The topic of this book wouldn't normally draw me in (I, like the main character of the book, was a prom hater in high school) but the fact that it's written by Laurie Halse Anderson was all I needed. Speak and Wintergirls are both literary greatness, and Anderson's style of tackling truly difficult topics is something I admire. I was curious - and skeptical - about this one. How could a book about prom have the grit and depth of Speak? Turns out, it probably can't. The book was entertaining and a super quick read at only 215 pages, but it differs a great deal from Anderson's classics.
Narrator Ashley is a senior in high school, struggling to maintain her "normal" grade point average and lack of interest in the rest of her classes until the end of the year. She's the older sister of three hyperactive brothers and the daughter of her loud but loving - and extremely pregnant - parents. The highest priority for most of Ashley's classmates, and best friend Nat, is the prom. When everyone finds out that the young and spunky math teacher/prom chairman has stolen all the money intended for prom, however, Ashley surprises everyone by stepping up and helping Nat spearhead a cheaper homegrown version of prom.
Prom is lighthearted and fun, with just enough urban attitude to make the characters more tolerable than your typical suburban prom story would be. It wasn't until I was almost done with the book that I saw on the back that its described as a Cinderella story, and the revelation made me chuckle. I'll admit I hadn't seen any parallels before then but it's really at the end that they all show up anyway, and once I had it in my head the connections were amusing. The characters are lovable and the dialogue is clever and endearing. It may not be as deep and heartbreaking as Speak or Wintergirls, but that's okay with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment