What do you think?
Rate this book
A Prom to Remember
Seven seniors, seven problems, one senior prom.
Cora: Head of the Prom Committee (and basically every other club in school). Has been dating Perfect Boyfriend Jamie™ for approximately forever, and has NO IDEA how to break up with him....
Paisley: Sarcastic feminist who wants nothing to do with prom. Has somehow managed to nominate her anxiety-ridden best friend for prom king...
Henry: Quiet ballplayer who hates social situations. Invited to prom by the most popular girl in school. SEND HELP!
Otis: Charming, popular, and one half of one of the cutest couples in his class. Doesn't know how to tell his boyfriend that he's not quite ready for a post-prom hotel room experience...
Lizzie: A little bit shy, and a lot excited to finally get out of her comfort zone and go to prom. With a boy. Whose name she doesn't know.
Cameron: Loner with two jobs and zero friends. Is so done with high school and this whole town: the only thing he still wants to do is meet the mysterious girl who's been leaving him notes...
Jacinta: Unnamed Nerd Girl #3. Determined to become the star of her own life, starting with prom. Now if only she could find a date....
A Prom to Remember, the newest book from Sandy Hall (author of A Little Something Different) is a funny and cinematic look at the biggest dance of every high schooler's life.
Cora: Head of the Prom Committee (and basically every other club in school). Has been dating Perfect Boyfriend Jamie™ for approximately forever, and has NO IDEA how to break up with him....
Paisley: Sarcastic feminist who wants nothing to do with prom. Has somehow managed to nominate her anxiety-ridden best friend for prom king...
Henry: Quiet ballplayer who hates social situations. Invited to prom by the most popular girl in school. SEND HELP!
Otis: Charming, popular, and one half of one of the cutest couples in his class. Doesn't know how to tell his boyfriend that he's not quite ready for a post-prom hotel room experience...
Lizzie: A little bit shy, and a lot excited to finally get out of her comfort zone and go to prom. With a boy. Whose name she doesn't know.
Cameron: Loner with two jobs and zero friends. Is so done with high school and this whole town: the only thing he still wants to do is meet the mysterious girl who's been leaving him notes...
Jacinta: Unnamed Nerd Girl #3. Determined to become the star of her own life, starting with prom. Now if only she could find a date....
A Prom to Remember, the newest book from Sandy Hall (author of A Little Something Different) is a funny and cinematic look at the biggest dance of every high schooler's life.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2018
30 people are currently reading
2849 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
Read
April 26, 2018Prom is something that all of us must experience in our life, it’s like a party ender for high school, telling you survive and on your way to the next level of your life, College. A Prom to Remember is about seven senior high school students and one prom. 7 characters comes with seven different perspectives for their upcoming prom. All of them has their differences, their own fears and problems from keeping them to have a perfect magical prom. Having 7 characters with alternating POVs might be hard to remember them at first but you’ll get used to it, each character is also connected to each other giving us the bigger picture for their prom.
Overall I enjoyed reading the book because it has a diverse and realistic characters. I love the LGBT representation because we need more of those also the portraying of the characters to discovering the tough life of young adulthood. It’s a fun fluffy contemporary read that everyone would enjoy. I can’t wait to read the other book from the author.
Overall I enjoyed reading the book because it has a diverse and realistic characters. I love the LGBT representation because we need more of those also the portraying of the characters to discovering the tough life of young adulthood. It’s a fun fluffy contemporary read that everyone would enjoy. I can’t wait to read the other book from the author.
July 6, 2021
3.5 Stars
Tuxes, dresses, and drama. OH MY!
Sandy Hall’s A Prom to Remember is full of classic prom problems like no one to go with, doesn’t want to go, can’t go, and king and queen squabbles. All that and more is told in the trademark Sandy Hall many-points-of-view style. We hear from 7 voices—Cora, Paisley, Henry, Cameron, Lizzie, Otis, and Jacinta. But there is also a swirl of side characters in the mix to follow—like Tag, Madison, Kelsey, Teagan, Josie, and Landon. It’s a full cast! And surprisingly I kept track of almost everyone with little to no confusion—except for poor Kelsey. Sorry, girl. I just couldn’t remember your role in all of this. All of these characters had one big thing in common—PROM! The one big night that attempts to bring everyone together to say goodbye to high school. But will they go? Should they go? Who will they go with?
Now let me try to break some of the action down. *rubs hands together* Cora, head of the prom committee, wants to break up with her boyfriend of three years. Should she do it before or after the prom? She can’t seem to figure out how to do it. Is there a good time to break someone’s heart? *shakes head* Poor Jaime!
Paisley doesn’t want to go to the prom, but may end up going to rescue Henry, her “stay out of the spotlight at all costs” BFF, who she accidently nominated for prom king. If he wins, he will definitely be in the gossip glare and spotlight. Can she talk Henry into facing the music? They might just surprise each other and have fun in the end.
Cameron (my favorite character) spent senior year off the radar. He quit baseball and his best friend Henry because he couldn’t deal with his new family situation. He couldn’t figure out how to talk about it with anyone so he just avoided everyone. Except Laptop Girl! Cameron and Laptop Girl have been exchanging anonymous notes back and forth on a shared computer at school. They joked, shared, and listened to each other all year on a shared document on the laptop. Then prom hits! Will they finally meet for the first time at prom?
