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Prom Impossible #1
Prom Impossible
1 girl + 1 prom + 3 guys = Prom Impossible!
~a romantic comedy novel~
Prom Impossible is a romantic comedy in the world of teens, true love, and life.
Cassidy decides her senior year, including prom, will be about Michael, the boy destined to be her soul mate. One problem. He hasn't figured that out yet.
But certain events meant as innocent pranks (that weren't completely her fault) introduce her to Zeke, the reformed bad boy. And cutting deals in the boys' bathroom with Jasper, the hottest guy in school, lands her in a complicated web of half-truths.
At the end of the year, she's dateless the day before the big night and risks losing the real thing right in front of her if she can't fix her mistakes.
~a romantic comedy novel~
Prom Impossible is a romantic comedy in the world of teens, true love, and life.
Cassidy decides her senior year, including prom, will be about Michael, the boy destined to be her soul mate. One problem. He hasn't figured that out yet.
But certain events meant as innocent pranks (that weren't completely her fault) introduce her to Zeke, the reformed bad boy. And cutting deals in the boys' bathroom with Jasper, the hottest guy in school, lands her in a complicated web of half-truths.
At the end of the year, she's dateless the day before the big night and risks losing the real thing right in front of her if she can't fix her mistakes.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 29, 2014
371 people are currently reading
923 people want to read
About the author
Laura Pauling
49 books283 followersLaura writes about spies, murder, and mystery. She’s the author of the exciting Circle of Spies Series, the Prom Impossible Series, and the Heist time travel mystery series. She’s a former elementary teacher and currently lives in New England. After spending time reading books to her kids and loving a good plot turn, she put her fingers to the keyboard. Don’t ask her about the unfinished quilts and scrapbooks. Stories are way more exciting.
She writes to entertain and experience a great story…and to be able to work in her jammies and slippers.
The Holly Hart Cozy Mystery Series releases starting in May 2015!
She writes to entertain and experience a great story…and to be able to work in her jammies and slippers.
The Holly Hart Cozy Mystery Series releases starting in May 2015!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 26, 2018
After Cassidy is sent to a Summer Program for troubled teens in response to sabotaging the previous year’s prom, she decides she wants the perfect date with the perfect boy to her perfect prom, and in her desperation to get Michael to notice her ends up in lots of compromising positions, including making deals with the resident school stud. Meanwhile, the new bad boy at school has moved into her friendship group, and maybe also her heart, so what does she do? Lies and steals and generally ruins everything. Atta girl.
Hoo boy. I thought The Dark World by Cara Lyn Schultz lacked subtlety. In fact, I seem to remember saying “The storytelling lacked a certain finesse and charged through the book with all the subtlety of a freight train.” If The Dark World is a freight train, Prom Impossible is some kind of locomotive-tank-bear-with-lasers-rocket-jet thing. This is the most unsubtle book ever and also the most random.
The lead, Cassidy, is a horrible, horrible character and thoroughly unlikeable. I’m not sure if she suffers from Asperger’s (although she is VERY good at reading body language, so I suspect her social awkwardness is just her being awkward), anxiety, or is just a plain blabbermouth who can’t think straight. She blathers on and on in supposed ‘panic attacks’ (which they most certainly are not)
yet won’t spill secrets that will get her out of very bad situations, or even tell the truth. She doesn’t learn from her mistakes. She never thinks about consequences and when her parents try to lay ground rules, such as a no sugar diet (which she constantly breaks and remains a svelte size 6) she heartily breaks more rules, then begs for forgiveness or gets away with it entirely.
She consistently breaks the law. She steals things from people even after getting in trouble. She breaks into her cousin’s house to steal a dress to wear to not one dance, but TWO dances, hoping her cousin won’t notice (which she doesn’t, or pretends not to). She steals her mother’s coat to wear to a party and ends up leaving it behind to walk home in the freezing snow. She steals not one but TWO cars, and doesn’t even face any consequences because her brother Carter makes everything all right for her.
She is also a complete and utter dumbass. She offers to buy her friends refreshments but then realises she has no money, so instead of telling them the truth she pretends she’s ordered it but it’s just taking a long time. She demonstrates over and over again that she is an empty-headed, thoughtless little girl:
No, it’s not possible at all. It is utterly impossible for hair to change colour. You’re just insane.
AROUND HER SNEAKER.
The worst part is that she’s utterly, utterly obsessed with her prom, yet she absolutely ruined the previous year’s prom as a prank. How would she feel if someone ruined her prom? Never considers it. She’s been obsessing with prom the whole book, yet we are treated to this line nearly halfway through:
Which just lead me to facepalm because what else is there, and what has she been obsessing about if not those two issues? Also, we never, ever learn what Cassidy’s doubts about her prom are. We’re just told she has them.
The book is littered with inconsistencies. Cassidy cries poor because she’s not rich like her cousin, even though her parents have ‘normal’ jobs and live in a ‘normal’ house:
She spends six weeks with Zeke in a summer program yet he’s still asking her ‘getting to know you’ questions well into the school year. Speaking of Zeke, he tells her
And the way he fights against it? By having a lip ring, wearing black, sporting a bad attitude and getting in trouble bad enough so that he gets sent to the Summer Program. Honestly, aside from the Summer Program thing, Zeke’s a perfectly nice boy and not bad at all.
Cassidy makes a deal with Jasper and ends up writing his papers, yet she utterly sabotages it, but he thanks her anyway:
Then he gets his failing grade, and just what? What? Seriously. He even makes her continue on with writing papers that he DOESN’T double-check, which gives her a SECOND chance to totally embarrass him. And what does he do? JASPER threatens CASSIDY.
I don’t even understand how this works. Jasper’s the one cheating. How can he possibly think Cassidy will be punished? How can Cassidy possibly think that?
Cassidy’s utterly convinced that a boy who won’t give her the time of day is her ‘soul mate’, yet we never even get a hint as to why she feels this way.
Yeah because nothing screams ‘flirt’ like (dialogue only):
Yeah, real 'flirty'.
Also the thing between Michael and Elena? Michael has been crushing on Elena the whole year, and Elena responds positively towards him at around 50%
Yet apparently at the climax where Cassidy’s being ‘selfless’ and pushes the two together, Elena has no idea Michael likes her, and Michael asked Cassidy to prom because he thought Elena would say no, even though they are ‘fast friends’, which doesn’t even make any sense since they are friends already!
‘Finally’? She went off with him halfway through the book!
Cassidy is upset throughout the whole book because she’s decided Michael’s her soul mate and he hasn’t asked her to prom.
Michael’s ‘rejection’ of Cassidy is literally nothing more than not falling at her feet and offering himself to her, or taking an interest at all. It’s unfortunate that Cassidy feels she’s entitled to Michael and that him not showing an interest back is ‘rejection’, because later on she also feels the exact same way about Zeke:
You’d think the above quote was about Michael. It’s not. It’s about Zeke. Cassidy feels the exact same way about both of them at one point or another. You’d think she’d be used to all this ‘rejection’, which in actual fact is simply a boy taking an interest in another girl.
The book is also totally and completely random. The three weeks with Aunt Lulu are compressed into a couple of throwaway paragraphs and we don’t even know what Cassidy learned, or how it affected her, or how it changed her as a character, because she’s still desperate and dateless and breaking the law. Yet later on we’re told,
This isn’t the only thing we are told. The entire narrative is told, not shown. We never really get to see inside Cassidy’s head, despite it being first person point of view.
This is telling, not showing. I want to know what thoughts and ideas swirled through her brain, and why she didn’t like them.
What is she thinking? Why is it conflicting? We’ll never know.
This would be nice to know if ‘last week’ didn’t just happen on the previous page, and all we’ve seen since then is Cassidy taking her dog outside for a leak, and not SEEN any of Cassidy ‘not being the same’. We’re just TOLD. She could have been off her food, or moody and snappy, or anything. But we just don’t know. She’s just ‘not the same’.
This overabundance of telling, not showing, is one of this book’s weakest points. Because of that, Cassidy’s thought process is ridiculously difficult to follow. My favourite quote?
Not even joking.
I think the book had a lot of potential it didn’t live up to, particularly where BFF/cousin Jules and twin brother Carter were involved. I would have dearly liked to have seen their characters better developed and with bigger roles. The romance with Zeke was incredibly sweet once I looked past all the inconsistencies and randomness and took it as ‘girl from wrong side of the tracks meets bad boy with a heart of gold’ slow developing romance.
The reason I didn’t DNF? I wanted to watch Cassidy’s world crumble around her and see how she responded. Ultimately I was disappointed. Would I recommend this? I would, if you like cringe-worthy, unlikeable heroines who show absolutely zero growth and don’t really face consequences for their idiot decisions and illegal actions, and you’re not picky about writing style. Also, the cover is to die for.
Thanks to Expresso Book Tours and the author for providing a free review copy for an honest review.
Hoo boy. I thought The Dark World by Cara Lyn Schultz lacked subtlety. In fact, I seem to remember saying “The storytelling lacked a certain finesse and charged through the book with all the subtlety of a freight train.” If The Dark World is a freight train, Prom Impossible is some kind of locomotive-tank-bear-with-lasers-rocket-jet thing. This is the most unsubtle book ever and also the most random.
The lead, Cassidy, is a horrible, horrible character and thoroughly unlikeable. I’m not sure if she suffers from Asperger’s (although she is VERY good at reading body language, so I suspect her social awkwardness is just her being awkward), anxiety, or is just a plain blabbermouth who can’t think straight. She blathers on and on in supposed ‘panic attacks’ (which they most certainly are not)
“Enough with the fake panic attacks. Get over it.”
yet won’t spill secrets that will get her out of very bad situations, or even tell the truth. She doesn’t learn from her mistakes. She never thinks about consequences and when her parents try to lay ground rules, such as a no sugar diet (which she constantly breaks and remains a svelte size 6) she heartily breaks more rules, then begs for forgiveness or gets away with it entirely.
She consistently breaks the law. She steals things from people even after getting in trouble. She breaks into her cousin’s house to steal a dress to wear to not one dance, but TWO dances, hoping her cousin won’t notice (which she doesn’t, or pretends not to). She steals her mother’s coat to wear to a party and ends up leaving it behind to walk home in the freezing snow. She steals not one but TWO cars, and doesn’t even face any consequences because her brother Carter makes everything all right for her.
She is also a complete and utter dumbass. She offers to buy her friends refreshments but then realises she has no money, so instead of telling them the truth she pretends she’s ordered it but it’s just taking a long time. She demonstrates over and over again that she is an empty-headed, thoughtless little girl:
If possible, Jules’ hair had turned three shades lighter.
No, it’s not possible at all. It is utterly impossible for hair to change colour. You’re just insane.
Mom always carried a ton of bandages, and it wasn’t too hard to wrap them around my sneaker so it looked like I’d hurt myself.
AROUND HER SNEAKER.
