ACTING

Eve Belinda grew up acting in all the plays written by her twin Al, the star student of the family. When Al announces she’s pregnant and refuses to name the father, Eve comes under pressure to be the good twin. Eve knows she should avoid Lucious, a hot young stud with artistic inclinations, but she’s unable to resist. As she becomes involved in the high-school production of The Crucible, her acting talents grow, and her chances to hang out with Lucious multiply as well. Sexuality is a force to be reckoned with, and all the adult pressures around the issue never manage to smother the fires. Along the way, the anger with parents and the hurt when shut out by a twin add depth that is surprisingly insightful on a tough topic. A somewhat rosy ending and an unlikely birth scene add to the drama but detract from the vividly portrayed honesty of Eve’s first sexual experiences. Full of yo-yoing emotions many teens will recognize, this is a forthright examination of sex that makes plain how hard it is to keep the hormones from raging. (Fiction. YA)