Otis and Luke are headed for prom history cuteness with two of the best promposals ever IMO. But then panic hits Otis! He avoids facing the after prom situation by getting into trouble and then grounded. Does this mean no prom? Can Otis find a way to the big event to make it up to Luke? More importantly, can Otis talk to Luke about why he panicked in the first place?
Phew…I think that’s enough for now. Haha….I could go on & on! I should have just said this is a cute as a button book that will bring back prom night memories or make you really look forward to one. Start dress shopping now! All of the characters and plot points will make you plan, hope, laugh, and smile. I do have one exception though….
Anywho….that brutal heartbreak aside. I had fun here. It has it all! HUMOR—the sex talk between Otis and his straight friend, Tag, was hilariously awkward and sweet! HEART—Cameron and Henry’s meet ups made me proud. Such boys! And ROMANCE—Mystery Boy and laptop Girl’s story will make you cheer and giggle. Ms. Hall created a story full of everything the prom has to offer. The good, the bad, and the awkward are all on display here! So grab your high heels and straighten out your bow ties! Let's dance and sparkle our way to prom! It’s the perfect end to your high school career. Here’s hoping this gang survives the night. :D
A fun read. Pick it up from your local Library.
April 26, 2018
This is another story that I feel is perfect for the teens of today. While this is my first book I've actually read by this author, I've had one sitting on my TBR shelf, and now I'm excited to get around to reading it. This story had such an amazing range of characters and situations. It reminded me a little of the recent movie Blockers. It also is a book I will recommend at the bookstore, and to my students, for anyone who enjoyed Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Right off the bat, I personally connected with Jacinta. In high school, I was Unnamed Nerd Girl #3. I don't know how anyone in high school, other than the few people I hung out with remember me enough to friend me on Facebook these days. I don't feel like I got the type of end of the year/prom experience that Jacinta ends up with in the conclusion of the story. Then, there was a story that I think Paisley told, about why women are called "chicks". Now, I googled it. I don't find a story anywhere like what she told, but if it's true, I can't use that anymore. Finally, both the movie Blockers, and Love, Simon really got me started thinking about the things we don't think about with gay teens. Like for instance, the whole hotel room after prom is something I remember the drama of when I was watching shows like Beverly Hills 90210 (the original). And how it meant sex, the first time for the girl usually. It was touched on in Blockers as well. But you, well, me, I guess I just didn't ever think about how the first time for sex for gay teens is going to be just as scary as it is for hetero. I'm sorry if that is wrong, but that is how my brain worked. I've now got a clue, and my mind is getting more and more open about just how things are basically the same for all teens on those types of aspects, it is just how they are treated by other people. So Otis and Luke's story really was one that I appreciated reading. And boy, I really did love Luke. I also loved Henry. It's rare I think, that we get such a story about a teen who has the social anxiety that Henry has, where to most people, they seem pretty normal. Usually when we have stories about teens like that, everyone tends to know or think that they are weird. So for Henry to be like he was, well, it was good. I loved the friendship between him and Paisley as well. I loved Paisley's prom shirt that she made when she got asked to prom.
This story just made me smile. I loved it, can't wait to order it for my school library!
This story just made me smile. I loved it, can't wait to order it for my school library!
May 7, 2018
Surprisingly I really liked this book. When I started it I had no expectations what so ever. Because of the cheesy cover and title, I didn’t expect to like it, but I really did. It was really sweet and had a great group of characters.
The story follows Cora, Paisley, Henry, Otis, Lizzie, Cameron, Jacinta and Luke. The story is told through all of their points of view. They are mostly from different friend groups. They are all seniors and the book is basically about their prom. I’m not usually a fan of prom books, because I don’t really see what’s the big deal, at least in my country prom is a lot more chill. But here prom wasn’t overly cheesy and it gave the different prospective.
The characters were also pretty good. It’s pretty surprising that in such a short book all of the characters and story lines were all really good.
Cameron and Lizzie had written to each other all years, but they don’t know who the other is. Pretty cliché story line, but I loved it.
Otis and Luke! I loved them they were so cute. I really loved that there was a LGBT couple, but what I loved the most was that it wasn’t written as a big deal.
I really liked Cora. She has been dating Jamie for more than 3 years, but she wants to break up with him. She has been with him for so long that she doesn’t feel like she knows herself. I love seeing confident girls that don’t need a boyfriend to be happy. That being said, I would love to see her with Madison, I totally ship it. Also I love that she might be bi (or at least she’s questioning), it’s so rare to see a bi character.
I liked Henry and Paisley, the were really good friends and I definitely liked that they were only friends.
Jacinta was the only character that I didn’t really like. I understand the need to be seen and remembered, but she annoyed me bit.
Overall a really cute book, definitely better than I thought, I’m glad I read it.
The story follows Cora, Paisley, Henry, Otis, Lizzie, Cameron, Jacinta and Luke. The story is told through all of their points of view. They are mostly from different friend groups. They are all seniors and the book is basically about their prom. I’m not usually a fan of prom books, because I don’t really see what’s the big deal, at least in my country prom is a lot more chill. But here prom wasn’t overly cheesy and it gave the different prospective.
The characters were also pretty good. It’s pretty surprising that in such a short book all of the characters and story lines were all really good.
Cameron and Lizzie had written to each other all years, but they don’t know who the other is. Pretty cliché story line, but I loved it.
Otis and Luke! I loved them they were so cute. I really loved that there was a LGBT couple, but what I loved the most was that it wasn’t written as a big deal.