The worst part is that she’s utterly, utterly obsessed with her prom, yet she absolutely ruined the previous year’s prom as a prank. How would she feel if someone ruined her prom? Never considers it. She’s been obsessing with prom the whole book, yet we are treated to this line nearly halfway through:
Lately I’d been having doubts and realized that along with prom came a whole lot of other issues, like dates and dresses.
Which just lead me to facepalm because what else is there, and what has she been obsessing about if not those two issues? Also, we never, ever learn what Cassidy’s doubts about her prom are. We’re just told she has them.
The book is littered with inconsistencies. Cassidy cries poor because she’s not rich like her cousin, even though her parents have ‘normal’ jobs and live in a ‘normal’ house:
“I let you think I had a lot of money and that this is my house, but it isn’t. It’s Jules’s. I live in a normal house with parents who make normal incomes.”
She spends six weeks with Zeke in a summer program yet he’s still asking her ‘getting to know you’ questions well into the school year. Speaking of Zeke, he tells her
“I’ve tried real hard to fight against that bad boy image.”
And the way he fights against it? By having a lip ring, wearing black, sporting a bad attitude and getting in trouble bad enough so that he gets sent to the Summer Program. Honestly, aside from the Summer Program thing, Zeke’s a perfectly nice boy and not bad at all.
Cassidy makes a deal with Jasper and ends up writing his papers, yet she utterly sabotages it, but he thanks her anyway:
“Especially since you write such fantastic papers.”
Then he gets his failing grade, and just what? What? Seriously. He even makes her continue on with writing papers that he DOESN’T double-check, which gives her a SECOND chance to totally embarrass him. And what does he do? JASPER threatens CASSIDY.
“The school won’t find out you’ve been cheating.”
“The charade will continue a while longer, or your academic career will be…” he ran his finger across his neck.
I don’t even understand how this works. Jasper’s the one cheating. How can he possibly think Cassidy will be punished? How can Cassidy possibly think that?
Cassidy’s utterly convinced that a boy who won’t give her the time of day is her ‘soul mate’, yet we never even get a hint as to why she feels this way.
Michael immediately dropped out of our flirty conversation.
Yeah because nothing screams ‘flirt’ like (dialogue only):
“What are you doing here?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m just as surprised to see you here.”
“I mean, I don’t usually see you at this scene.”
“Maybe you’ve just missed me.”
Yeah, real 'flirty'.
Also the thing between Michael and Elena? Michael has been crushing on Elena the whole year, and Elena responds positively towards him at around 50%
Together, fast friends, they left the hall and re-entered the party.
Yet apparently at the climax where Cassidy’s being ‘selfless’ and pushes the two together, Elena has no idea Michael likes her, and Michael asked Cassidy to prom because he thought Elena would say no, even though they are ‘fast friends’, which doesn’t even make any sense since they are friends already!
Maybe she was caught up in the whole prom thing, but I think she finally liked him and just couldn’t fully go for it because he was a cute geek.
‘Finally’? She went off with him halfway through the book!
Cassidy is upset throughout the whole book because she’s decided Michael’s her soul mate and he hasn’t asked her to prom.
I could tell her about my deal with Jasper, or about how Michael had rejected me all year, or how (my emphasis)
Michael’s ‘rejection’ of Cassidy is literally nothing more than not falling at her feet and offering himself to her, or taking an interest at all. It’s unfortunate that Cassidy feels she’s entitled to Michael and that him not showing an interest back is ‘rejection’, because later on she also feels the exact same way about Zeke:
He was responding and talking and laughing and whispering with a girl... that wasn’t me.
You’d think the above quote was about Michael. It’s not. It’s about Zeke. Cassidy feels the exact same way about both of them at one point or another. You’d think she’d be used to all this ‘rejection’, which in actual fact is simply a boy taking an interest in another girl.
The book is also totally and completely random. The three weeks with Aunt Lulu are compressed into a couple of throwaway paragraphs and we don’t even know what Cassidy learned, or how it affected her, or how it changed her as a character, because she’s still desperate and dateless and breaking the law. Yet later on we’re told,
“You seem to have developed this special bond with Aunt Lulu this year.”
This isn’t the only thing we are told. The entire narrative is told, not shown. We never really get to see inside Cassidy’s head, despite it being first person point of view.
Many different thoughts and ideas swirled through my brain, and I wasn’t liking all of them.
This is telling, not showing. I want to know what thoughts and ideas swirled through her brain, and why she didn’t like them.
I needed a solo night, just me, myself, and I, because there were so many conflicting thoughts swirling inside my head, I didn’t know what to do with them.
What is she thinking? Why is it conflicting? We’ll never know.
“Ever since Aunt Lulu stopped by last week and took you for breakfast, you haven’t been the same.”
This would be nice to know if ‘last week’ didn’t just happen on the previous page, and all we’ve seen since then is Cassidy taking her dog outside for a leak, and not SEEN any of Cassidy ‘not being the same’. We’re just TOLD. She could have been off her food, or moody and snappy, or anything. But we just don’t know. She’s just ‘not the same’.
This overabundance of telling, not showing, is one of this book’s weakest points. Because of that, Cassidy’s thought process is ridiculously difficult to follow. My favourite quote?
Carter pulled me into his arms and gave me another brother/sister hug. “Wow. So I guess you like Zeke.”
“Yes.” I laughed/sobbed.
Not even joking.
I think the book had a lot of potential it didn’t live up to, particularly where BFF/cousin Jules and twin brother Carter were involved. I would have dearly liked to have seen their characters better developed and with bigger roles. The romance with Zeke was incredibly sweet once I looked past all the inconsistencies and randomness and took it as ‘girl from wrong side of the tracks meets bad boy with a heart of gold’ slow developing romance.
The reason I didn’t DNF? I wanted to watch Cassidy’s world crumble around her and see how she responded. Ultimately I was disappointed. Would I recommend this? I would, if you like cringe-worthy, unlikeable heroines who show absolutely zero growth and don’t really face consequences for their idiot decisions and illegal actions, and you’re not picky about writing style. Also, the cover is to die for.
Thanks to Expresso Book Tours and the author for providing a free review copy for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2016
Rating: 3.25 stars
This book ended up being a nice surprise. I bought it for free on iBooks, so I didn't expect much. However, I ended up really enjoying it! The main character had such a unique voice, and I liked reading from her point of view. My only criticism of her was she was very vulnerable- and not in a good way. She took everything as an insult and cared waaaay too much about how other people saw her. Nevertheless, she was strong-willed and seeing her concoct elaborate plans (just to have them fall apart, of course) was super fun. It was definitely refreshing to read from the point of view of someone who was outgoing and went after what they wanted. Plus, her character development was awesome and by the end of the book she had matured a lot.
One last criticism was that the book was much too long. It just kind of ran on, and was pretty daunting starting it. But overall I enjoyed it.
This book ended up being a nice surprise. I bought it for free on iBooks, so I didn't expect much. However, I ended up really enjoying it! The main character had such a unique voice, and I liked reading from her point of view. My only criticism of her was she was very vulnerable- and not in a good way. She took everything as an insult and cared waaaay too much about how other people saw her. Nevertheless, she was strong-willed and seeing her concoct elaborate plans (just to have them fall apart, of course) was super fun. It was definitely refreshing to read from the point of view of someone who was outgoing and went after what they wanted. Plus, her character development was awesome and by the end of the book she had matured a lot.
One last criticism was that the book was much too long. It just kind of ran on, and was pretty daunting starting it. But overall I enjoyed it.
July 1, 2014
*Review copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.*
Expecting a cheesy prom read, I was hoping for the best, with crossed fingers of course. But then, BOOM this is what this book came at me with in the end:
So our lesson over here is don't judge a book by their cover.. or summary/look. We all expected a book that has to deal with a disaster prom, but this is something else. This book deals with true and pure reality, and about days in the life of many teenagers out there who struggle and try to deal with popularity problems and boy issues. This book isn't 100% accurate (no book is) but I even have to admit that some of these things that occurred have had me struggling the same way as Cassidy did.
This author featured a book that has so much depth and thought put into it that it's just not even believable, and it's all smushed into a perfect chick-lit book.
In some ways, this book kind of bored me because it wasn't so amazingly unique that I'm wondering how the heck someone can come up with this idea, but in others, it was great. I enjoyed reading it, seeing the drama, and gushing over the adorable romance. It's a book we want all in one, in some ways.
This is about Cassidy. All she has ever wanted is to be seen as normal and special. She wants to be popular and so, she cracks a deal with Jasper, the hottest guy in school, but next thing you know, she's dateless on prom night, the night she's been looking forward to for her entire life. She makes regrets, wishes and who knows, maybe things will come true.
This plot was full of twists. Coming from a chick-lit cutesy book, you'd never expect some of the things that happened and the behaviour coming from the characters. It did have its dull moments, especially towards the end, but I really liked the book all throughout. It was fast-paced, and got to the point quickly. The idea was just there.
The romance was just adorable.
I had so many ships like you can't even imagine. I shipped everyone with everyone, if that isn't weird enough. x) But my #1 ship was Zeke and Cassidy. I LOVED THEM SO MUCH TOGETHER LIKE YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. <3 So beautiful together.
Cassidy was just an awesome character. I felt so bad... Because she never really got what she wanted. But she was still cheerful and happy and ugh.
That's how I would've acted. But this girl kept it all in, and still stayed strong the whole time. Now that's a hero, and when do you hear something like that in a chick-lit read? Never, let me tell you.
Overall, this book was great. At points, you feel like you're falling with it, but the major plot twists just cause you to keep on grabbing on. You just need to.
Expecting a cheesy prom read, I was hoping for the best, with crossed fingers of course. But then, BOOM this is what this book came at me with in the end:
So our lesson over here is don't judge a book by their cover.. or summary/look. We all expected a book that has to deal with a disaster prom, but this is something else. This book deals with true and pure reality, and about days in the life of many teenagers out there who struggle and try to deal with popularity problems and boy issues. This book isn't 100% accurate (no book is) but I even have to admit that some of these things that occurred have had me struggling the same way as Cassidy did.
This author featured a book that has so much depth and thought put into it that it's just not even believable, and it's all smushed into a perfect chick-lit book.
In some ways, this book kind of bored me because it wasn't so amazingly unique that I'm wondering how the heck someone can come up with this idea, but in others, it was great. I enjoyed reading it, seeing the drama, and gushing over the adorable romance. It's a book we want all in one, in some ways.
This is about Cassidy. All she has ever wanted is to be seen as normal and special. She wants to be popular and so, she cracks a deal with Jasper, the hottest guy in school, but next thing you know, she's dateless on prom night, the night she's been looking forward to for her entire life. She makes regrets, wishes and who knows, maybe things will come true.
This plot was full of twists. Coming from a chick-lit cutesy book, you'd never expect some of the things that happened and the behaviour coming from the characters. It did have its dull moments, especially towards the end, but I really liked the book all throughout. It was fast-paced, and got to the point quickly. The idea was just there.
The romance was just adorable.
I had so many ships like you can't even imagine. I shipped everyone with everyone, if that isn't weird enough. x) But my #1 ship was Zeke and Cassidy. I LOVED THEM SO MUCH TOGETHER LIKE YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. <3 So beautiful together.
