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Best. Night. Ever.: A Story Told from Seven Points of View
Love Actually meets Adventures in Babysitting in this hilarious novel written by seven authors about seven classmates who are preparing for a crazy night at their middle school dance.
Lynnfield Middle School is prepped and ready for a dance to remember, including an awesome performance from Heart Grenade, the all-girl band who recently won a Battle of the Bands contest. Seven classmates—Carmen, Genevieve, Tess, Ryan, Ellie, Ashlyn, and Jade—intend to make the most of the night…or at least the five of them who are able to attend do. The other two would sacrifice almost anything to be there.
One thing’s for sure—this entire crew is in for one epic night! Rachele Alpine, Ronni Arno, Alison Cherry, Stephanie Faris, Jen Malone, Gail Nall, and Dee Romito have created a charming, hilarious, and relatable novel that’s perfect for anyone who can’t wait to dance the night away.
Lynnfield Middle School is prepped and ready for a dance to remember, including an awesome performance from Heart Grenade, the all-girl band who recently won a Battle of the Bands contest. Seven classmates—Carmen, Genevieve, Tess, Ryan, Ellie, Ashlyn, and Jade—intend to make the most of the night…or at least the five of them who are able to attend do. The other two would sacrifice almost anything to be there.
One thing’s for sure—this entire crew is in for one epic night! Rachele Alpine, Ronni Arno, Alison Cherry, Stephanie Faris, Jen Malone, Gail Nall, and Dee Romito have created a charming, hilarious, and relatable novel that’s perfect for anyone who can’t wait to dance the night away.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2017
41 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
Rachele Alpine
14 books182 followersRachele Alpine is a lover of binge watching reality TV, dogs, knitting, gummy peaches, and lots and lots of coffee!
One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn't last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she's a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit.
By day she's a high school English teacher, by night she's a mom and wife, and she writes during any time she can find in between!
Rachele lives with her husband and son in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.
One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn't last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she's a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit.
By day she's a high school English teacher, by night she's a mom and wife, and she writes during any time she can find in between!
Rachele lives with her husband and son in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
Want to read
August 16, 2017i'm not generally into middle school fiction BUT WHAT THE FRICK WHY DIDNT ANY TELL ME ABOUT THIS BEFORE THIS LOOKS ADORABLE AND SO CUTE
NEED. NEED. NEED. NEED.
NEED. NEED. NEED. NEED.
August 1, 2017
(Greg's note - Nova did not put this book down today. She didn't even stop reading while she was eating. Update: She was reading it again when I checked in on her last night)
Review by 10yo Novalee:
Best. Night. Ever. is an amazing piece of literature with seven points of view. There are also seven authors, each writing from one point of view. The setting is at a school dance, where each character runs into one to one hundred problems.
What I really liked was you could know what multiple characters are doing at the same time in each individual chapter. You knew things that the characters had yet to find out, and you could feel the anticipation.
The characters were telling their own story. They said “I”, and told the story as it happened. It wasn’t the reader getting the feedback of hours before. The time was spot on.
I really loved all of the books thought and detail in the characters thoughts and personality. It felt like I got to get to know the characters, like they were real people.
That is why I loved this book and didn’t want to ever put it down!
Review by 10yo Novalee:
Best. Night. Ever. is an amazing piece of literature with seven points of view. There are also seven authors, each writing from one point of view. The setting is at a school dance, where each character runs into one to one hundred problems.
What I really liked was you could know what multiple characters are doing at the same time in each individual chapter. You knew things that the characters had yet to find out, and you could feel the anticipation.
The characters were telling their own story. They said “I”, and told the story as it happened. It wasn’t the reader getting the feedback of hours before. The time was spot on.
I really loved all of the books thought and detail in the characters thoughts and personality. It felt like I got to get to know the characters, like they were real people.
That is why I loved this book and didn’t want to ever put it down!
July 30, 2017
I was really looking forward to reading this book, and it didn't disappoint. I can imagine it was challenging to craft a cohesive text with so many authors, but they really pulled it off! Each character is unique and developed while the story as a whole is fun and well plotted. This book brought back so many middle school dance memories for me--planning committees, slow dances, crushes, all the drama! Whether you're headed to your first dance in the near future or looking for a taste of nostalgia, Best. Night. Ever. is Not. To. Be. Missed!!
July 30, 2017
Guys! This was such a FUN book - total middle school hijinks complete with a dance, a rocking band and an autocorrect mishap! (so funny) I laughed out loud so many times and was brought back to my own grade school dance many years ago where I swayed to Kiss From a Rose by Seal and ate Dominoes pizza with my friends.
Kid readers are going to love this. So will adult readers! I know know I did!
Kid readers are going to love this. So will adult readers! I know know I did!
June 2, 2017
Such a fun story! Told from seven points of view and written by seven authors, and yet seamlessly came together as though written by one. Great walk down memory lane for anyone who attended a school dance!
February 27, 2018
Getting seven authors together to write a novel is quite ambitious. Having recently read Jen Malone's new book "The Art of the Swap" brought this book to my attention. It was an entertaining story. There was a cohesiveness to the story while the individual personalities were allowed to shine. Well done!
August 17, 2019
I enjoyed this!
February 9, 2017
READ- ARC I so enjoyed this realistic perspective on middle school life today, as these 7 kids and their friends get ready for their first middle school dance and a rock performance by a small group of them. It was raw, funny and true. Some predictability and some definite surprises. I found it hard to put down...I just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen with each character. They all had issues to deal with and I enjoyed figuring out who was who on the cover as I got to know each character. Way to rock this awesome story and share all your perspectives from all their perspectives in a story that had me laughing out loud, and remembering my middle school dance experiences! An incredible feat coming from 7 talented authors!
November 9, 2017
Remember movies like 10 Things I Hate About You and Sixteen Candles and She's All That? This book reminded me of how awesome movies used to be. I don't have fond memories of any dances I attended in school but I do have fond memories of the movies I watched at that age. This book gives you all those same feelings. The coolest part is seven different authors wrote each of the seven perspectives and it flows so well!! Such a cool book!
July 27, 2017
I was so fortunate to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
SO. MUCH. FUN. This book tells the story of one middle grade dance from the POV of seven characters. The band members. The rivals. The soon-to-be-sisters. The boy in the friend zone. I loved all the memories it brought back of my own middle school dances. I loved seeing how each story interwove with the others and pulled everything together by the end.
And I am utterly amazed that seven authors (SEVEN!) could pull off a book that is so cohesive. Each character stands out and comes to life, and I fully enjoyed every second of this book. I highly recommend it!
SO. MUCH. FUN. This book tells the story of one middle grade dance from the POV of seven characters. The band members. The rivals. The soon-to-be-sisters. The boy in the friend zone. I loved all the memories it brought back of my own middle school dances. I loved seeing how each story interwove with the others and pulled everything together by the end.
And I am utterly amazed that seven authors (SEVEN!) could pull off a book that is so cohesive. Each character stands out and comes to life, and I fully enjoyed every second of this book. I highly recommend it!
May 12, 2018
Alpine, Rachele Best. Night. Ever. 316 pgs. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), 2017. $16.99 Language – PG (15 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – G; Violence – G;
Middle school is difficult for everyone, and the pressure only gets more intense at the first school dance of the year. Told from seven perspectives, Malone and company tell the stories of both popular and unpopular kids as they make plans for revenge and forgiveness, friendship and surprises. Read seven adventures that come together in one night—and not one of them is going according to plan.
Not only did the seven authors write fun stories for their readers, they were also able to weave the separate characters’ experiences together in a way that the stories were clear and fun to read. I was also happy to note that the stories were not all completely cheesey and predictable and that there was an overall message to make the best of your situation. The ending for each story was satisfying, and I closed the book feeling that it fulfilled my desire to be entertained.
MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Middle school is difficult for everyone, and the pressure only gets more intense at the first school dance of the year. Told from seven perspectives, Malone and company tell the stories of both popular and unpopular kids as they make plans for revenge and forgiveness, friendship and surprises. Read seven adventures that come together in one night—and not one of them is going according to plan.
Not only did the seven authors write fun stories for their readers, they were also able to weave the separate characters’ experiences together in a way that the stories were clear and fun to read. I was also happy to note that the stories were not all completely cheesey and predictable and that there was an overall message to make the best of your situation. The ending for each story was satisfying, and I closed the book feeling that it fulfilled my desire to be entertained.
MS – ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
June 20, 2021
so light and fun, i miss middle school contemporary so much; all these authors used to be my favourites and i remember wanting so badly to find this book at a library a few years back, now i finally got to read it hehe
me going back to middle school contemporary era? um heck YEAH
me going back to middle school contemporary era? um heck YEAH
May 6, 2018
Language – PG (15 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – G; Violence – G; Middle school is difficult for everyone, and the pressure only gets more intense at the first school dance of the year. Told from seven perspectives, Malone and company tell the stories of both popular and unpopular kids as they make plans for revenge and forgiveness, friendship and surprises. Read seven adventures that come together in one night—and not one of them is going according to plan.
Not only did the seven authors write fun stories for their readers, they were also able to weave the separate characters’ experiences together in a way that the stories were clear and fun to read. I was also happy to note that the stories were not all completely cheesey and predictable and that there was an overall message to make the best of your situation. The ending for each story was satisfying, and I closed the book feeling that it fulfilled my desire to be entertained.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Not only did the seven authors write fun stories for their readers, they were also able to weave the separate characters’ experiences together in a way that the stories were clear and fun to read. I was also happy to note that the stories were not all completely cheesey and predictable and that there was an overall message to make the best of your situation. The ending for each story was satisfying, and I closed the book feeling that it fulfilled my desire to be entertained.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
January 15, 2019
The story: Six different girls (plus one guy) are going to the 7th grade dance at Lynchfield Middle School. Some are looking for love, others for friends. One is going for the music, and another one for revenge. One just wants out of her babysitting job. Who will fail? Or is it possible they’ll all have the Best Night Ever?
June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating G.
Liz’s comments: a cute story that even has a couple of surprises—especially the idea that you don’t always get what you want, but that what you weren’t expecting might even be better. Great for girls grades 4-7.
June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Violence G; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating G.
Liz’s comments: a cute story that even has a couple of surprises—especially the idea that you don’t always get what you want, but that what you weren’t expecting might even be better. Great for girls grades 4-7.
August 18, 2017
I've read and enjoyed at least one book by most of these authors, so I figured I'd probably like this one—and I was right! Each of the seven main characters has a distinctly different voice and a totally different plot arc, which made it interesting and compulsively readable.
One of the things I liked most was that all of the characters didn't have "mega happy" endings. They grew a little bit, or they realized something about themselves—but the whole book does take place over the course of only one night, so it was nice to see more realistic outcomes.
The middle school voice in this book is spot on. I knew (or was!) someone like each character, and their goals, fears, etc. were very true to the age group. I'm definitely recommending this one to my tween friends and family. :-)
One of the things I liked most was that all of the characters didn't have "mega happy" endings. They grew a little bit, or they realized something about themselves—but the whole book does take place over the course of only one night, so it was nice to see more realistic outcomes.
The middle school voice in this book is spot on. I knew (or was!) someone like each character, and their goals, fears, etc. were very true to the age group. I'm definitely recommending this one to my tween friends and family. :-)
December 29, 2018
Imagine getting an opportunity of a lifetime, it could be a chance to perform, a business opportunity or a party you really want to go to. But then have it being taken away from you because of a family gathering or a flu. Carmen, one of the main characters of this story, had some just like this. She has a band, the Heart Grenade, which was performing at a party to receive an award for winning the Battle of The Bands. But Carmen had to miss it because her parents thought it was better for her to go to her cousin’s wedding. Obviously Carmen is very upset about this. But when she meet a nice boy with a similar story to her, things start to feel better. What theme am I trying to put out? Things will always get better. So next time you feel like you’re being put in a unfair situation, just remember that it can only get better.
January 25, 2022
Amazing!
September 18, 2020
Overall I think the book, "Best. Night. Ever.", was a great book. One thing I thought stood out in this book was how many perspectives were shown throughout it. This book reveals 7 different perspectives of 7 different characters. I think incorporating these many perspectives into the book really made it unique. I think the author's writing was really great, she kept the text clear throughout the entire book, which must have been difficult while explaining 7 different views. I would recommend this book to people in Middle school. I would also recommend this book to people who like to read varieties of books. I would recommend it to those people because this was definitely a new form of a book for me but I still enjoyed reading it a lot! Best. Night. Ever.: A Story Told from Seven Points of View
April 7, 2017
ARC - Seven middle school students brave the night of the big dance full of humiliation, anxiety, jealously, and heartbreak. Through the ups and downs of the dance, the characters find inner strength as their stories are brought together.
A story of friendship and personal growth.