I really liked Cora. She has been dating Jamie for more than 3 years, but she wants to break up with him. She has been with him for so long that she doesn’t feel like she knows herself. I love seeing confident girls that don’t need a boyfriend to be happy. That being said, I would love to see her with Madison, I totally ship it. Also I love that she might be bi (or at least she’s questioning), it’s so rare to see a bi character.
I liked Henry and Paisley, the were really good friends and I definitely liked that they were only friends.
Jacinta was the only character that I didn’t really like. I understand the need to be seen and remembered, but she annoyed me bit.
Overall a really cute book, definitely better than I thought, I’m glad I read it.
August 30, 2018
I really enjoy Sandy Hall’s books. They are cute, a little quirky and always quick reads for me. Plus I love a good prom book. Hall has us following the perspective of seven students leading up to prom.
I really enjoyed and related on some level to each of the seven characters we followed. I think Paisley was my favorite though. I loved her character growth throughout the whole book. Also, I loved how all the characters stories intertwined on some level and wasn’t forced. There was also a good amount of diversity shown through the perspectives. It was a sweet story with happy endings for the characters that put a smile on my face.
This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
I really enjoyed and related on some level to each of the seven characters we followed. I think Paisley was my favorite though. I loved her character growth throughout the whole book. Also, I loved how all the characters stories intertwined on some level and wasn’t forced. There was also a good amount of diversity shown through the perspectives. It was a sweet story with happy endings for the characters that put a smile on my face.
This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog
October 6, 2018
I thought this book would be right up my ally but it was not for me. I found it too confusing having so many different main characters. If it only had one or two I think it would have been better
June 12, 2018
The story was too damn cute! I'll really love the epilogue!
March 19, 2021
A Prom to Remember promised me a lot of fun and entertaining teenage drama - something that’ll lift my mood up, and I am so infuriated to say that it did not, at all. The book revolved around the seniors planning the activities of the most awaited prom night of their high school - something I always fantasized about attending to but never got around going as my school never held prom nights. So I’d always ask my friends from America how their prom nights usually went, and they’d always answer me with ‘it’s not like in the movies, Sam!’ So forgive me if I was ecstatic to read exclusive details on Prom nights from this book. Fast forward to the last page of this book – I learned nothing.
I did not get what I was promised from this book – a Prom to freakin’ remember. As I was reading this badly scripted book, I wondered, did I do a mistake by picking this up? Because it wasted 45 days of my life and I was nowhere near done finishing it! I did not get the desire to pick this book up and read because I wasn’t finding it interesting enough.
The characters! Oh the characters, I cannot go ahead without bitching about them.
- There were so many characters to catch up to that it was outright confusing from the very beginning.
- They all gave me stuck up and annoying vibes.
- I did not feel giddy as I had expected I would from this YA novel. Tsk, disappointed.
- There were many, many characters but none of them had any special effects on me.
Their conversations did not sound anything like a teen’s, nor did their problems sound like real problems even for a teenager, and my God their lack of emotions annoyed the hell out of me. I was a teenager too, but I was never this annoying and I know it. This girl wants to break up, and that guy wants to cancel a date he promised. Just freakin’ do it!!! Just do it!! Why are you bothering us??
If you’re read this book, I hated Cora, she was a stuck up bitch who broke his perfect boyfriend’s heart and that too on prom night because she felt like she couldn’t ‘explore’ life with him by her side….. *Pinching my nose in frustration.*
There’s so much I want to bitch about her but I will leave it to this for now.
Amelia – the famous girl - wasn’t nearly as bitchy as Cora or any other girls in the book, and yet, because she was liked by other guys, spoke confidently and liked dressing up, she was the bad one from them all and apparently deserved all the insiders hate.
Henry and Cameron were complicated, and I couldn’t get a valid explanation on why they were like that.
2/5 stars, because I’m a very kind person.
I did not get what I was promised from this book – a Prom to freakin’ remember. As I was reading this badly scripted book, I wondered, did I do a mistake by picking this up? Because it wasted 45 days of my life and I was nowhere near done finishing it! I did not get the desire to pick this book up and read because I wasn’t finding it interesting enough.
The characters! Oh the characters, I cannot go ahead without bitching about them.
- There were so many characters to catch up to that it was outright confusing from the very beginning.
- They all gave me stuck up and annoying vibes.
- I did not feel giddy as I had expected I would from this YA novel. Tsk, disappointed.
- There were many, many characters but none of them had any special effects on me.
Their conversations did not sound anything like a teen’s, nor did their problems sound like real problems even for a teenager, and my God their lack of emotions annoyed the hell out of me. I was a teenager too, but I was never this annoying and I know it. This girl wants to break up, and that guy wants to cancel a date he promised. Just freakin’ do it!!! Just do it!! Why are you bothering us??
If you’re read this book, I hated Cora, she was a stuck up bitch who broke his perfect boyfriend’s heart and that too on prom night because she felt like she couldn’t ‘explore’ life with him by her side….. *Pinching my nose in frustration.*
There’s so much I want to bitch about her but I will leave it to this for now.
Amelia – the famous girl - wasn’t nearly as bitchy as Cora or any other girls in the book, and yet, because she was liked by other guys, spoke confidently and liked dressing up, she was the bad one from them all and apparently deserved all the insiders hate.
Henry and Cameron were complicated, and I couldn’t get a valid explanation on why they were like that.
2/5 stars, because I’m a very kind person.
