• Fiction.

By Taylor Antrim. Houghton Mifflin, $24.

Grade: C+

Plot in a nutshell: Antrim's first novel is something like a designer dog - an odd mixture of genres. In this case, it's Catcher in the Rye meets The Day of the Jackal. -Bildungsroman and thriller.

The setting is an elite Eastern prep school where, despite having little teaching experience and on the run from a failed business deal, Dyer Martin inexplicably lands a job teaching advanced history. The headmaster, Edward Wolfe, a former Harvard professor, also curiously comes to this bastion of moneyed secondary education in spite of his radical ways.

The plot revolves around a model U.N. club weekend manned by select students from around the country. Dyer has been handpicked by the headmaster to lead the school team. At the U.N., a North Korean terrorist shoots into the crowd of students and Wolfe, in pursuit of his radical philosophy, is somehow connected to the funding of the act.

The story is set against the background of failed marriages, teacher-student affairs and just plain growing up. James, the wimpy son of the macho headmaster, shines as the true hero of this tale. His life parallels that of his new teacher, Dyer. Both come from split families and are unsure of their abilities to cope with life and love. Yet the younger soul gets it while the older, Oxford-educated man does not. Dyer, you think, though somewhat redeemed by a new love, will most likely be doomed to the cycle of failure and failed loves forever.

Sample of prose: Wolfe warmed his face in the sun, then looked at Dyer. "You're not a serious person, you know that? You don't believe in anything. You just put yourself through the motions."

Pros: Antrim writes excellent dialogue. The conversations at a faculty cocktail party move quickly around the room like the real thing. And the prep school kids are dead-on.

Cons: In spite of strong writing, the novel seems pointless. It presents a great view of prep school life, but we've seen that before. And while the odd plot adds spice, the loose ends are endless: We never really learn why Dyer got the job, although he questions that throughout the book. And we never really see a headmaster's ritual, but rather just a look at school life for the rich and famous.

Final word: Read this for James' story and his maturity and independence. The coming- of-age part of the story works well.

Pete Warzel