This story will remind you of all the best and worst times you had in middle school. It's a great lighthearted realistic fiction.
I especially enjoyed the stories that wove together to bloomed new friendships.
A story of friendship and personal growth.
This story will remind you of all the best and worst times you had in middle school. It's a great lighthearted realistic fiction.
I especially enjoyed the stories that wove together to bloomed new friendships.
Read
March 23, 2017Read my review in School Library Journal.
January 21, 2024
j was def enjoying it until the end wight he whole goose or chicken thing or whatever
April 5, 2018
4.5 stars
Best. Night. Ever. is a story told from seven viewpoints, about a middle school dance. I'm not usually one for middle-grade novels, but this was good. This was good.
At first I was like... yeah, right. Seven points of view, middle-grade and by SEVEN authors?
They're gonna mess it up, right?
Nope. They actually did pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean, it's good, like a book written by one person. Obviously it's not very easy to write with six other people and make sure all your stuff fits together, and not to confuse your reader.
So basically, there's this middle school dance.
Carmen: a girl stuck at her cousin's wedding, when she should be lead singing in the band that's going to play at the dance
Tess: who finds out that her archenemy has the same dress and same date
Ryan: who has a crush on his best friend but has always been stuck in the friend zone
Genevieve: the backup singer who's taking Carmen's place but is suffering from stage fright
Ellie: who finds out her date she was going on was a prank
Ashlyn: Who is grounded and has to babysit
Jade: who doesn't go to the school but sneaks in, determined to sabotage Heart Grenade's performance
The story basically follows these seven kids and their stories. Carmen discovers that maybe the wedding isn't then worst ever, Tess becomes friends with her archenemy, Ryan realizes that their are other girls, Genevieve finds that there are people who can help in times like this, Ellie who hears about the sabotage, stops it and becomes friends with Jade, Ashlyn who makes it to the dance and befriends Ellie, Jade who decides that maybe revenge isn't the best way when she meets Ellie.
It was a bit confusing at first, but after meeting all of the characters and getting to know them, it became pretty easy to navigate the book. I liked how almost everybody's story fit together and affected each other. That shows lots of careful planning and I appreciate that. Highly.
What I didn't like about Best. Night. Ever. was that some of the kids talk like... adults, I guess.
But overall this was some nice realistic fiction.
Best. Night. Ever. is a story told from seven viewpoints, about a middle school dance. I'm not usually one for middle-grade novels, but this was good. This was good.
At first I was like... yeah, right. Seven points of view, middle-grade and by SEVEN authors?
They're gonna mess it up, right?
Nope. They actually did pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean, it's good, like a book written by one person. Obviously it's not very easy to write with six other people and make sure all your stuff fits together, and not to confuse your reader.
So basically, there's this middle school dance.
Carmen: a girl stuck at her cousin's wedding, when she should be lead singing in the band that's going to play at the dance
Tess: who finds out that her archenemy has the same dress and same date
Ryan: who has a crush on his best friend but has always been stuck in the friend zone
Genevieve: the backup singer who's taking Carmen's place but is suffering from stage fright
Ellie: who finds out her date she was going on was a prank
Ashlyn: Who is grounded and has to babysit
Jade: who doesn't go to the school but sneaks in, determined to sabotage Heart Grenade's performance
The story basically follows these seven kids and their stories. Carmen discovers that maybe the wedding isn't then worst ever, Tess becomes friends with her archenemy, Ryan realizes that their are other girls, Genevieve finds that there are people who can help in times like this, Ellie who hears about the sabotage, stops it and becomes friends with Jade, Ashlyn who makes it to the dance and befriends Ellie, Jade who decides that maybe revenge isn't the best way when she meets Ellie.
It was a bit confusing at first, but after meeting all of the characters and getting to know them, it became pretty easy to navigate the book. I liked how almost everybody's story fit together and affected each other. That shows lots of careful planning and I appreciate that. Highly.
What I didn't like about Best. Night. Ever. was that some of the kids talk like... adults, I guess.
But overall this was some nice realistic fiction.
December 14, 2023
Multi-perspective story about a school dance/band performance gone wrong. The interesting thing about this story is that the different perspectives are actually written by different authors. They are:
Carmen: Lead singer of Heart Grenade whose big night is upended by a wedding her parents force her to attend instead. Written by Rachele Alpine.