April 27, 2018
The story is told from the points-of-view of seven different characters who are diverse in background, physical type, and sexuality. We follow Cora, Paisley, Jacinta, Cameron, Henry, Lizzie, and Otis as they navigate the weeks before prom. They deal with the usual teenage issues such as finding a date and the perfect outfit, but they also deal with deeper issues such as sexuality, anxiety, and step-families. Initially, it’s difficult to remember who’s who, and it’s hard to see how all the characters’ stories will intersect or why some of them are even relevant. But it all comes together in the end. And at least it’s told in the third person, so you can’t forget whose story you’re reading.
I love how Jacinta, who considers herself a bit-player in her own life, ends up bringing everyone together but also gets her own happy ending. Ironically, she also has the most mentions in the book, so I would consider her the main character. Strangely, this is the second young adult book in a row that I have read featuring platonic male-female relationships and bisexual teens (and I’ve only read two of the latter).
A light and fluffy feel-good read, perfect for the prom season.
Warnings: mild coarse language, underage drinking (but not drunkenness), LGBTQ themes, M/M sex talk (not explicit).
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (27 April): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
I love how Jacinta, who considers herself a bit-player in her own life, ends up bringing everyone together but also gets her own happy ending. Ironically, she also has the most mentions in the book, so I would consider her the main character. Strangely, this is the second young adult book in a row that I have read featuring platonic male-female relationships and bisexual teens (and I’ve only read two of the latter).
A light and fluffy feel-good read, perfect for the prom season.
Warnings: mild coarse language, underage drinking (but not drunkenness), LGBTQ themes, M/M sex talk (not explicit).
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (27 April): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
April 23, 2018
MY RATING: 3/5 STARS
I received an ARC from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.
I simply adore Sandy Hall's covers. Her books are always gorgeous no matter what type of story she's writing or the genre. Although I have a copy of her debut novel, A Little Something Different, I haven't actually had the courage to pick it up. It's not intimidating by the sheer size of it because it's quite thing but I think I'm more intimidated by the development in the story and how it's written. This is my second attempt at reading a book by Sandy Hall and I've seen a trend happening. Sandy really likes from writing books from multiple character point of views.
Some readers adore this method of story telling.
And some have greater difficulty at grasping the words, following the plot, and feeling all the emotions each character goes through during their journey of growth.
I am the latter.
While A Prom to Remember started off timidly fluffy like how all YA titles are in a way, I struggled with sticking to the plot and keeping my attention focused. This book follows 6 different characters with intertwining tales that lead to a bigger plot or goal. Prom. It's a four letter word that brings shivers throughout teenagers' bodies. The characters go through the trial and tribulations most students face. Balancing their extra-curricular activities with their school/homework and of course, their adorable crushes. Sandy Hall does a wonderful job at adding a sprinkle of diversity in the mix of hooligans. There is LGBT representation which brings a lot of readers to their knees. The characters also do a well job at giving readers a guide to navigating the tough seas of young adulthood. Too much drama may be a bad thing. Crushing on a wrong guy may lead to heartache. And sometimes you just need to take a risk.
MY RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend this novel to anyone who is open to reading a book filled with different plot points and someone who enjoys a wild ride of young adulthood.
October 9, 2018
LIKED: Realistic teens, cute couples, fun friendships, relatable feelings.
MEH: I get that the prom is the central plot, but a lot of the scenes felt really slice-of-life instead of essential.
MEH: I get that the prom is the central plot, but a lot of the scenes felt really slice-of-life instead of essential.
April 5, 2018
Sandy Hall’s books are like literary sweatpants to me. Safe, comfortable and relaxing, but not something I’d sport in public all the time. Fluffy books, such as Hall’s, are a treat when I get bogged down by life or reading a bunch of the same genre. Thus, sweatpants.
dnf
July 4, 2018DNF @ 122 pages.
The petty drama. Holy shit. I can't deal.
The petty drama. Holy shit. I can't deal.
August 6, 2018
3.5 out of 5. Quick cute read.
April 25, 2018
Cute enough I guess. RTC.
March 7, 2019
First of all, isn't that cover just so absolutely adorable? All of the chapter pages have little balloons on them as well, which is absolutely adorable and this book is just so cute to look at! I was excited to read this book since I'm going to be going to my senior prom in just a couple months and I thought this book seemed like just the most absolutely adorable thing to get me just the right amount of hyped up for it!
Unfortunately, this book was really just not working out for me. What was really the largest problem for me was the sheer number of characters. There are seven main characters who have POVs, and several minor characters as well, and I really can't remember anything. I literally just finished reading this book half an hour ago (some sort of a record for my procrastinating at writing reviews self) and I can't even remember the names of some of the major-ish characters.
This book is barely 300 pages so while in some amazing novels like The Lunar Chronicles and Six of Crows we have a long time to get acquainted with all of the characters, but here we have, like 40 pages each. Another thing that made it hard was the fact that all the chapters and the different characters seemed very similar to me to the point where I really don't remember who was who. There were at least three or four chapters/scenes devoted to prom dress shopping, I think, and pft I have no idea who had the blue dress and who had the red one.
Also, I don't really know who is friends with who. The premise of this is apparently a prom version of Love, Actually, where all the story lines are separate but they all come together at the end for A Prom To Remember, which sounds cute, but I was confused enough to who was who in a movie with visual characters and faces to remember, as opposed to here I'm somehow trying to remember a dozen or so names. At some points people were talking to other people and I was like oh okay you guys are friends? And then I would flip back a few pages into the book I'd previously red to see if I could find their scenes and then I would give up and just roll with it without really getting it.