Cassidy was just an awesome character. I felt so bad... Because she never really got what she wanted. But she was still cheerful and happy and ugh.
That's how I would've acted. But this girl kept it all in, and still stayed strong the whole time. Now that's a hero, and when do you hear something like that in a chick-lit read? Never, let me tell you.
Overall, this book was great. At points, you feel like you're falling with it, but the major plot twists just cause you to keep on grabbing on. You just need to.
May 27, 2015
From the moment I started reading this book I fell in love with it. It's just one of those sweet teen reads where the girl can't get the boy she actually loves and problems occur throughout that help her finally see the true meaning of love. I love how easy it is to relate to the characters and how you can actually compare your life to the life of Cassidy. Overall I gave it 5 stars because I highly recommend that you read it and its free at the moment so it's a a must have!!
March 25, 2016
Well, that was no fun.
I'm usually a sucker for contemporary romance but this book is the worst. I'm sorry, but it is. The cover is super cute and I thought the book will be like that as well. What a disappointment it was.
Cassidy, the protagonist is just ridiculous. The talks too much AND she talks nonsence, she makes one bad decision after another. Every word that goes out of her mout is a lie, she's fuul of teen angst and that's just tiring. She's 17 but she's acting like a 12yo. So sad.
Every time she spoke I just want to scream "Just shut up already!".
I know I was suppose to root for the bad boy reformed but his character was so poorly developed that he was a big "meh" and "yawn". Why is he a bad boy? Does he smoke? Take drugs? Has multiple tattoos on his face? Vandalizes cars? Sacrifices cats to Satan? No, he has piercings. Wow, we have a bad ass over here.
Jasper, oh dear. Again, he's just so plain.
Michael? Just no.
The rest of the characters are as one-dimentional as Cassidy and the boys. We never get to know why Ava is so mean, is there something more to her, what is going on with Carter or with Jules.
Don't bother to read this book, it's free but it's not worth the time.
I've just noticed that this is the first book in a series. to be honest, I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than read it.
I'm usually a sucker for contemporary romance but this book is the worst. I'm sorry, but it is. The cover is super cute and I thought the book will be like that as well. What a disappointment it was.
Cassidy, the protagonist is just ridiculous. The talks too much AND she talks nonsence, she makes one bad decision after another. Every word that goes out of her mout is a lie, she's fuul of teen angst and that's just tiring. She's 17 but she's acting like a 12yo. So sad.
Every time she spoke I just want to scream "Just shut up already!".
I know I was suppose to root for the bad boy reformed but his character was so poorly developed that he was a big "meh" and "yawn". Why is he a bad boy? Does he smoke? Take drugs? Has multiple tattoos on his face? Vandalizes cars? Sacrifices cats to Satan? No, he has piercings. Wow, we have a bad ass over here.
Jasper, oh dear. Again, he's just so plain.
Michael? Just no.
The rest of the characters are as one-dimentional as Cassidy and the boys. We never get to know why Ava is so mean, is there something more to her, what is going on with Carter or with Jules.
Don't bother to read this book, it's free but it's not worth the time.
I've just noticed that this is the first book in a series. to be honest, I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than read it.
April 26, 2014
*I received this book free in exchange for an honest review*
This story was exactly what it says in the synopsis: a modern-day Shakespearean romantic comedy... which had me laughing out loud throughout the entire story. One thing that I loved about this book is that Cassidy was easy to connect with, showing how stressful of a time high school can be, and how much you strive to be accepted and loved by peers and friends, but that it takes to courage to do what she did and find a way to overcome all of that, and realize what is truly important. She also grew so much as a character through the times that she went through, which in turn helped her cousin grow also. Jules was an amazing secondary character, that was hard not to love. She had her moments, but she was always there for Cassidy, just like Cassidy's twin brother, Carter. The three guys in this story were all very unique with their own personalities (I won't tell who she ended up with, even though it's not that hard to figure out - but I am quite happy that I had it figured out from the beginning), and even though one of the boys I loved to hate, he was just as well-written as the other two boys. The ending was happy, and left me satisfied, and no lingering questions.
I would recommend this book to be read by anyone who is the mood for a quick, cute, and enjoyable story. I can't wait to read the second book in this series, but to be honest my fingers are crossed that it will be about someone other than Cassidy, because I am happy with how this book ended.
This story was exactly what it says in the synopsis: a modern-day Shakespearean romantic comedy... which had me laughing out loud throughout the entire story. One thing that I loved about this book is that Cassidy was easy to connect with, showing how stressful of a time high school can be, and how much you strive to be accepted and loved by peers and friends, but that it takes to courage to do what she did and find a way to overcome all of that, and realize what is truly important. She also grew so much as a character through the times that she went through, which in turn helped her cousin grow also. Jules was an amazing secondary character, that was hard not to love. She had her moments, but she was always there for Cassidy, just like Cassidy's twin brother, Carter. The three guys in this story were all very unique with their own personalities (I won't tell who she ended up with, even though it's not that hard to figure out - but I am quite happy that I had it figured out from the beginning), and even though one of the boys I loved to hate, he was just as well-written as the other two boys. The ending was happy, and left me satisfied, and no lingering questions.
I would recommend this book to be read by anyone who is the mood for a quick, cute, and enjoyable story. I can't wait to read the second book in this series, but to be honest my fingers are crossed that it will be about someone other than Cassidy, because I am happy with how this book ended.
July 24, 2015
Hard to get through
Although the general story was good, the narration was difficult to get through and the end felt very rushed. Almost as if the author was just as done with writing the story as I was reading it. The main character was incredibly annoying... She rambles which I guess is supposed to be cute and endearing, but it was just tiresome and corny. The main character acts more like she is twelve than seventeen and does weird over the top impulsive things that any normal, sane, person with more than an ounce of intelligence wouldn't think of doing. It made her incredibly unlikable and agitating. Like I said, the storyline could have been good if it weren't for that. Furthermore, whoever edited this book should be out of a job. Errors sprinkled throughout the book (supposed instead of suppose at one point). I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. I would have stopped reading it, but it almost became my mission to get through it. I did like that parts kept me wondering what happens next, but overall it felt like even the author was just sick of writing at some points. :(
Although the general story was good, the narration was difficult to get through and the end felt very rushed. Almost as if the author was just as done with writing the story as I was reading it. The main character was incredibly annoying... She rambles which I guess is supposed to be cute and endearing, but it was just tiresome and corny. The main character acts more like she is twelve than seventeen and does weird over the top impulsive things that any normal, sane, person with more than an ounce of intelligence wouldn't think of doing. It made her incredibly unlikable and agitating. Like I said, the storyline could have been good if it weren't for that. Furthermore, whoever edited this book should be out of a job. Errors sprinkled throughout the book (supposed instead of suppose at one point). I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. I would have stopped reading it, but it almost became my mission to get through it. I did like that parts kept me wondering what happens next, but overall it felt like even the author was just sick of writing at some points. :(
May 31, 2014
I don't know if I like it or hate it. Maybe both :/
December 1, 2015
Prom Impossible......a more fitting title should be 'Diary of a stupid, stupid girl' . Ugh.
January 1, 2019
I went into this book hoping for a light, cute, fluffy read. And I'm pleased to announce that I did, in fact, get that. This is a fun little read that will definitely have you reminiscing your high school years and prom (if you went, which I did not) or imaginging your years to come if you're not there yet.
Cassidy has her plan: get Michael to realize that he's her soulmate, and go with him to the senior prom, and make senior year the best year ever. Only issue? Michael doesn't really notice her as more than a friend. She was not counting on the complication that was Zeke, who she meets when she pulls one prank too many and gets sent to a program for "troubled" youth.
Cassidy is…well, a hot mess. She makes everything way more complicated than it needs to be, to the point where there were sometimes when I just didn't get it. But, for the most part, this made the story hilarious to read about. She definitely has a knack for getting into every mess she could possible manage to get into, although reading about her getting out of them (or, usually, making a bigger mess) made this book a lot of fun.
The only other thing I didn't really get was her fascination with Michael, and why she thought he was her soulmate. I suppose there were years of background between the two, but in the actual story he doesn't really…do anything. This one-track mindset left her blind to everything that was going on around her…including Zeke.
Zeke was definitely a redeeming part of this story. He was cute and definitely swoon-worthy. I already mentioned that I couldn't really feel anything for Michael. Jasper was just bad news from the start, which leads us to…
Cassidy made a lot of bad decisions, ones that had me shaking my head (but none that would actually turn you off from reading it). Like I said, her one-track mind left her blind to consider other people and how they are also affected by her decisions. But she also matures and grows throughout the story, and I think she came to some very mature and responsible decisions by the end of the book.
I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a fun, light read. Something to help relive those memorable prom and high school experiences ;) It will have you shaking your head and laughing out loud at the same time.
I received an eARC from the author, this did not affect my honest opinion.
This review first appears on The NerdHerd Reads
Cassidy has her plan: get Michael to realize that he's her soulmate, and go with him to the senior prom, and make senior year the best year ever. Only issue? Michael doesn't really notice her as more than a friend. She was not counting on the complication that was Zeke, who she meets when she pulls one prank too many and gets sent to a program for "troubled" youth.
Cassidy is…well, a hot mess. She makes everything way more complicated than it needs to be, to the point where there were sometimes when I just didn't get it. But, for the most part, this made the story hilarious to read about. She definitely has a knack for getting into every mess she could possible manage to get into, although reading about her getting out of them (or, usually, making a bigger mess) made this book a lot of fun.
The only other thing I didn't really get was her fascination with Michael, and why she thought he was her soulmate. I suppose there were years of background between the two, but in the actual story he doesn't really…do anything. This one-track mindset left her blind to everything that was going on around her…including Zeke.
Zeke was definitely a redeeming part of this story. He was cute and definitely swoon-worthy. I already mentioned that I couldn't really feel anything for Michael. Jasper was just bad news from the start, which leads us to…
Cassidy made a lot of bad decisions, ones that had me shaking my head (but none that would actually turn you off from reading it). Like I said, her one-track mind left her blind to consider other people and how they are also affected by her decisions. But she also matures and grows throughout the story, and I think she came to some very mature and responsible decisions by the end of the book.
I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a fun, light read. Something to help relive those memorable prom and high school experiences ;) It will have you shaking your head and laughing out loud at the same time.
I received an eARC from the author, this did not affect my honest opinion.
This review first appears on The NerdHerd Reads
February 22, 2019
This story is not as exciting as it would have you believe. Cassidy is a pushover. At Prom her junior year she pulls a prank with her cousin that lands her in a summer program for delinquents. Taking all the blame for the event means that while Cassidy is missing out on a summer of fun her cousin is the family golden girl.
As you read the story you realize that Cassidy has always been an outrageous personality. Instead of saying she tripped on the step she fought Smoug in the back yard. Though her friends usually brush it off to her quirkiness they have no problem seeing her as the odd duck that makes up stories.
