Title: Prom
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Category: Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: High school senior Ashley Hannigan has 0% interest in going to the prom. But after a teacher is busted for stealing the prom committee’s money and the head of the committee (who just so happens to be her best friend) begs for help, Ashley finds herself trying to pull together a dance she doesn’t even care about.

Review: While I enjoy Anderson’s historical fiction (Chains, Fever 1793), I’ve now come to the conclusion that I prefer her modern setting novels. Speak is one of my all-time favorite YA novels, and I loved loved loved this book too.

Prom was a quick, fun read, but don’t take that to mean it’s superficial. It’s a sweet story but set in the real world for once—a real world where kids go through metal detectors to get to school. Girls like Ashley are out there, and a lot of them. She’s smart and funny, but she doesn’t have a magical power or a perfect face or even a terribly dysfunctional family. She’s real, true. And her story was an absolute treat to read.

Here’s a little taste of Ashley’s story for you:

Second period, English 12: American Literary Connections, Basic, was a waste. Mr. Fugal yelled at us for not reading this poem by Langston Hughes. It was about a bird.

I liked Fugal at the beginning of the year, but he lost me when he made us read The Old Man and the Sea. Birds! Fish! Why couldn’t we read about people?

Since nobody knew the stupid bird poem, Fugal told us to take out our persuasive essay outlines. Persuasive essay? Not even the kids who paid attention had a clue what he was talking about. Fugal exploded.

Then the first miracle happened.

A fire drill.

Borrow: Your local library | Swap
Buy: Your local bookstore | Powell’s | Amazon

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