I also didn't really get attached to any characters or form strong opinions on them, since I didn't really get to know them in their short times on the pages. Nonetheless, here is what I did get:
--Cora: Honestly Cora kind of annoyed me. She spent basically the whole book dragging out breaking up with her boyfriend like should I break up on his birthday? Should I break up on prom? And those are pretty terrible things to do sooooo...yeah.
--Pasiley: She was pretty cute, in the fact that she was so over the whole prom thing and making her own shirts that are like "it's not you, it's prom." I enjoyed her friendship with Henry
--Henry: I'm pretty sure he has anxiety, and was always fleeing from social situations, and it was fun and also relatable to see him like what is this social thing why are people looking at me send help lol. His and Paisley's friendship was really so cute!
--Otis: Otis is a smol bean who must be protected from the cruel world and I probably loved him the most of all the characters! Promposing with 120 boxes of tictacks in his boyfriend's locker was the best and also grand romantic gestures! Also also overthinking everything and trying to get grounded to avoid prom and then trying to avoid grounding to go to prom basically he's the only character I really connected with and loved.
--Lizzie: She was so sweet and innocent asking out her anonymous in class pen pal to prom even though they didn't know each other!
--Cameron: I really liked him! He's struggling with two jobs, and a stepbrother and stepfather he doesn't really like, and basically a rough situation, while still talking with a mysterious laptop girl and it was really so sweet I was totally rooting for him.
--Jacinta: So like, not gonna lie, I don't really remember anything that happened to this girl.
One excellent thing was that this book has great rep! There are a few lgbtq+ characters: literally my favorite couple of the seven main characters was m/m and I really love them!! There is also a minor character who is lesbian, and a character who is questioning and thinks she might be bi. There is also a plus sized main character.
Overall, I think this book would have been really cute and worked really well if it was about just one or two characters, or three or for max. (Please I need a separate book about Otis and his boyfriend because they are the absolute cutest!!!) The premise was definitely really cute, and there are some fun feel good moments in there, but overall just too many characters.
2.5 stars
Unfortunately, this book was really just not working out for me. What was really the largest problem for me was the sheer number of characters. There are seven main characters who have POVs, and several minor characters as well, and I really can't remember anything. I literally just finished reading this book half an hour ago (some sort of a record for my procrastinating at writing reviews self) and I can't even remember the names of some of the major-ish characters.
This book is barely 300 pages so while in some amazing novels like The Lunar Chronicles and Six of Crows we have a long time to get acquainted with all of the characters, but here we have, like 40 pages each. Another thing that made it hard was the fact that all the chapters and the different characters seemed very similar to me to the point where I really don't remember who was who. There were at least three or four chapters/scenes devoted to prom dress shopping, I think, and pft I have no idea who had the blue dress and who had the red one.
Also, I don't really know who is friends with who. The premise of this is apparently a prom version of Love, Actually, where all the story lines are separate but they all come together at the end for A Prom To Remember, which sounds cute, but I was confused enough to who was who in a movie with visual characters and faces to remember, as opposed to here I'm somehow trying to remember a dozen or so names. At some points people were talking to other people and I was like oh okay you guys are friends? And then I would flip back a few pages into the book I'd previously red to see if I could find their scenes and then I would give up and just roll with it without really getting it.
I also didn't really get attached to any characters or form strong opinions on them, since I didn't really get to know them in their short times on the pages. Nonetheless, here is what I did get:
--Cora: Honestly Cora kind of annoyed me. She spent basically the whole book dragging out breaking up with her boyfriend like should I break up on his birthday? Should I break up on prom? And those are pretty terrible things to do sooooo...yeah.
--Pasiley: She was pretty cute, in the fact that she was so over the whole prom thing and making her own shirts that are like "it's not you, it's prom." I enjoyed her friendship with Henry
--Henry: I'm pretty sure he has anxiety, and was always fleeing from social situations, and it was fun and also relatable to see him like what is this social thing why are people looking at me send help lol. His and Paisley's friendship was really so cute!
--Otis: Otis is a smol bean who must be protected from the cruel world and I probably loved him the most of all the characters! Promposing with 120 boxes of tictacks in his boyfriend's locker was the best and also grand romantic gestures! Also also overthinking everything and trying to get grounded to avoid prom and then trying to avoid grounding to go to prom basically he's the only character I really connected with and loved.
--Lizzie: She was so sweet and innocent asking out her anonymous in class pen pal to prom even though they didn't know each other!
--Cameron: I really liked him! He's struggling with two jobs, and a stepbrother and stepfather he doesn't really like, and basically a rough situation, while still talking with a mysterious laptop girl and it was really so sweet I was totally rooting for him.
--Jacinta: So like, not gonna lie, I don't really remember anything that happened to this girl.
One excellent thing was that this book has great rep! There are a few lgbtq+ characters: literally my favorite couple of the seven main characters was m/m and I really love them!! There is also a minor character who is lesbian, and a character who is questioning and thinks she might be bi. There is also a plus sized main character.
Overall, I think this book would have been really cute and worked really well if it was about just one or two characters, or three or for max. (Please I need a separate book about Otis and his boyfriend because they are the absolute cutest!!!) The premise was definitely really cute, and there are some fun feel good moments in there, but overall just too many characters.
2.5 stars
August 6, 2019
Cute, quick read.