At the summer program she meets Zek. He is a good guy that wants to be important to her. Going out of his way to be her friend. But at every turn Cassidy is determined to mess up her own life. Convinced she can win her crush Micheal over she pushes Zek away. Sets up a deal with the local jock to make Micheal jealous that only backfires. Missing out on alot of things she wants because she lets other people lead her life.
Ultimately after more bad decisions things fall into place for her. She realizes that she likes Zek and he still has a thing for her. Her cousin admits she was there at the prank the year before and let Cassidy take all the blame.
It was an alright story. But too many times you wanted to slap Cassidy.
As you read the story you realize that Cassidy has always been an outrageous personality. Instead of saying she tripped on the step she fought Smoug in the back yard. Though her friends usually brush it off to her quirkiness they have no problem seeing her as the odd duck that makes up stories.
At the summer program she meets Zek. He is a good guy that wants to be important to her. Going out of his way to be her friend. But at every turn Cassidy is determined to mess up her own life. Convinced she can win her crush Micheal over she pushes Zek away. Sets up a deal with the local jock to make Micheal jealous that only backfires. Missing out on alot of things she wants because she lets other people lead her life.
Ultimately after more bad decisions things fall into place for her. She realizes that she likes Zek and he still has a thing for her. Her cousin admits she was there at the prank the year before and let Cassidy take all the blame.
It was an alright story. But too many times you wanted to slap Cassidy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2024
Honestly, this kind of contemporary high school romances are a waste of time. Although that is so, i find myself attracted to these petty stories.
Maybe because it shows a reality much too different from the hugely european influenced one I have, but I am always somewhat pleased as I read these books.
The usual dumb YA lead was frustrating at times, and sure, it was indeed predictable. However this was expected and saying I completely disliked it would be a lie.
Maybe because it shows a reality much too different from the hugely european influenced one I have, but I am always somewhat pleased as I read these books.
The usual dumb YA lead was frustrating at times, and sure, it was indeed predictable. However this was expected and saying I completely disliked it would be a lie.
January 13, 2018
A fun young adult novel featuring the humor in angst readers can enjoy from the comfort of the couch even after high school and laugh at how serious the issues felt at the time. Full of unique characters and numerous teen antics this was a fun read. A touching tale of coming of age, getting what you wish for, and self discovery.
June 5, 2020
One day I was looking through my tablet trying to find a e-book, because my mom said I could download a book of it was free. And I came across this book. I am forever grateful. That I did. Prom impossible was one of the best books I have ever read. I suggest you read it. And I also read the second book in the series it was equally as good
January 12, 2018
I enjoyed this book....it wasn't especially thrilling or very different from other young adult books I have read, but I still thought it was a good read and it is worth reading. I liked the characters and this book has a happy ending....so if you like those things I would recommend.
January 16, 2018
Drama follows Cassidy around all the time. She’s a magnet to it and she has a habit of getting herself into stupid situations that sometimes end badly. I found it very funny throughout and I’m looking forward to read more from her.
March 9, 2017
Prom impossible was very intriguing and I couldn't put it down. When I would read Prom Impossible I would feel like the character in the book would feel. I think that the settings in the book are important; they help to explain into more depth of what id going on. I don't like how the main character would alway ramble because it got her into deeper trouble. I also don't like how Jules can spend a year and a half without telling anyone that it was all her fault. I am upset that Jules thought it was okay to get mad at Cassidy when something would happen even though her life was turned upside down because of Jules.
The character I admire the most is Aunt Lulu because she is a strong leader. Even though sometimes this makes people, not like her it is still a good attribute to have. If I could talk to one of the characters in the book I would tell Jasper that is was kind of him to apologize to Cassidy. I don't like when they are at prom and Cassidy tell him how she feels and he flips out. I admire Zeke, Michel, and Carter for standing up for Cassidy. I think this book was great and it was very intriguing.
April 21, 2016
A free digital copy was provided as part of a review opportunity from Xpresso Book Tours.
It’s been a week since I read Prom Impossible and a review should be easy enough to write but on the contrary, I am finding it difficult to do so. You see, I have mixed feelings about this book and while that was effortless to say, articulating my reasons and thoughts is much more complicated.
The book starts out with Cassidy, an incoming senior, and her cousin pulling a prank on the seniors during their prom night. Cassidy is caught by the police and is sent by her parents to an Adventure Camp for unruly teens where she spends the entire summer. As you can tell from the blurb, she meets a reformed bad boy named Zeke in the camp but the other boys in her life, namely her “soul mate” and the hottest boy in school, stir things up a little.
Guess we weren’t meant to be friends after all. Not if he couldn’t see past something in me that wasn’t even true.
From the very first page, I hated Cassidy and this feeling did not let on even after I finished the book. She was probably the most frustrating fictional character that I have ever met. I understand that her sarcasm, elaborate schemes and unfiltered mouth were meant to be endearing but they served only as a vexation for me. Instead of owning up to her mistakes and solving her problems head on, Cassidy always concocts ruses that would get her out of the situation for a few days but would only make it bigger. She’s in love with Michael, a geeky boy who likes her best friend. It’s obvious enough that Zeke loves her (although Cassidy’s stupidity would beg to differ) and Jasper, the hot guy, takes an interest in her. From what I can remember, Cassidy’s stupidest scheme was to use Jasper to make Zeke jealous which would then make Michael jealous. How a girl can dream a happily ever after with that in mind completely escapes me. It wasn’t hilarious or comical; it was plain bad.
“…You have a world of hurt and mistrust buries inside that you like to cover up with a bunch of meaningless babble instead of talking about the real stuff. I don’t know what or who it is that hurt you but I hope someday you figure it out so you can move forward with your life. I wish you the best. I really do. Just far away from me.”
Zeke was a character with the potential to make this book not frustrating. A reformed bad boy is always a treat in a book but the only badass-ery Zeke shows in the entire novel were his piercings. Okay, I get that he’s reformed and all but old habits die hard. Early on, he mentions an issue with his dad but this was never expounded. In fact, it isn’t referred to ever again. It was a massive disappointment because I felt that Prom Impossible would have had a lot more depth had Zeke’s character been explored. As it stands, he was one-dimensional and as frustrating as Cassidy.
I’m frustrated that I keep saying frustrated in this review but that’s what Prom Impossible was. A giant frustration.
There’s always a moment where you wish you could push rewind and take back a moment or a word spoken and start fresh.
This book is being marketed as a romantic comedy reminiscent of Shakespeare but it is anything but. Sure, the situations can be considered hysterically funny but Shakespeare creates characters who are memorable and distinctive whereas Prom Impossible is an epic fail in that aspect. Aside from that, you can never know where you’ll end up with Shakespeare. He keeps you guessing and much like George R.R. Martin, you can never be certain if the main character ends up with the hero or if they all just tragically die in the end. However, you can pretty much guess whom Cassidy will end up with by the time you’re on the twentieth page.
“…The one who tells ridiculous tales because she doesn’t know how to get attention or is afraid she’s boring and will lose her friends.”
When I signed up to read and review Prom Impossible, I was thinking that a cutesy, lighthearted rom-com was in store for me. How could I possibly know that a giant pot of frustration was the only thing that I would get from this book? I didn’t DNF this because I thought that Cassidy would mature at the end but she never did and I don’t think she ever will.
It’s been a week since I read Prom Impossible and a review should be easy enough to write but on the contrary, I am finding it difficult to do so. You see, I have mixed feelings about this book and while that was effortless to say, articulating my reasons and thoughts is much more complicated.
The book starts out with Cassidy, an incoming senior, and her cousin pulling a prank on the seniors during their prom night. Cassidy is caught by the police and is sent by her parents to an Adventure Camp for unruly teens where she spends the entire summer. As you can tell from the blurb, she meets a reformed bad boy named Zeke in the camp but the other boys in her life, namely her “soul mate” and the hottest boy in school, stir things up a little.
Guess we weren’t meant to be friends after all. Not if he couldn’t see past something in me that wasn’t even true.
From the very first page, I hated Cassidy and this feeling did not let on even after I finished the book. She was probably the most frustrating fictional character that I have ever met. I understand that her sarcasm, elaborate schemes and unfiltered mouth were meant to be endearing but they served only as a vexation for me. Instead of owning up to her mistakes and solving her problems head on, Cassidy always concocts ruses that would get her out of the situation for a few days but would only make it bigger. She’s in love with Michael, a geeky boy who likes her best friend. It’s obvious enough that Zeke loves her (although Cassidy’s stupidity would beg to differ) and Jasper, the hot guy, takes an interest in her. From what I can remember, Cassidy’s stupidest scheme was to use Jasper to make Zeke jealous which would then make Michael jealous. How a girl can dream a happily ever after with that in mind completely escapes me. It wasn’t hilarious or comical; it was plain bad.
“…You have a world of hurt and mistrust buries inside that you like to cover up with a bunch of meaningless babble instead of talking about the real stuff. I don’t know what or who it is that hurt you but I hope someday you figure it out so you can move forward with your life. I wish you the best. I really do. Just far away from me.”
Zeke was a character with the potential to make this book not frustrating. A reformed bad boy is always a treat in a book but the only badass-ery Zeke shows in the entire novel were his piercings. Okay, I get that he’s reformed and all but old habits die hard. Early on, he mentions an issue with his dad but this was never expounded. In fact, it isn’t referred to ever again. It was a massive disappointment because I felt that Prom Impossible would have had a lot more depth had Zeke’s character been explored. As it stands, he was one-dimensional and as frustrating as Cassidy.
I’m frustrated that I keep saying frustrated in this review but that’s what Prom Impossible was. A giant frustration.
There’s always a moment where you wish you could push rewind and take back a moment or a word spoken and start fresh.
This book is being marketed as a romantic comedy reminiscent of Shakespeare but it is anything but. Sure, the situations can be considered hysterically funny but Shakespeare creates characters who are memorable and distinctive whereas Prom Impossible is an epic fail in that aspect. Aside from that, you can never know where you’ll end up with Shakespeare. He keeps you guessing and much like George R.R. Martin, you can never be certain if the main character ends up with the hero or if they all just tragically die in the end. However, you can pretty much guess whom Cassidy will end up with by the time you’re on the twentieth page.
“…The one who tells ridiculous tales because she doesn’t know how to get attention or is afraid she’s boring and will lose her friends.”
When I signed up to read and review Prom Impossible, I was thinking that a cutesy, lighthearted rom-com was in store for me. How could I possibly know that a giant pot of frustration was the only thing that I would get from this book? I didn’t DNF this because I thought that Cassidy would mature at the end but she never did and I don’t think she ever will.
June 3, 2014
**** Review Originally Posted at
Pink Fluffy Hearts: Diary of a Coffee Addict ****
"Prom Impossible" by Laura Pauling is a romantic comedy about a high school senior, Cassidy, and her dream of having a perfect senior year that's complete with the perfect prom night with her soul mate.
Cassidy wasn't the normal leading lady we're used to in young adult fiction. She was extremely awkward and prone to ramble to fill silences or have panic attacks.
