THE DIVE FROM CLAUSEN'S PIER

A young woman, uncertain about her future. An unforeseen accident causes heightened ambivalence and further wrestling with choices. So Ann Packer's novel goes. Carrie Bell, her protagonist, is touching and credible. Central to the book are its settings, the hushed restraints of the American heartland and the frenetic pace and persona of New York City. The selection of 17-year-old Scarlett Johansson turned out to be wise and winning. Her distinctively wistful voice, with its tendency to gently crack, adds vital notes of heartache and heartbreak. Yet it is firm and assured enough to rise to the occasion at those moments when Carrie's telling decision-making is in the tale's foreground. M.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]