This is a possibility, although the descriptions I can find are pretty limited. One mentions that the protagonist is a mall-rat. Any guess on when the book is set?
Edit: This was written in 96, which would have been too late. Thanks for the suggestion, though!
The article said it had a source linking the two events, then has a post-publication addendum that Roku denies any connection.
I agree with you that the timing is suspect.