SACRED LIPS OF THE BRONX by...

SACRED LIPS OF THE BRONX by Douglas Sadownick (Saint Martin’s Press: $9.95; 307 pp.). In this ambitious first novel, Sadownick tackles a wide array of topics: Jewish spirituality, family ties, AIDS activism, maintaining a relationship in contemporary L.A., the catharsis of sadomasochistic sex. The most effective chapters juxtapose the teen-age narrator’s care for his aging grandmother with his love for a Puerto Rican tough. Sadownick sometimes loses track of his themes: The narrator wastes so much time kvetching about his parents that emotionally significant moments get short shrift. But “Sacred Lips” is a very promising debut, and the author’s next novel should be even more interesting, especially if he finds a better editor.