She is also a dreamer and paints fantastical scenarios in her head of how she wanted her life to go, and was willing to hatch any scheme to make those dreams a reality. Cassidy has a huge crush on the "hot geek", Michael, and even though he's never expressed feelings for her, she's decided that they are "soul mates" and it's her mission to make him realize that in time to be her date to their senior prom.
Even though she was awkward, I still wanted good things for Cassidy. She's the type of character that had nothing but bad things happen to her and all her plans go wrong, and you just want to root for her so something in her life can finally go right. This book covers a long span, going from the summer before Cassidy's senior year and all the way to her prom, and the entire year seems like one big failure for her.
"Prom Impossible" is labeled as a romantic comedy, but at times it seems like more of a tragedy. Not only do all of Cassidy's plans for her perfect year go awry, but her personal relationships are being stressed out too. The book begins with Cassidy getting in trouble for a prank that both she and her best friend/cousin Jules pull, but she's the only one to get caught. Protecting Jules puts a big strain on their relationship, and it shows. Throughout the book I kept waiting for Jules to protect her friend or realize that something was wrong with her, but it didn't happen.
It seemed like none of Cassidy's friends were that good of friends, and her life just kept spiraling out of her control. No one was there for her after she had to do a summer rehabilitation program for troubled teens after the prank, and they still weren't there for her during the school year. It was depressing to see so much go wrong in her life, and didn't really feel "comedy" to me, since there wasn't much humor or bright spots to cling on to.
The one person who seems to try to crack through Cassidy's rambles to see the person underneath was the boy she met during the summer program, Zeke. Zeke was the one supporting character that I liked throughout the entire book. From the beginning, he tries to ask Cassidy about herself, but even though she doesn't give him any answers, he still tries to get to know her and get close to her. He seems to be the only one who is able to read her and realize when things are wrong, even though he's the one who's known her for the least amount of time.
Although it could be frustrating and sad at times, "Prom Impossible" did have its moments. I kept turning the pages, hoping that something would finally happen to bring some light to Cassidy's crappy senior year, and waiting for her to realize what a good guy Zeke was. I just wish that there was more comedy in this romantic comedy so that all of the negative in Cassidy's senior year didn't feel so dark. However, it's an easy and quick read for anyone looking for some young adult drama in their lives.
Pink Fluffy Hearts: Diary of a Coffee Addict ****
"Prom Impossible" by Laura Pauling is a romantic comedy about a high school senior, Cassidy, and her dream of having a perfect senior year that's complete with the perfect prom night with her soul mate.
Cassidy wasn't the normal leading lady we're used to in young adult fiction. She was extremely awkward and prone to ramble to fill silences or have panic attacks.
She is also a dreamer and paints fantastical scenarios in her head of how she wanted her life to go, and was willing to hatch any scheme to make those dreams a reality. Cassidy has a huge crush on the "hot geek", Michael, and even though he's never expressed feelings for her, she's decided that they are "soul mates" and it's her mission to make him realize that in time to be her date to their senior prom.
Even though she was awkward, I still wanted good things for Cassidy. She's the type of character that had nothing but bad things happen to her and all her plans go wrong, and you just want to root for her so something in her life can finally go right. This book covers a long span, going from the summer before Cassidy's senior year and all the way to her prom, and the entire year seems like one big failure for her.
"Prom Impossible" is labeled as a romantic comedy, but at times it seems like more of a tragedy. Not only do all of Cassidy's plans for her perfect year go awry, but her personal relationships are being stressed out too. The book begins with Cassidy getting in trouble for a prank that both she and her best friend/cousin Jules pull, but she's the only one to get caught. Protecting Jules puts a big strain on their relationship, and it shows. Throughout the book I kept waiting for Jules to protect her friend or realize that something was wrong with her, but it didn't happen.
It seemed like none of Cassidy's friends were that good of friends, and her life just kept spiraling out of her control. No one was there for her after she had to do a summer rehabilitation program for troubled teens after the prank, and they still weren't there for her during the school year. It was depressing to see so much go wrong in her life, and didn't really feel "comedy" to me, since there wasn't much humor or bright spots to cling on to.
The one person who seems to try to crack through Cassidy's rambles to see the person underneath was the boy she met during the summer program, Zeke. Zeke was the one supporting character that I liked throughout the entire book. From the beginning, he tries to ask Cassidy about herself, but even though she doesn't give him any answers, he still tries to get to know her and get close to her. He seems to be the only one who is able to read her and realize when things are wrong, even though he's the one who's known her for the least amount of time.
Although it could be frustrating and sad at times, "Prom Impossible" did have its moments. I kept turning the pages, hoping that something would finally happen to bring some light to Cassidy's crappy senior year, and waiting for her to realize what a good guy Zeke was. I just wish that there was more comedy in this romantic comedy so that all of the negative in Cassidy's senior year didn't feel so dark. However, it's an easy and quick read for anyone looking for some young adult drama in their lives.
July 20, 2016
When I first saw this book and read the synopsis, I was thrilled! I mean, look at that cover! Clearly a YA book since it's about prom, we have a girl in a cute pink dress, and obviously three boys in the background. Perhaps part of my problem was that I had expectations that were too high for this book, and so it would have been pretty difficult for it to meet those standards. I really, really wanted to love this book, but I did not. Instead, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it. Some parts I really enjoyed, and some I did not like at all. I guess that's just how some books are, though.
First of all, I really could not cheer for the main character. I really wanted to, but I just could not find it in myself to cheer for a character like this. We start the book by knowing she has gotten into trouble for pulling a prank and ruining prom the year before, but now her whole focus is on having the perfect senior prom herself. I found this so incredibly selfish, that almost right away I was pretty annoyed with Cassidy. She did not seem to care about any other people, but wanted everything to work out perfectly for herself.
As for the guys, I felt pretty bad for all of them for being brought into the craziness that has become Cassidy's life. Not only does she only care about herself, but she does not seem to care about any of these guys as she attempts to get her perfect prom. She's after Michael, but then runs into bad boy Zeke during the summer program yet acts like she doesn't really know him at school, and then causes Jasper to earn horrible grades in class, and he's still appreciative of it. None of it made any sense to me at all!
I was so annoyed that Cassidy seemed to get away with everything she wanted to do without having many consequences, either. First of all, she doesn't even respect her own parents enough to do things that they ask or follow the rules they set in place for her. The whole book she's cheating, breaking rules, stealing things. I just don't understand how she can do all of these things and be okay with herself, and that no one does anything about it. It was ridiculous!
The one highlight is that I did like the guys in the novel, far more than I liked Cassidy. They all seemed like they could be pretty great, though I do wish that I could have gotten more of their backgrounds. I wanted to cheer for them, but it was a bit difficult when I did not know most of their stories as they were just thrown into the novel to be another piece of the things that Cassidy messes up.
Ultimately, I did enjoy reading this book. It was a quick read and had several parts that were very entertaining. Unfortunately, the plot and events were a bit all over the place. I feel like it could have been handled much better, and I was hoping for a lot more. It's certainly not the worst contemporary I have read, but I would have made some serious improvements. Despite that, I think that it was a good concept, and other people may enjoy it more than I did.
First of all, I really could not cheer for the main character. I really wanted to, but I just could not find it in myself to cheer for a character like this. We start the book by knowing she has gotten into trouble for pulling a prank and ruining prom the year before, but now her whole focus is on having the perfect senior prom herself. I found this so incredibly selfish, that almost right away I was pretty annoyed with Cassidy. She did not seem to care about any other people, but wanted everything to work out perfectly for herself.
As for the guys, I felt pretty bad for all of them for being brought into the craziness that has become Cassidy's life. Not only does she only care about herself, but she does not seem to care about any of these guys as she attempts to get her perfect prom. She's after Michael, but then runs into bad boy Zeke during the summer program yet acts like she doesn't really know him at school, and then causes Jasper to earn horrible grades in class, and he's still appreciative of it. None of it made any sense to me at all!
I was so annoyed that Cassidy seemed to get away with everything she wanted to do without having many consequences, either. First of all, she doesn't even respect her own parents enough to do things that they ask or follow the rules they set in place for her. The whole book she's cheating, breaking rules, stealing things. I just don't understand how she can do all of these things and be okay with herself, and that no one does anything about it. It was ridiculous!
The one highlight is that I did like the guys in the novel, far more than I liked Cassidy. They all seemed like they could be pretty great, though I do wish that I could have gotten more of their backgrounds. I wanted to cheer for them, but it was a bit difficult when I did not know most of their stories as they were just thrown into the novel to be another piece of the things that Cassidy messes up.
Ultimately, I did enjoy reading this book. It was a quick read and had several parts that were very entertaining. Unfortunately, the plot and events were a bit all over the place. I feel like it could have been handled much better, and I was hoping for a lot more. It's certainly not the worst contemporary I have read, but I would have made some serious improvements. Despite that, I think that it was a good concept, and other people may enjoy it more than I did.
July 13, 2014
Novel provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review
Opening Thoughts
I think that my expectations for this book were way to high, and that there was no way that this book could have possibly met them. This book was meant for a younger audience, than what I am. I think that this book was better suited for middle school or early high school, and that's not really the reading group that I'm in.
Characters
I found it extremely difficult to summon any sympathy for our main character, Cassidy. We start off the book with Cassidy and her cousin, Jules, as juniors, setting up smoke bombs at prom, and then Cassidy spends the rest of the book attempting to ensure that she will have the perfect prom, which in my eyes, is incredibly selfish, because why should she get to have the perfect prom when she ruined it for all of the seniors the year before. This is just one example of Cassidy being selfish and annoying, but that trait does occur constantly throughout the book, this just happens to be the one that stood out the most in my mind.
The guys in this book, of which there are three, seemed underdeveloped and kind of stupid. I suppose that stupid isn't really the best word to describe them, but they definitely seemed like their thought processes were kind of off, or at least nowhere close to what mine is. It was so obvious to me from the very beginning of the book that Zeke liked Cassidy. I don't really understand why Cassidy was so totally blind to it. And then, she ignores him, and is really quite mean to him pretty much the entire book, yet that doesn't affect his feelings to her at all. And then there's Michael of course, the boy that Cassidy is convinced is her soul mate. It made no sense to me whatsoever why Cassidy felt that Michael was her soul mate, because they don't really know each other at all, and we don't really learn anything about him in the book. I found it to be pretty annoying that every time Michael would flirt with a girl, Cassidy would get all jealous and mean, and I'm like, c'mon girl, I'm pretty sure he barely knows you exist. And then when she totally ruined Jasper's paper, and not just one of them, multiple paper, he was just like, naw girl, it's all good. That caused much annoyance for me.
Plot
This plot is so simple, I feel that it doesn't even need much of a review. It's very simplistic, just about a girl and her efforts to have a perfect prom. The writing is also very simple, and it almost felt as if it were meant for a younger audience than what the book is actually targeted towards.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this book that much. It wasn't horrid, but it wasn't god either, it was just okay. I'd recommend it to people who really enjoy prom/teenage drama stories, but if you're looking for a deep book, or a good romance, than this is definitely not the book for you.
