Autumn 2005 Review

Ashley Hannigan is a senior at Carceras High School and her best friend, Natalia (Nat) is a member of the prom committee. Ashley is the type of person who labels herself as "normal." She's not the type of person you'd find participating in clubs or sports. She would have dropped out by now if it hadn't been for her fifth grade teacher. She believes that normal people like her don't go to college, instead they do hair, nails, and stuff like that. Her boyfriend, TJ, dropped out of high school and earns his money helping friends and family with small household projects. Ash doesn't like all the preparations being done for prom because she's not going. Even though it's her senior year, she refuses to have anything to do with prom because she's a normal girl who has so many detentions that, even if she wanted to go, she couldn't. It's just a dance anyway.

Prom is just days away, and, while sitting in math class, their teacher gets escorted out of the room by a police officer. It turns out she stole money that had been raised for the prom. They don't know how much in the beginning, but it ends up being enough to cancel the prom. The committee had a meeting in which Nat persuaded Ashley to attend. That's where she becomes a member of the group and helps try to get the prom up and running again.

When Ash's mom finds out, she goes crazy trying to find a dress. She called all of Ashley's aunts and they go on a shopping spree. Ashley keeps trying to tell them she's not going, she's just helping out, but her mom will have none of that. Her baby was going to the prom! Even with the new dress and shoes for prom, Ashley may not go one. They run into several complications along the way and they may end up having to cancel their senior prom.

I thought this was a well-written novel about what goes on in high school. Reading about all the insanity that goes on during prom reminded me of all the craziness that goes on before homecoming, sweethearts, prom, etc. It can be a hectic event and this book explains it really well. I highly recommend this novel for high school girls because they can really relate to what goes on. Guys wouldn't care in the slightest, there's nothing that would interest them. I enjoyed reading Prom and will definitely read it again.

~ Kayla Aldan, 9th grade, Boardman High School