Fans of Alice Hoffman"s first novella for children, Aquamarine, will be thrilled to discover Indigo, another watery tale that blends fantasy with reality in a surprising coming-of-age quest. Thirteen-year-old Martha and her best friends, brothers nicknamed Trout and Eel for their fishy tendencies and webbed fingers and toes, long to escape from their dull, dry town. Their ambivalent feelings about running away, though, are reinforced when a fierce storm interrupts their journey and helps them begin to answer their questions about who they are "at the deepest core"--and who they will become. Unfortunately, there"s not enough time for Hoffman to develop her characters here, and an implausibly pat denouement may leave the reader wishing the book were longer--or shorter--but the elements of friendship, loss, and hope will come through for those who take it for the parable it is. (Ages 10 to 14) --Emilie Coulter