[Chloris and the Freaks] leans heavily on a few devices: Jennie's use of the daily paper's astrology column as a crutch; a frazzled teacher who functions as a stand-up comedian on the subject of marital discord; even Fidel's sometimes mushy philosophizing. And it takes a long time to recap Chloris' old problems. Nevertheless, Chloris continues to be a startlingly truthful portrait of a psychologically mixed-up girl, grimly determined to revenge the wounds of her mother's divorce and her father's suicide by breaking up this second marriage. And what we learn here about Daddy's death and Mom's continued immaturity adds a new, strengthening dimension. Jenny herself continues to be loyal to Chloris yet uncompromising in her struggle to disassociate herself from Chloris' delusions. The loss of Fidel's reassuring presence seems cruel but it's strictly logical. Platt's hard-edged California moderns may not be the most likable people, but one can't...