Book excerpt: In these twelve stories, enter teenage purgatory at its most honest, and meet a whole host of characters you'll quickly recognise: a secret admirer, burning up with jealousy and desire; Karen, confronting her anxiety about pregnancy; Alex, contemplating life after school; or maybe Suze, looking forward to her first sexual experience with mixed feelings. Ranging in mood from high comedy to deep pathos, Alan Durant's intense short stories capture the sweet delight and bitter misery of hormone-charged youth. . . .