward off the affair. Hest delivers a snappy novel that sensitively portrays the ups and downs of growing up in a broken family, and coming of age in city surroundings. Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From School Library Journal Grade 5-8 If there were a genre of "yuppie fiction," this junior novel would surely qualify: Pete's mother cooks ratatouille, her mother shops at Bergdorf Goodman and Lily's father jogs in a T-shirt that says "COP ON THE RUN." Despite the trendy veneer, however, serious concerns are treated. Pete (Patricia) lives with her young widowed mother in a New York City apartment building. Both mother and daughter are still grieving, but Pete finds solace in her friendship with Lily, who lives downstairs with her divorced father. Pete feels threatened, though, when Lily discovers boys. To make matters worse, Pete's mother and Lily's father are starting to date. Pete thus feels doubly abandoned, and she has to learn to share the ones she loves. Fortunately, Pete herself develops a friendship with a boy, and the story ends on a happy note. The book presents a convincing portrait of adolescent jealousy, as well as of the need to let go of the past and to adapt to life's changes. Young readers will enjoy Pete's breezy style of narration and the lively dialogue. A pleasant page-turner that touches on deeper topics. Cynthia Percak Infantino, Ela Area Public Library, Lake Zurich, Ill.Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