Opening Thoughts
I think that my expectations for this book were way to high, and that there was no way that this book could have possibly met them. This book was meant for a younger audience, than what I am. I think that this book was better suited for middle school or early high school, and that's not really the reading group that I'm in.
Characters
I found it extremely difficult to summon any sympathy for our main character, Cassidy. We start off the book with Cassidy and her cousin, Jules, as juniors, setting up smoke bombs at prom, and then Cassidy spends the rest of the book attempting to ensure that she will have the perfect prom, which in my eyes, is incredibly selfish, because why should she get to have the perfect prom when she ruined it for all of the seniors the year before. This is just one example of Cassidy being selfish and annoying, but that trait does occur constantly throughout the book, this just happens to be the one that stood out the most in my mind.
The guys in this book, of which there are three, seemed underdeveloped and kind of stupid. I suppose that stupid isn't really the best word to describe them, but they definitely seemed like their thought processes were kind of off, or at least nowhere close to what mine is. It was so obvious to me from the very beginning of the book that Zeke liked Cassidy. I don't really understand why Cassidy was so totally blind to it. And then, she ignores him, and is really quite mean to him pretty much the entire book, yet that doesn't affect his feelings to her at all. And then there's Michael of course, the boy that Cassidy is convinced is her soul mate. It made no sense to me whatsoever why Cassidy felt that Michael was her soul mate, because they don't really know each other at all, and we don't really learn anything about him in the book. I found it to be pretty annoying that every time Michael would flirt with a girl, Cassidy would get all jealous and mean, and I'm like, c'mon girl, I'm pretty sure he barely knows you exist. And then when she totally ruined Jasper's paper, and not just one of them, multiple paper, he was just like, naw girl, it's all good. That caused much annoyance for me.
Plot
This plot is so simple, I feel that it doesn't even need much of a review. It's very simplistic, just about a girl and her efforts to have a perfect prom. The writing is also very simple, and it almost felt as if it were meant for a younger audience than what the book is actually targeted towards.
Overall, I didn't really enjoy this book that much. It wasn't horrid, but it wasn't god either, it was just okay. I'd recommend it to people who really enjoy prom/teenage drama stories, but if you're looking for a deep book, or a good romance, than this is definitely not the book for you.
June 26, 2014
I loved how the blurb compares this to a modern day Shakespearean comedy: spot on!
Truly, this story has shades of the mixed up romantic mess of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The main character, Cassidy, has her sights on going to prom with Michael, an adorable geek, but he barely notices her. So her plan is to use Jasper, the popular jock, to make Michael jealous, but when the Jasper plan starts to backfire, Cassidy gets even more creative: "I wanted to use Zeke to make Jasper jealous to make Michael jealous so I could have my dream prom date." Cue: disaster.
Of course every step of Cassidy's ever-changing plans goes awry, and is further complicated by the other prom-date seeking girls: Cassidy's cousin Jules, her ex-best-friend Elena, and her arch-enemy, Ava.
Also, Cassidy just has this hilarious knack for talking herself into trouble:
And then there's her flare for drama, which kept me cracking up:
What really made me laugh out loud was when Cassidy tries to talk herself out of a situation with her overbearing Aunt Lulu, and ends up asking her aunt for help in straightening out her prom-date-seeking mission. Nothing like a fussy aunt getting involved in your romantic life and even worse, getting involved in the prom-dress-selection-process.
Aunt Lulu's a rip, but the boys are also really great characters. Jasper is like sleek, well-fed trouble, stalking the halls in his moccasins. But Cassidy is his match. There's this one scene where she confronts him in the boys' bathroom that had me grinning, and another where she tries to trap him into her prom-plan in front of his mother, but he has a solid comeback. Terms such as "romance and stars" and "therapist" and "personal stories" and "binge eating" are wielded like chess pieces between opponents.
Then there's Zeke, who is... multifaceted. Here's one side of Zeke:
Truly, this story has shades of the mixed up romantic mess of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The main character, Cassidy, has her sights on going to prom with Michael, an adorable geek, but he barely notices her. So her plan is to use Jasper, the popular jock, to make Michael jealous, but when the Jasper plan starts to backfire, Cassidy gets even more creative: "I wanted to use Zeke to make Jasper jealous to make Michael jealous so I could have my dream prom date." Cue: disaster.
Of course every step of Cassidy's ever-changing plans goes awry, and is further complicated by the other prom-date seeking girls: Cassidy's cousin Jules, her ex-best-friend Elena, and her arch-enemy, Ava.
So why would Ava rush after Zeke when it just made her look weak, pathetic and needy? I had no clue. Maybe someday I'd figure that out along with everything else like world peace and poverty and how to make cafeteria food edible.
Also, Cassidy just has this hilarious knack for talking herself into trouble:
I have this problem with silence. It tends to draw words out of me even when I don't want to talk.
And then there's her flare for drama, which kept me cracking up:
Mom hovered, trying to say something.
"Out with it. If you don't tell me now, I'll have this lecture of doom ganging over my head all day, and that could affect the start of my relationship with teachers who ultimately hold my collegiate future in their hands."
She sighed. "oh, Cassidy. Do you need to be so dramatic?"
What really made me laugh out loud was when Cassidy tries to talk herself out of a situation with her overbearing Aunt Lulu, and ends up asking her aunt for help in straightening out her prom-date-seeking mission. Nothing like a fussy aunt getting involved in your romantic life and even worse, getting involved in the prom-dress-selection-process.
Aunt Lulu's a rip, but the boys are also really great characters. Jasper is like sleek, well-fed trouble, stalking the halls in his moccasins. But Cassidy is his match. There's this one scene where she confronts him in the boys' bathroom that had me grinning, and another where she tries to trap him into her prom-plan in front of his mother, but he has a solid comeback. Terms such as "romance and stars" and "therapist" and "personal stories" and "binge eating" are wielded like chess pieces between opponents.
Then there's Zeke, who is... multifaceted. Here's one side of Zeke:
He asked me questions. How'd I do on the science test? Do I like bunny rabbits? What's my favorite color? Where was I applying to college? Had I made a snowman yet this year?
July 15, 2014
See more of my reviews at We Live and Breathe Books
I got a review copy of Prom Impossible a few months ago from Xpresso Book Tours, and, since I am the worst person ever, I completely forgot about it until after I was already supposed to have reviewed it and I felt really bad so I read it right away. So here's my review, two weeks late since I'm the lamest person ever.
Anyway, now that I'm done with my self loathing, onto my thoughts about Prom Impossible!
From the very start of the book it's clear that Cassidy has a plan - make it through senior year and attend the prom with her soulmate, Michael, who may not know he's her soulmate. Along the way, there are many bumps in the metaphorical road! Cassidy has to attend a sort of reform-summer-camp while her friends all hang out, Michael continues to be clueless to her affection, and there's a new divide between her and her friends. The story starts out at the beginning of the summer after Cassidy's junior year and ends after her senior prom, and throughout the story, Cassidy has to work her way through some troublesome situations while figuring out why things never seem to turn out how she wants.
Cassidy is definitely an interesting main character. Quite frankly, she kind of seems like a pathological liar a lot of the time - girl just can't manage to tell the truth! Even when it would be so much easier than her convoluted schemes! Sometimes I wanted to reach into the book and shake her and yell at her, "JUST TELL THE TRUTH! USE YOUR BRAIN! STOP!" However, at the same time, her ridiculous schemes were very amusing and kind of charming. Cassidy is a character with a lot of heart. While most of her disappointment is self inflicted, you've got to appreciate how much she tries (even if her efforts don't make any sense).
Besides Cassidy, there were definitely a wide variety of characters. There is a "nerdy" character who wears elf ears regularly in public, a jock who isn't so bright, a former bad boy trying to be a friend, a rich cousin who pretty much rules the popular crowd, a girl hellbent on making Cassidy miserable, a twin brother who is especially good at getting girls to love him, and a bunch more! With this spectrum of personalities, it's no wonder how wacky the story can get. I had a lot of fun seeing how Cassidy interacted with all of these characters.
Overall, Prom Impossible was so much fun! It was a relatively light, fluffy read, and I was enjoying it so much the whole time that I couldn't stop reading. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of fun romance, especially if you liked Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress (aka my favorite book ever). So, yea, if you like fun, read Prom Impossible!
I got a review copy of Prom Impossible a few months ago from Xpresso Book Tours, and, since I am the worst person ever, I completely forgot about it until after I was already supposed to have reviewed it and I felt really bad so I read it right away. So here's my review, two weeks late since I'm the lamest person ever.
Anyway, now that I'm done with my self loathing, onto my thoughts about Prom Impossible!
From the very start of the book it's clear that Cassidy has a plan - make it through senior year and attend the prom with her soulmate, Michael, who may not know he's her soulmate. Along the way, there are many bumps in the metaphorical road! Cassidy has to attend a sort of reform-summer-camp while her friends all hang out, Michael continues to be clueless to her affection, and there's a new divide between her and her friends. The story starts out at the beginning of the summer after Cassidy's junior year and ends after her senior prom, and throughout the story, Cassidy has to work her way through some troublesome situations while figuring out why things never seem to turn out how she wants.
Cassidy is definitely an interesting main character. Quite frankly, she kind of seems like a pathological liar a lot of the time - girl just can't manage to tell the truth! Even when it would be so much easier than her convoluted schemes! Sometimes I wanted to reach into the book and shake her and yell at her, "JUST TELL THE TRUTH! USE YOUR BRAIN! STOP!" However, at the same time, her ridiculous schemes were very amusing and kind of charming. Cassidy is a character with a lot of heart. While most of her disappointment is self inflicted, you've got to appreciate how much she tries (even if her efforts don't make any sense).
Besides Cassidy, there were definitely a wide variety of characters. There is a "nerdy" character who wears elf ears regularly in public, a jock who isn't so bright, a former bad boy trying to be a friend, a rich cousin who pretty much rules the popular crowd, a girl hellbent on making Cassidy miserable, a twin brother who is especially good at getting girls to love him, and a bunch more! With this spectrum of personalities, it's no wonder how wacky the story can get. I had a lot of fun seeing how Cassidy interacted with all of these characters.
Overall, Prom Impossible was so much fun! It was a relatively light, fluffy read, and I was enjoying it so much the whole time that I couldn't stop reading. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of fun romance, especially if you liked Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress (aka my favorite book ever). So, yea, if you like fun, read Prom Impossible!
June 30, 2014
Prom Impossible is a fun, entertaining book that follows a girl called Cassidy. She dreams of having the perfect prom with her crush who is called Michael. This book is fascinating as we get to follow her around on a thrilling roller coaster ride and we get to watch her try to make her dream into a reality.
