Monday, March 15, 2010

Prom Dates from Hell

by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Dedication: "To my dad, Robert Wallace Clement, who never forgot how to tell a story"

First paragraph: "As an interactive horror experience, with beasts from Hell, mayhem, gore, and dismemberment, it was an impressive event. As a high school prom, however, the evening was marginally less successful."

Review: Maggie Quinn never wanted to attend her high school prom. In fact, she was doing everything in her power to just avoid having to hear about it when things in her little town started to become a little paranormal. Now, to save everyone she knows and loves she has to put on a brave face (and a pretty dress) and dance her way through a night from Hell.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't remember where I heard about it from but it took me awhile to look into getting it from the library. But, the stars aligned and the library had it on the shelves so I picked it up and was pretty hooked from page 10ish.

It's a fun story with some great characters and an underlying moral to the story. It's set in a high school and the author really touched on all the classic stereotypical groups you find in the high school doors. And she was spot on with them. I had people from my own high school pictured for several of the characters that appeared. I especially enjoyed the idea of taking this one night that so many people either love or dread and turning it into something so other-worldly.

Maggie, the main character, is a lot like the average high-schooler. I think it makes her easy to relate to. There were things that she did that I would never have been able to muster and other things that I could have done with ease that she really struggled with and as a result, overall, she seemed like a real person who could have easily been my friend.

I guess the one thing I didn't quite understand was in regards to the sudden onslaught of men in Maggie's life. I just find it odd that one minute she is all, I'm ok looking and there aren't any guys, and then the next minute they are coming from every direction. It could happen, it's just not very likely.

And with that, I bid you ado and say .. read this if you're in the mood for some laughs and a good mysterious ghost hunting.

Click here for Rosemary Clement-Moore's website.

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