January 7, 2018
I enjoyed the story. It's cute, most part seems very realistic minus a few parts are to those rom com prom movies. But overall very enjoyable and could relate to every character. One story in hear I loved the most and worked out to how I wanted it to so I'm happy.
May 4, 2018
Four stars: A light, fluffy feel good read that shares all the ups and downs of prom from seven different perspectives.
It is almost prom season, and feelings are running high. For seven different seniors, the thought of prom brings about a whole slew of emotions. As the big dance nears, these seven individuals find themselves grappling with date issues, complex emotions and anxiety that the thought of prom brings up. Will prom be all they hope and want or will it be a disaster? Sit back and find out if this will indeed be a prom to remember.
What I Liked:
*A Prom To Remember turned out to be a delightful and unexpected read. Do away with you preconceived notions of prom as this book takes seven unique voices and explores all the emotions that prom brings. I loved that the seven characters weren’t the popular kids that you would expect. Instead you get a variety of voices. So much fun. This was an adorable read.
*Speaking of the seven characters, I loved getting to know them all. Even though seven characters was a tad difficult to navigate at first, once I got to know them, I enjoyed each and every perspective. There is: Cora who is beginning to think that her perfect boyfriend Jamie, whom she has been dating since seventh grade, might not be perfect for her, but how do you break up with the perfect guy? Paisley thinks prom is ridiculous and she wants nothing to do with it, until she accidentally nominates her best friend with social anxiety issues. Henry is Paisley’s best friend and he is horrified when he finds out he is nominated for prom king. Henry does not do social situations. It gets worse when the most popular girl in school asks me to prom. He needs help stat! Otis is cute, charming and openly gay. He has the best boyfriend and he is excited about prom until his boyfriend tells him he got a hotel room. Otis is terrified at the thought of what a hotel room entails, but how does he tell his boyfriend? Lizzie is shy. Somehow she finds herself going to prom with a mysterious boy she has been communicating anonymously with all year. Cameron is Lizzie’s anonymous friend. It has been a hard year for him, and he has become a loner. Laptop Girl’s notes have been the only bright spot. Finally there is is Jacinta, the quiet girl who feels like she has spent all of high school being a secondary extra character. She wants to shine, but how? I loved that there was such a variety. You had shy, quiet kids, some with anxieties and issues as well as some LBTGQ kids. Great cast!
*I loved that this wasn’t all about prom. Instead it delves into all the issues the kids are facing as they prepare to take those first tentative steps into adulthood. Some are anxious, uptight, while others take what is coming. I so loved exploring the issues and the emotions that the characters felt.
*This book made me giggle and laugh. There were some really funny scenes. I adored Henry with all of his social hang ups. He was too adorable. Then there was Otis with his smelly car. The scene when Otis discusses sex with his straight friend was priceless. Worth the price of admission.
*The romance... There are many different types of relationships in this one. My favorite was the cute romance that took place between Mystery Boy and Laptop Girl. It was a You Got Mail type of relationship, which are always my favorite.
*I loved that so many of the parents were active participants in the story, and they were all supportive. Big props for involved parenting!
*The ending is perfect. It wraps the story as neatly as it can. I was content and happy with the way it all turned out. It was just right.
And The Not So Much:
*I am not going to lie. Adjusting to seven different voices was tough, especially when listening to the audiobook. It is hard enough to keep track of seven characters in a print book, but listening made it harder. I did love each and every character, but it took awhile to settle in and learn their personalities. If you aren’t a fan of multiple points of view, you will struggle with this one.
*The narrator, Em Eldridge, did a good job, but I thought that there should have bene two narrators, one to do the female characters and then one for the male voices. It would have been so much better to have a male doing the male characters.
*One thing that bothered me was in the very beginning, there is this discussion on not doing the traditional prom queen and king voting, and I was led to believe this was going to be an important part of the story. It isn’t, the whole prom voting thing seemed like the same old same old, what happened to the merit thing?
*My other little niggle with the book was Cora’s character. I was left wanting more development with her character. There were hints that she was struggling with her sexual identity, but it wasn’t thoroughly explored, I wish her view point was more developed.
A Prom To Remember was a charming read. I loved the characters, the emotions and the issues that were presented. This is not a book all about going to prom, instead it is a book that explores the issues, anxieties and situations that prom presents. The good, bad and ugly all on display. It was cute, real and so much fun. I really had fun with this one!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
It is almost prom season, and feelings are running high. For seven different seniors, the thought of prom brings about a whole slew of emotions. As the big dance nears, these seven individuals find themselves grappling with date issues, complex emotions and anxiety that the thought of prom brings up. Will prom be all they hope and want or will it be a disaster? Sit back and find out if this will indeed be a prom to remember.
What I Liked:
*A Prom To Remember turned out to be a delightful and unexpected read. Do away with you preconceived notions of prom as this book takes seven unique voices and explores all the emotions that prom brings. I loved that the seven characters weren’t the popular kids that you would expect. Instead you get a variety of voices. So much fun. This was an adorable read.