Ellie: Very sweet, yet unpopular and naive girl who is invited to the dance by a popular boy. Written by Ronni Arno.
Ashlyn: Popular mean girl and soon to be stepsister of Ellie is grounded and forced to take Ellie's baby-sitting job. After a hilarious series of events, she ends up at the dance anyway. Written by Jen Malone.
Ryan: The only boy perspective, Ryan wants to be more than friends with Mariah, who has eyes for someone else. Written by Stephanie Faris.
Tess: Heart Grenade's drummer and nemesis of Mariah, who has been asked to the dance by the same boy. Written by Gail Nall.
Jade: The one with an ax to grind, Jade plans to sabotage the show and embarrass the band. Written by Dee Romito.
Genevieve: Back-up singer filling in for Carmen as lead singer has a major case of stage fright. Written by Alison Cherry.
This book comes close to being storyline mayhem, but surprising, these authors were able keep it all together. The different concerns overlap well and pretty much describe the key challenges of the middle school years: dating woes, step-sibling rivalry, school dances, popularity, unpopularity, friends, enemies, social media, back stabbing, and jealousy. It's fast-paced and hard to put down. My favorite character is mean girl Ashlyn. Her behavior is a bit exaggerated, but that just makes her all the more fun to follow as she tires to get to the dance with two 3rd graders in tow. Everything works out in the end, again, much more realistically and smoothly than I would have expected.
I have multiple books by most of these authors in my 4-6 library and they are all well-read.
Note: One character has gay parents.
Carmen: Lead singer of Heart Grenade whose big night is upended by a wedding her parents force her to attend instead. Written by Rachele Alpine.
Ellie: Very sweet, yet unpopular and naive girl who is invited to the dance by a popular boy. Written by Ronni Arno.
Ashlyn: Popular mean girl and soon to be stepsister of Ellie is grounded and forced to take Ellie's baby-sitting job. After a hilarious series of events, she ends up at the dance anyway. Written by Jen Malone.
Ryan: The only boy perspective, Ryan wants to be more than friends with Mariah, who has eyes for someone else. Written by Stephanie Faris.
Tess: Heart Grenade's drummer and nemesis of Mariah, who has been asked to the dance by the same boy. Written by Gail Nall.
Jade: The one with an ax to grind, Jade plans to sabotage the show and embarrass the band. Written by Dee Romito.
Genevieve: Back-up singer filling in for Carmen as lead singer has a major case of stage fright. Written by Alison Cherry.
This book comes close to being storyline mayhem, but surprising, these authors were able keep it all together. The different concerns overlap well and pretty much describe the key challenges of the middle school years: dating woes, step-sibling rivalry, school dances, popularity, unpopularity, friends, enemies, social media, back stabbing, and jealousy. It's fast-paced and hard to put down. My favorite character is mean girl Ashlyn. Her behavior is a bit exaggerated, but that just makes her all the more fun to follow as she tires to get to the dance with two 3rd graders in tow. Everything works out in the end, again, much more realistically and smoothly than I would have expected.
I have multiple books by most of these authors in my 4-6 library and they are all well-read.
Note: One character has gay parents.
July 17, 2025
It's the night of the Lynnfield Middle School dance. Carmen's band was supposed to make their TV debut with her as lead singer, but instead she is stuck going to her cousin's wedding. Her best friend Tess misses her but has her own problems to deal with, like a boy asking both her and her rival to the dance! Genevieve, who is taking Carmen's place, is having a lot of anxiety about the performance, and her best friend is acting weird! Ellie was supposed to have a great night with her date, but it's turning out to be a bit of a disaster. Ryan has a crush on his girl best friend and wants to finally tell her. Ellie's stepsister Ashlyn is stuck babysitting and she'd much rather be at the dance. And Jade is determined to sabatoge the band, but things might not go the way she expects. Even though it seemed like it was going to be a disaster, it might turn out to be the best night ever.
I absolutely love the humor here. The amount of antics these kids get into is hilarious. I also like how they each discover something about themselves that they never thought possible. I do wonder how a middle school dance took place between 7 and 11 PM considering mine were always 6 to 8, but eh, that's a minor detail. It's a fun book and I think you should give to the nervous middle schooler in your life who is about to go to their first dance. Hopefully it won't involve soapy floors, mean boys, ducks, or glitter and Diet Coke.