In the beginning of the story, Cassidy, is caught setting up a few smoke blasters and is then sentenced to an Adventure Program at school for summer. In this story, we are introduced to three guys - Zeke, Michael and Jason. She is persistent to win Michael's heart, her dream guy. In order to get Michael to notice him, she allied with Jason to make her plan a success. Does her plan work? You have to find it out yourself. :)
Cassidy is a random person who rambles a lot and makes up weird excuses, but that made this book fun to read. I liked that she is determined and is willing to put herself into awkward situations in order to get what she wants - which is, for this scenario, Michael. She does not just wait for things to happen. If I were her, I would probably just give up. But even though I liked that attitude of hers, I didn't like the way she stepped on to people to get where she wanted to be. I feel like she can be self centered at times. If I were her friend, I am not sure whether I can rely on her.
I did not really get her fascination with Michael. I did not feel any connection towards him as a reader, even though he is supposed to be 'swoon-worthy'. In the story, he does not really do anything that would make butterflies flutter in my stomach.
Moving on to the boys. The three guys have different personalities that are distinct from each other, therefore, giving us plenty of variation. I loved how different they are, which made the story more interesting as we get to see the way these three boys carry themselves.
The character that appeals to me the most is Carter, her twin brother. I find him warm and likable. He is true to himself and is there when Cassidy needs her. I would totally want a twin brother like him.
Overall, I think that the flow of the book is great. The story builds up and the pace gets faster and it became more interesting towards the end. I also like that there is a depth to this book. It addresses some high school issues like the hardship that comes when you try to change yourself to seek for acceptance. I have definitely learnt some lessons through this book itself. I would recommend you to read it if you are into a chick-lit book that is enthralling!
Originally posted on Met In Eleven
In the beginning of the story, Cassidy, is caught setting up a few smoke blasters and is then sentenced to an Adventure Program at school for summer. In this story, we are introduced to three guys - Zeke, Michael and Jason. She is persistent to win Michael's heart, her dream guy. In order to get Michael to notice him, she allied with Jason to make her plan a success. Does her plan work? You have to find it out yourself. :)
Cassidy is a random person who rambles a lot and makes up weird excuses, but that made this book fun to read. I liked that she is determined and is willing to put herself into awkward situations in order to get what she wants - which is, for this scenario, Michael. She does not just wait for things to happen. If I were her, I would probably just give up. But even though I liked that attitude of hers, I didn't like the way she stepped on to people to get where she wanted to be. I feel like she can be self centered at times. If I were her friend, I am not sure whether I can rely on her.
I did not really get her fascination with Michael. I did not feel any connection towards him as a reader, even though he is supposed to be 'swoon-worthy'. In the story, he does not really do anything that would make butterflies flutter in my stomach.
Moving on to the boys. The three guys have different personalities that are distinct from each other, therefore, giving us plenty of variation. I loved how different they are, which made the story more interesting as we get to see the way these three boys carry themselves.
The character that appeals to me the most is Carter, her twin brother. I find him warm and likable. He is true to himself and is there when Cassidy needs her. I would totally want a twin brother like him.
Overall, I think that the flow of the book is great. The story builds up and the pace gets faster and it became more interesting towards the end. I also like that there is a depth to this book. It addresses some high school issues like the hardship that comes when you try to change yourself to seek for acceptance. I have definitely learnt some lessons through this book itself. I would recommend you to read it if you are into a chick-lit book that is enthralling!
Originally posted on Met In Eleven
March 19, 2015
My review
Prom Impossible is a comical story that follows a girl called Cassidy who dreams of the perfect prom with the perfect guy. The book is mostly set over Cassidy's senior year, and gets us engrossed as we follow her around and watch her try hard to make her dream come true.
Cassidy is probably the most delusional character I've ever read. I mean, who thinks about soul mates at 17? She's a really random person who rambles a lot and makes up some dumb and weird excuses, but I think her vitality is what made this book fun to read. She also tells a lot of lies, but oddly enough, I didn't find her annoying. I usually hate reading dishonest characters, and I hate it even more when it's the protagonist who's being dishonest. However, I like how Cassidy doesn't get away with her lies, in fact she gets caught most of the time. I find it really satisfying, and the awkward situations she's put through are so hilarious that it made me look past her immature behaviour.
There are three boys involved in Cassidy's life who are so different in many ways, and I felt that this book was a bit short to develop all three characters properly. I would have prefered to know a bit more about their backgrounds so that I could have gotten more attached to them. Hopefully there will be more of that in the sequel. Another issue I had with this book was that it was pretty obvious who Cassidy would end up with, but she takes a year to figure it out. Anyhow, it was entertaining to read how she struggles to get her "soul mate", as she likes calling him, to date her. She does a lot of scheming and negotiating, but as a result, she only ends up ruining her whole senior year.
This book has a fairy tale vibe to it, but at the same time it also touches some serious high school issues like bullying, and the hardship that comes when you try to blend in and want to be accepted by others. I think we all have experienced some of these issues during our teenage years, therefore, I believe everyone will find it easy to relate to the characters of this book. So, this turned out to be more complex than I expected, but it was great to learn that it's not just about dating, though there's plenty of that. I really enjoyed the comedy aspect of it, and if you're looking for something that's cute and light hearted then this book is for you.
I received a copy of Prom Impossible in exchange for an honest review.
Prom Impossible is a comical story that follows a girl called Cassidy who dreams of the perfect prom with the perfect guy. The book is mostly set over Cassidy's senior year, and gets us engrossed as we follow her around and watch her try hard to make her dream come true.
Cassidy is probably the most delusional character I've ever read. I mean, who thinks about soul mates at 17? She's a really random person who rambles a lot and makes up some dumb and weird excuses, but I think her vitality is what made this book fun to read. She also tells a lot of lies, but oddly enough, I didn't find her annoying. I usually hate reading dishonest characters, and I hate it even more when it's the protagonist who's being dishonest. However, I like how Cassidy doesn't get away with her lies, in fact she gets caught most of the time. I find it really satisfying, and the awkward situations she's put through are so hilarious that it made me look past her immature behaviour.
There are three boys involved in Cassidy's life who are so different in many ways, and I felt that this book was a bit short to develop all three characters properly. I would have prefered to know a bit more about their backgrounds so that I could have gotten more attached to them. Hopefully there will be more of that in the sequel. Another issue I had with this book was that it was pretty obvious who Cassidy would end up with, but she takes a year to figure it out. Anyhow, it was entertaining to read how she struggles to get her "soul mate", as she likes calling him, to date her. She does a lot of scheming and negotiating, but as a result, she only ends up ruining her whole senior year.
This book has a fairy tale vibe to it, but at the same time it also touches some serious high school issues like bullying, and the hardship that comes when you try to blend in and want to be accepted by others. I think we all have experienced some of these issues during our teenage years, therefore, I believe everyone will find it easy to relate to the characters of this book. So, this turned out to be more complex than I expected, but it was great to learn that it's not just about dating, though there's plenty of that. I really enjoyed the comedy aspect of it, and if you're looking for something that's cute and light hearted then this book is for you.
I received a copy of Prom Impossible in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2014
The first thing I thought when I finished Prom Impossible was “Dayum, that would make one hell of a TV show.” And it totally, absolutely would.
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a character that talks randomly or out of context as much as Cassidy does. And I absolutely ADORE her. She’s practically the embodiment of what high school is like. Throughout the book, I looked forward to each and every piece of nonsense that spewed out of her mouth and laughed heartily at how every time she spoke, the situation went from bad to worse. She’s basically a rebellious teen with a heart of gold. Trying to fix stuff and just making it worse.
Potential Prom-Mate #1
Michael is a “total dork” who is her “soul mate.” I want to hate Michael, but I find that I just can’t. The thing is, Cassidy is completely obsessed with him throughout the book, whereas Michael doesn’t notice her at all. In fact in some circumstances, it feels like he goes out of his way to ignore her. But that’s not true. The guy doesn’t like Cassidy in the way she would want him to. He does however like Elena and that complicates matters, which leads to…
…Potential Prom-Mate #2
Jasper is one of those guys that you know, everyone loves. He’s always smiling and joking and has a girl clinging to his arm. But then what people don’t see about him is that he’s actually a dick, and that his parents are kind of those typical we-will-interfere-in-your-life-all-we-want type of parents. Boo. However, Cassidy totally walked into thins one and made a mess for herself. Double Boo.
And Finally Potential Prom-Mate #3
Zeke is a bad boy. Or at least that’s the image he’s trying to give off. But really he’s just a new guy in town, in love with Cassidy. They meet at Adventure Group (which Cassidy landed into after a series of event that were totally not her fault) and I was in love with Zeke ever since. He’s very, very good to her and she just doesn’t see it. Yet.
I like the way the story ends. Unpredictable and sweet. Short and a well deserved HEA. I would have, however, liked to see more of Zeke. But since the entire book is in Cassidy’s POV and she isn’t noticing him (much) there’s too little of him. Sigh. Laughter and riots throughout the book, though. Good writing and amazing cover!
Final Verdict: For all of you who’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager (or a teenager in unrequited love) you must read this :D
Find this review and more at Rhea's Neon Journal.
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a character that talks randomly or out of context as much as Cassidy does. And I absolutely ADORE her. She’s practically the embodiment of what high school is like. Throughout the book, I looked forward to each and every piece of nonsense that spewed out of her mouth and laughed heartily at how every time she spoke, the situation went from bad to worse. She’s basically a rebellious teen with a heart of gold. Trying to fix stuff and just making it worse.
Potential Prom-Mate #1
Michael is a “total dork” who is her “soul mate.” I want to hate Michael, but I find that I just can’t. The thing is, Cassidy is completely obsessed with him throughout the book, whereas Michael doesn’t notice her at all. In fact in some circumstances, it feels like he goes out of his way to ignore her. But that’s not true. The guy doesn’t like Cassidy in the way she would want him to. He does however like Elena and that complicates matters, which leads to…
…Potential Prom-Mate #2
Jasper is one of those guys that you know, everyone loves. He’s always smiling and joking and has a girl clinging to his arm. But then what people don’t see about him is that he’s actually a dick, and that his parents are kind of those typical we-will-interfere-in-your-life-all-we-want type of parents. Boo. However, Cassidy totally walked into thins one and made a mess for herself. Double Boo.
And Finally Potential Prom-Mate #3
Zeke is a bad boy. Or at least that’s the image he’s trying to give off. But really he’s just a new guy in town, in love with Cassidy. They meet at Adventure Group (which Cassidy landed into after a series of event that were totally not her fault) and I was in love with Zeke ever since. He’s very, very good to her and she just doesn’t see it. Yet.
I like the way the story ends. Unpredictable and sweet. Short and a well deserved HEA. I would have, however, liked to see more of Zeke. But since the entire book is in Cassidy’s POV and she isn’t noticing him (much) there’s too little of him. Sigh. Laughter and riots throughout the book, though. Good writing and amazing cover!