*Speaking of the seven characters, I loved getting to know them all. Even though seven characters was a tad difficult to navigate at first, once I got to know them, I enjoyed each and every perspective. There is: Cora who is beginning to think that her perfect boyfriend Jamie, whom she has been dating since seventh grade, might not be perfect for her, but how do you break up with the perfect guy? Paisley thinks prom is ridiculous and she wants nothing to do with it, until she accidentally nominates her best friend with social anxiety issues. Henry is Paisley’s best friend and he is horrified when he finds out he is nominated for prom king. Henry does not do social situations. It gets worse when the most popular girl in school asks me to prom. He needs help stat! Otis is cute, charming and openly gay. He has the best boyfriend and he is excited about prom until his boyfriend tells him he got a hotel room. Otis is terrified at the thought of what a hotel room entails, but how does he tell his boyfriend? Lizzie is shy. Somehow she finds herself going to prom with a mysterious boy she has been communicating anonymously with all year. Cameron is Lizzie’s anonymous friend. It has been a hard year for him, and he has become a loner. Laptop Girl’s notes have been the only bright spot. Finally there is is Jacinta, the quiet girl who feels like she has spent all of high school being a secondary extra character. She wants to shine, but how? I loved that there was such a variety. You had shy, quiet kids, some with anxieties and issues as well as some LBTGQ kids. Great cast!
*I loved that this wasn’t all about prom. Instead it delves into all the issues the kids are facing as they prepare to take those first tentative steps into adulthood. Some are anxious, uptight, while others take what is coming. I so loved exploring the issues and the emotions that the characters felt.
*This book made me giggle and laugh. There were some really funny scenes. I adored Henry with all of his social hang ups. He was too adorable. Then there was Otis with his smelly car. The scene when Otis discusses sex with his straight friend was priceless. Worth the price of admission.
*The romance... There are many different types of relationships in this one. My favorite was the cute romance that took place between Mystery Boy and Laptop Girl. It was a You Got Mail type of relationship, which are always my favorite.
*I loved that so many of the parents were active participants in the story, and they were all supportive. Big props for involved parenting!
*The ending is perfect. It wraps the story as neatly as it can. I was content and happy with the way it all turned out. It was just right.
And The Not So Much:
*I am not going to lie. Adjusting to seven different voices was tough, especially when listening to the audiobook. It is hard enough to keep track of seven characters in a print book, but listening made it harder. I did love each and every character, but it took awhile to settle in and learn their personalities. If you aren’t a fan of multiple points of view, you will struggle with this one.
*The narrator, Em Eldridge, did a good job, but I thought that there should have bene two narrators, one to do the female characters and then one for the male voices. It would have been so much better to have a male doing the male characters.
*One thing that bothered me was in the very beginning, there is this discussion on not doing the traditional prom queen and king voting, and I was led to believe this was going to be an important part of the story. It isn’t, the whole prom voting thing seemed like the same old same old, what happened to the merit thing?
*My other little niggle with the book was Cora’s character. I was left wanting more development with her character. There were hints that she was struggling with her sexual identity, but it wasn’t thoroughly explored, I wish her view point was more developed.
A Prom To Remember was a charming read. I loved the characters, the emotions and the issues that were presented. This is not a book all about going to prom, instead it is a book that explores the issues, anxieties and situations that prom presents. The good, bad and ugly all on display. It was cute, real and so much fun. I really had fun with this one!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
November 9, 2017
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review....
I really enjoyed this light-hearted story. At times I got confused by all the characters, but I kind of loved the soap opera feel of the whole thing. There was a big six-degrees of Kevin Bacon feel going on in this story which was fun. Sure, parts of the story are a little bit too convenient - but it's YA...that's what happens.
I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy books with a John Hughes movie feel to them.
I really enjoyed this light-hearted story. At times I got confused by all the characters, but I kind of loved the soap opera feel of the whole thing. There was a big six-degrees of Kevin Bacon feel going on in this story which was fun. Sure, parts of the story are a little bit too convenient - but it's YA...that's what happens.
I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy books with a John Hughes movie feel to them.
April 27, 2018
3.5 - DELIGHTFULLY CUTE, FUN, AND ADORABLE
With realistic situations that will take you down memory lane, diverse characters you can’t help but love, and adorable friendships that will make your heart melt, A PROM TO REMEMBER was a pleasantly entertaining read.
This book was delightfully cute, fun and made me smile… but I do have to mention that I had a difficult time keeping track of the characters in the beginning. I actually almost wanted to DNF at one point, but I decided against it since the characters were really interesting. There were just way too many POVs for my liking or what I’m used to. The plot also moved pretty fast, so I hard trouble remembering who was who, who liked who, who was best friends with who, and so on. It definitely took some time to get used to the multiple POVs, but I did get there. Once I was able to remember the characters and make connections, I found myself enjoying the story more.
The characters were all AWESOME in their own ways and I absolutely adored them. I found it quite easy to relate with them and what they were going through. I even saw bits and pieces of teenage me in most of them. They were charming, quirky, driven, realistic, and so darn lovable! They did make some mistakes here and there — they’re teenagers after all… BUT there was something so real and genuine in this crazy fun group of high school seniors that I just couldn’t help but root for them. My favorites were definitely Paisley and Henry. I loved their playful bantering and their frienship was totally cute and heartwarming. I really liked how they challenged and supported each other. They were #bestfriendsgoals and I couldn’t get enough. Of course the others were really great too — Lizzie, Jacinta, Cora, Otis, Cameron, Luke, Madison and yes even the other side characters who seemed annoying at first.
This book wasn’t heavily focused on romance, but don’t worry… there were plenty of swoony and sweet moments between the couples. There may be even one or two romantic grand gestures that will totally make you aww. Honestly though, the different and amazing relationships were what really made this a wonderfully entertaining story. The romance was just a delicious added bonus and I’m certainly glad for it!