I absolutely love the humor here. The amount of antics these kids get into is hilarious. I also like how they each discover something about themselves that they never thought possible. I do wonder how a middle school dance took place between 7 and 11 PM considering mine were always 6 to 8, but eh, that's a minor detail. It's a fun book and I think you should give to the nervous middle schooler in your life who is about to go to their first dance. Hopefully it won't involve soapy floors, mean boys, ducks, or glitter and Diet Coke.
September 4, 2017
Seven authors came together to write this book, which tells the story of one night from seven points of view. It is the night of the middle school dance and the students of Lynnfield Middle School know it is going to be the most unforgettable night of their lives. But, like most of our experiences in middle school, it turns out far different than they had planned.
The kids sound believably seventh grade, and range from the hopeless-romantic bookworm to the angry and sarcastic popular kid. The book is told in the first person (changing character point of view with each chapter), and there are frequent text messages and emojis throughout the book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review, and I am so glad! I loved this book. It took me right back to my middle school dances, although I have to say we had a lot less drama at mine! I never thought about it when I was at one of those dances, but I was with a room full of people having similar, yet different, experiences—just like the seven main characters in this book.
Perhaps reading this will make it easier for middle school kids going through their own drama (at dances, or elsewhere) to realize that others are scared/excited/nervous/upset/etc. too. Or maybe they’ll just enjoy a really good book!
The kids sound believably seventh grade, and range from the hopeless-romantic bookworm to the angry and sarcastic popular kid. The book is told in the first person (changing character point of view with each chapter), and there are frequent text messages and emojis throughout the book.
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review, and I am so glad! I loved this book. It took me right back to my middle school dances, although I have to say we had a lot less drama at mine! I never thought about it when I was at one of those dances, but I was with a room full of people having similar, yet different, experiences—just like the seven main characters in this book.
Perhaps reading this will make it easier for middle school kids going through their own drama (at dances, or elsewhere) to realize that others are scared/excited/nervous/upset/etc. too. Or maybe they’ll just enjoy a really good book!
January 1, 2025
This book was so fun to read. I love how we get to see the story through so many perspectives. The end was perfect and I love how Tess and Mariah got back at Leif.
Carmen
The 1st chapter was from her pov so she immediately became my fav. I was actually annoyed that she couldn't attend the dance but she got a good ending so it was fine.
Genevieve
Tbh I didn't really like her at first bcs she replaced Carmen as the lead singer but I got over it. I also really relate to her bcs public speaking is my worst nightmare.
Ellie
I genuinely felt sorry for her. She wasn't amongst my fav characters but I liked her.
Ashlyn
I LOVED Ashlyn. She was so funny and relatable and did the stupidest, funniest things, like drag the 2 girls she was supposed to babysit to the dance which she wasn't allowed to go to bcs she was grounded.
Ryan
I don't really have much to say abt him, I'm happy that he finally got out of the friend zone with Mariah tho.
Tess
Tess is prob my fav. She was so badass. I like that she and Mariah became friends in the end.
Jade
She's the antagonist, out to ruin Heart Grenade's performance, but I feel like if she wasn't I would've really liked her.
When I started this book I didn't really expect to like it bcs I don't often read teenage drama sort of books but I ended up loving and it definitely deserves a solid 5 stars.
Carmen
The 1st chapter was from her pov so she immediately became my fav. I was actually annoyed that she couldn't attend the dance but she got a good ending so it was fine.
Genevieve
Tbh I didn't really like her at first bcs she replaced Carmen as the lead singer but I got over it. I also really relate to her bcs public speaking is my worst nightmare.
Ellie
I genuinely felt sorry for her. She wasn't amongst my fav characters but I liked her.
Ashlyn
I LOVED Ashlyn. She was so funny and relatable and did the stupidest, funniest things, like drag the 2 girls she was supposed to babysit to the dance which she wasn't allowed to go to bcs she was grounded.
Ryan
I don't really have much to say abt him, I'm happy that he finally got out of the friend zone with Mariah tho.
Tess
Tess is prob my fav. She was so badass. I like that she and Mariah became friends in the end.
Jade
She's the antagonist, out to ruin Heart Grenade's performance, but I feel like if she wasn't I would've really liked her.