Final Verdict: For all of you who’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a teenager (or a teenager in unrequited love) you must read this :D
Find this review and more at Rhea's Neon Journal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2014
Prom Impossible starts out with a bang--almost literally. Cassidy is caught setting off smoke bombs at school and is sentenced, by her parents, to a summer camp for troubled kids. She meets a former bad boy, Zeke, there and they have a partnership full of friction. She is determined to win her dorky friend, Michael, over because she's convinced that he's her soul mate--but he doesn't seem to think the same way. Jasper, one of the most popular guys, ends up being a part of her plan to make Michael jealous and that opens up a different can of worms.
Yes, I get the whole Shakespeare relation, but I had a hard time connecting with Cassidy. From the things she does, to the things she says, she is front and center in the spotlight, even though she claims she doesn't like that type of attention. I felt that her whole life was a twisted mass of half-truths and lies. She even resorts to stealing and cheating to save herself. I don't think I'd be able to trust her, if she was my friend. I really would have liked to get to know the real her, because the glimpses were that of a fun girl, but I often wondered who she really was and if she even knew. I didn't like the way she stepped on people to get to where she wanted to be--she didn't treat people very good--she was very snarky. Jules, Cassidy's BFF and cousin, wasn't much better in the likability department. Would a true friend let you take the complete blame for a prank gone wrong that was your idea? Probably not, yet Jules did just that.
One of the great parts of the book was Carter, Cassidy's twin brother. He didn't get wrapped up in all of the drama. He was his own individual, doing things that wouldn't seem popular, but he didn't care and that made him all the more popular and likable. I also liked the lessons learned, even though most of them were learned the hard way. Being a teenager isn't ever easy, but sometimes a person just needs to stand up for who s/he is. Choices don't ever come without consequences, both good and bad, but it's also nice when one learns from the bad ones. Overall, I enjoyed the story.
Content:
language--a few mild instances (mostly taking the name in vain)
violence--none
romance--non-descriptive kissing; rumor of sex (not detailed and not true).
Clean!
**I received a copy in exchange for an honest review**
Yes, I get the whole Shakespeare relation, but I had a hard time connecting with Cassidy. From the things she does, to the things she says, she is front and center in the spotlight, even though she claims she doesn't like that type of attention. I felt that her whole life was a twisted mass of half-truths and lies. She even resorts to stealing and cheating to save herself. I don't think I'd be able to trust her, if she was my friend. I really would have liked to get to know the real her, because the glimpses were that of a fun girl, but I often wondered who she really was and if she even knew. I didn't like the way she stepped on people to get to where she wanted to be--she didn't treat people very good--she was very snarky. Jules, Cassidy's BFF and cousin, wasn't much better in the likability department. Would a true friend let you take the complete blame for a prank gone wrong that was your idea? Probably not, yet Jules did just that.
One of the great parts of the book was Carter, Cassidy's twin brother. He didn't get wrapped up in all of the drama. He was his own individual, doing things that wouldn't seem popular, but he didn't care and that made him all the more popular and likable. I also liked the lessons learned, even though most of them were learned the hard way. Being a teenager isn't ever easy, but sometimes a person just needs to stand up for who s/he is. Choices don't ever come without consequences, both good and bad, but it's also nice when one learns from the bad ones. Overall, I enjoyed the story.
Content:
language--a few mild instances (mostly taking the name in vain)
violence--none
romance--non-descriptive kissing; rumor of sex (not detailed and not true).
Clean!
**I received a copy in exchange for an honest review**
May 30, 2014
For the full review, please go to http://reviewlist.blogspot.co.uk/2014...
Cassidy (most American name ever? quite possibly!) is coming into her senior year at school and she already has it all figured out. She's going to bag the man of her dreams this year, and she's going to the prom with him. There's just one catch, he doesn't know that yet, and because he's a nerd, he needs a good push to see the light.
Characterisation was massive in this book; Cassidy is a motor-mouth habitual liar with determination and a fair bit of wit. Some of her comments make you giggle aloud, and the situations she gets herself in seriously make you cringe. When they said it was a modern day Shakespearean comedy, they weren't joking, because there are love triangles and misunderstandings galore. Cassidy was annoying at first, especially when she tried to be funny and when she panicked about nearly everything, but the thing is, I remember being exactly the same at that age. I think this is a perfectly written teenage mind, just given very interesting circumstances to think on.
I thought Prom Impossible would be a typical teenage read with nothing really grounding it, but it pleasantly surprised me by actually dealing with far more things issues than just boys. It actually thinks about what teenagers would think in a situation and gives them the reasons why. It teaches that sometimes parents and aunts do things because they care, not because they want to embarrass you or hurt you, which was something I sometimes needed to be reminded of as a teenager, though possibly not at 17-18. It also teaches that lying is really, really bad for you, especially when you lie and then try to cover it with more lies. This was something plenty of my friends needed to be taught.
This is a good, fun read with a lot of drama and a lot of cringey situations, perfect for teens and perfect for a lapse into your teenage self if you're not one. 4 out of 5, purely because the voice took a while to get used to and to actually like.
Cassidy (most American name ever? quite possibly!) is coming into her senior year at school and she already has it all figured out. She's going to bag the man of her dreams this year, and she's going to the prom with him. There's just one catch, he doesn't know that yet, and because he's a nerd, he needs a good push to see the light.
Characterisation was massive in this book; Cassidy is a motor-mouth habitual liar with determination and a fair bit of wit. Some of her comments make you giggle aloud, and the situations she gets herself in seriously make you cringe. When they said it was a modern day Shakespearean comedy, they weren't joking, because there are love triangles and misunderstandings galore. Cassidy was annoying at first, especially when she tried to be funny and when she panicked about nearly everything, but the thing is, I remember being exactly the same at that age. I think this is a perfectly written teenage mind, just given very interesting circumstances to think on.
I thought Prom Impossible would be a typical teenage read with nothing really grounding it, but it pleasantly surprised me by actually dealing with far more things issues than just boys. It actually thinks about what teenagers would think in a situation and gives them the reasons why. It teaches that sometimes parents and aunts do things because they care, not because they want to embarrass you or hurt you, which was something I sometimes needed to be reminded of as a teenager, though possibly not at 17-18. It also teaches that lying is really, really bad for you, especially when you lie and then try to cover it with more lies. This was something plenty of my friends needed to be taught.
This is a good, fun read with a lot of drama and a lot of cringey situations, perfect for teens and perfect for a lapse into your teenage self if you're not one. 4 out of 5, purely because the voice took a while to get used to and to actually like.
September 12, 2016
Prom Impossible is a quick, entertaining read--as long as you go into it in the right frame of mind. If you're expecting realistic drama and a mature, thoughtful heroine, look elsewhere. If fluffy book with a fairly delusional and well-meaning but totally clueless heroine are what you're looking for, then this could be the story for you.
Yeah. Cassidy's picture could be right next to the definition of "unreliable narrator" in the dictionary. Pretty much if there was anything she could do to mess up her senior year, ruin her chances with a totally nice guy who was into her and make herself miserable, she did it--all while thinking she was working toward the best. year. ever.
I couldn't put it down--it was like a train wreck in book form. At times it looked as if she'd totally ruined everything; no guy could possibly go through all of that and still want to end up with her in the end, right?
Fortunately, it's fiction, so all's well that ends well. Prom Impossible ended with a very cute scene that almost made all the craziness before all worth it. Almost. I still can't help but feel that Cass pretty much ruined her whole year for no real reason--she could have been with her friends, her brother, and her guy for that whole time.
Still, it was entertaining. And as Cass's mother points out to her:
Amen, sister. Now if only someone would get the message to my kids' principal, so he stops giving the "best four years of your life" speech to incoming freshmen....
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Yeah. Cassidy's picture could be right next to the definition of "unreliable narrator" in the dictionary. Pretty much if there was anything she could do to mess up her senior year, ruin her chances with a totally nice guy who was into her and make herself miserable, she did it--all while thinking she was working toward the best. year. ever.
I couldn't put it down--it was like a train wreck in book form. At times it looked as if she'd totally ruined everything; no guy could possibly go through all of that and still want to end up with her in the end, right?
Fortunately, it's fiction, so all's well that ends well. Prom Impossible ended with a very cute scene that almost made all the craziness before all worth it. Almost. I still can't help but feel that Cass pretty much ruined her whole year for no real reason--she could have been with her friends, her brother, and her guy for that whole time.
Still, it was entertaining. And as Cass's mother points out to her:
“High school is one of the hardest times of your life as you struggle with who you are and who you want to be. Never mind the added pressure of popularity, grades, and college to think about.” Then she looked and incorporated Carter and Jules. “Your whole life is in front of you, and what kind of date you get for prom doesn’t dictate how the rest of your life will go. Got it?"
Amen, sister. Now if only someone would get the message to my kids' principal, so he stops giving the "best four years of your life" speech to incoming freshmen....
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 6, 2014
I don't think I've ever come across a character that talks so much randomness and rambles so often. Cassidy is quite unique and her mouth often gets her into trouble, like getting send to Adventure Camp, because her parents just don't know what to do anymore. It's not like she plans for things to go so wrong, still somehow they always do.
We follow Cassidy from the end of her junior year all the way through her senior year. Senior year was supposed to be the year everything would fall into place. The boy she crushed on for ages would finally notice her and ask her to prom, she would finally be accepted by her peers and just have the best year ever. That's not quite how reality works though.
Cassidy made all these plans, but like I said, they don't quite work out the way she wants them to. We get to see a great portrayal of how much some people are willing to do, just to get accepted and loved by the people around her. The pitfalls of high school are definitely present and Cassidy seems a bit clueless in how to avoid those. So much can change in one year.
Throughout the story Cassidy does grow some, realizing life might be easier without making too much plans and being yourself might be enough. A bit a coming of age story, where she will realize what really is important in life.
The three boys involved in this story, were three totally different guys, giving us plenty of variation. It was pretty easy to figure out who Cassidy would end up with, but she had a lot more trouble with figuring that out.
The overall feeling of the book seems a bit like a fairy tale. I kept grinning throughout most of the book. Though sometimes it was like watching a train wreck unfold when Cassidy put her plans in action. Still it was a very fun and quick read.
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
We follow Cassidy from the end of her junior year all the way through her senior year. Senior year was supposed to be the year everything would fall into place. The boy she crushed on for ages would finally notice her and ask her to prom, she would finally be accepted by her peers and just have the best year ever. That's not quite how reality works though.
Cassidy made all these plans, but like I said, they don't quite work out the way she wants them to. We get to see a great portrayal of how much some people are willing to do, just to get accepted and loved by the people around her. The pitfalls of high school are definitely present and Cassidy seems a bit clueless in how to avoid those. So much can change in one year.
Throughout the story Cassidy does grow some, realizing life might be easier without making too much plans and being yourself might be enough. A bit a coming of age story, where she will realize what really is important in life.
The three boys involved in this story, were three totally different guys, giving us plenty of variation. It was pretty easy to figure out who Cassidy would end up with, but she had a lot more trouble with figuring that out.
The overall feeling of the book seems a bit like a fairy tale. I kept grinning throughout most of the book. Though sometimes it was like watching a train wreck unfold when Cassidy put her plans in action. Still it was a very fun and quick read.
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
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