When I started this book I didn't really expect to like it bcs I don't often read teenage drama sort of books but I ended up loving and it definitely deserves a solid 5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2021
Why did I read this? I still don't really know to be completely honest. I got it as a Christmas present back in 2019 from my aunt and I looked at it like "ma'am I am about to graduate college, what is this book about 7th graders doing here?". It was sitting on my shelf until I finally said "why not" and started reading it. I think a part of me missed reading paperbacks and not having the pressure of it being a release I was super anticipating. So I decided to speed read this one, while making my way through the Bridgerton Novels on my phone. Now, I really can't accurately rate this, that's why it's sitting at a solid 3 stars, because I am not the target demographic at all. This book was written for middle schoolers and I'm ~a little bit~ removed from them. That being said, it was a fun, fast time. The 5-hour timeline makes it seem like everything is super important to the plot and I felt like the stakes were high for the most part. My favorite characters were Ellie and Ashlyn, but only near the end. If you know anyone about to head into middle school who likes to read, this might be fun for them. My favorite part about reading this is that I got to escape into the nostalgia of middle school dances for a little bit, and that was a wild time in my head.
April 16, 2021
When I first started reading this book, I was wondering how a 316 paged book could be set in only one night! But it was, and it was also a great book. I liked the seven points of view; it was interesting. I liked Ryan, Tess, Carmen, Genevieve, Jade, Ellie, and Ashlynn. Those were the main characters. I also liked Mariah and how Tess and her still became friends despite showing up to the dance with the same dress and date. All the main characters were facing some sort of problem, no matter how minor it was. Ryan liked his best friend, Mariah, but she didn't like him back. Jade was unsuccessfully sabotaging Heart Grenade. Genevieve was super nervous about preforming, especially since her best friend, Sydney, had new friends she was hanging out with. Ellie's "date", Kevin, was only joking and humiliated her in front of the whole school. Carmen was stuck at a relatives' wedding. Tess's enemy (at the beginning) showed up with the same dress and date. And Ashlynn was stuck babysitting what she called the brats. But, even though things didn't seem good, they turned out that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2024
Not a great book.
I like books written from different perspectives as we all see the same scenario differently. I’m often disappointed because authors can’t write the characters differently enough to really make it seem like it’s a different character. I thought with seven different authors the difference would be more obvious. Nope. They were still all pretty much the same person.
For all characters, the writing was average with a fairly predictable outcome (expect for the lawnmower bit). There were no beautiful sentences. There were no great thoughts to ponder. There was no real motivation to turn the page except to finish the book.
It was full of forced drama, mean girls, and jerk boys and not everyone in middle school is like that. Also I thought most of the scenarios were more high schoolish than middle schoolish.
BUT - it did allow me to have a great conversation with my middle school daughter about people and what kind of person she wants to be. Any book that allows for great conversation gets 4 stars. Even if it’s not a great book.
I like books written from different perspectives as we all see the same scenario differently. I’m often disappointed because authors can’t write the characters differently enough to really make it seem like it’s a different character. I thought with seven different authors the difference would be more obvious. Nope. They were still all pretty much the same person.
For all characters, the writing was average with a fairly predictable outcome (expect for the lawnmower bit). There were no beautiful sentences. There were no great thoughts to ponder. There was no real motivation to turn the page except to finish the book.
It was full of forced drama, mean girls, and jerk boys and not everyone in middle school is like that. Also I thought most of the scenarios were more high schoolish than middle schoolish.
BUT - it did allow me to have a great conversation with my middle school daughter about people and what kind of person she wants to be. Any book that allows for great conversation gets 4 stars. Even if it’s not a great book.
May 8, 2023
A fun read! I really liked the concept of this book: The night of the big middle school dance told from the perspective of seven different characters, whose stories eventually intertwined. And it was written by seven different authors! I can't imagine the planning, outlining, and strategizing that went into crafting a coherent story, but these authors really did a great job.
My biggest complaint would be some of the farfetched pranks and/or gags that most middle-schoolers wouldn't be able to pull off without some kind of connection, but there were also more believable pranks as well, so there is that.
All of the drama involved for all of the characters rang true to middle school feelings and I really liked getting all the different perspectives of the same situations. So all in all, I'd consider this project a success!
My biggest complaint would be some of the farfetched pranks and/or gags that most middle-schoolers wouldn't be able to pull off without some kind of connection, but there were also more believable pranks as well, so there is that.
All of the drama involved for all of the characters rang true to middle school feelings and I really liked getting all the different perspectives of the same situations. So all in all, I'd consider this project a success!
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