Overall, A PROM TO REMEMBER by Sandy Hall was a quick, fluffy, and cute read. I did have a minor issue with the multiple POVs, but I still had a great time reading this book. I really liked the fun friendships, charming characters, cute couples, diverse representation and lighthearted teen drama. The story also wrapped up in an adorable, sweet and memorable way that made my heart full of happy. So, if you’re looking for everything I just described in my review, then take a risk and add this on your TBR.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Xpressobooktours and Swoon Reads via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
With realistic situations that will take you down memory lane, diverse characters you can’t help but love, and adorable friendships that will make your heart melt, A PROM TO REMEMBER was a pleasantly entertaining read.
This book was delightfully cute, fun and made me smile… but I do have to mention that I had a difficult time keeping track of the characters in the beginning. I actually almost wanted to DNF at one point, but I decided against it since the characters were really interesting. There were just way too many POVs for my liking or what I’m used to. The plot also moved pretty fast, so I hard trouble remembering who was who, who liked who, who was best friends with who, and so on. It definitely took some time to get used to the multiple POVs, but I did get there. Once I was able to remember the characters and make connections, I found myself enjoying the story more.
The characters were all AWESOME in their own ways and I absolutely adored them. I found it quite easy to relate with them and what they were going through. I even saw bits and pieces of teenage me in most of them. They were charming, quirky, driven, realistic, and so darn lovable! They did make some mistakes here and there — they’re teenagers after all… BUT there was something so real and genuine in this crazy fun group of high school seniors that I just couldn’t help but root for them. My favorites were definitely Paisley and Henry. I loved their playful bantering and their frienship was totally cute and heartwarming. I really liked how they challenged and supported each other. They were #bestfriendsgoals and I couldn’t get enough. Of course the others were really great too — Lizzie, Jacinta, Cora, Otis, Cameron, Luke, Madison and yes even the other side characters who seemed annoying at first.
This book wasn’t heavily focused on romance, but don’t worry… there were plenty of swoony and sweet moments between the couples. There may be even one or two romantic grand gestures that will totally make you aww. Honestly though, the different and amazing relationships were what really made this a wonderfully entertaining story. The romance was just a delicious added bonus and I’m certainly glad for it!
Overall, A PROM TO REMEMBER by Sandy Hall was a quick, fluffy, and cute read. I did have a minor issue with the multiple POVs, but I still had a great time reading this book. I really liked the fun friendships, charming characters, cute couples, diverse representation and lighthearted teen drama. The story also wrapped up in an adorable, sweet and memorable way that made my heart full of happy. So, if you’re looking for everything I just described in my review, then take a risk and add this on your TBR.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Xpressobooktours and Swoon Reads via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 18, 2022
DNF at pg. 150
This book sucks. Sorry. Not really. I got it at the dollar store and I think I know why. Basically, this is about six POVs too many. Seven different perspectives is just too much. Plus, different side characters in each one? I don't know who anyone is and I'm sick of trying to figure it out.
The author also is just so unaware of how teenagers speak. No normal person uses alpha and beta males as terms without being satirical. Or saying OMG. Also, all the characters are so self centered and needy. I honestly just don't want to finish this.
The best part of this book is Lizzie and Cameron's dynamic. It's cool. And I am partially curious what happens with them. So maybe I'll read those chapters, but overall, I just don't like this book. It reads like a first draft, and I honestly think it was one.
Update- I skimmed the rest. Doesn't look like I missed much. It's rare I regret spending a dollar, but on this, I might.
This book sucks. Sorry. Not really. I got it at the dollar store and I think I know why. Basically, this is about six POVs too many. Seven different perspectives is just too much. Plus, different side characters in each one? I don't know who anyone is and I'm sick of trying to figure it out.
The author also is just so unaware of how teenagers speak. No normal person uses alpha and beta males as terms without being satirical. Or saying OMG. Also, all the characters are so self centered and needy. I honestly just don't want to finish this.
The best part of this book is Lizzie and Cameron's dynamic. It's cool. And I am partially curious what happens with them. So maybe I'll read those chapters, but overall, I just don't like this book. It reads like a first draft, and I honestly think it was one.
Update- I skimmed the rest. Doesn't look like I missed much. It's rare I regret spending a dollar, but on this, I might.
donated
June 12, 2019DNF at 30%
This isn't doing it for me. I'm finding it too hard to connect to all the different characters and there isn't as much LGBT+ rep as I thought there would be. I'll try again with her next book :)
This isn't doing it for me. I'm finding it too hard to connect to all the different characters and there isn't as much LGBT+ rep as I thought there would be. I'll try again with her next book :)
July 9, 2023
rep; henry (mc) has social anxiety. cora (mc) is questioning her sexuality. paisley (mc) is implied/hinted aroace. otis (mc) is gay. luke (li) is gay.
i’m not surprised that i enjoyed this as much as i did. so far, sandy hall has not disappointed me overall. i usually don’t like having multiple povs, but i didn’t mind here.
even though i wish some of them were swapped. i would have preferred luke’s pov over otis’, madison’s over lizzie’s, and amelia’s over cameron’s. those three characters just didn’t really do anything for me. specifically, i didn’t really get otis, he made a huge thing out of nothing, and would have avoided all the drama and hurting luke if he had just communicated to his boyfriend. i think luke, madison, and amelia would have been more interesting characters to explore. luke was more likable and entertaining (i mean, when otis asks him to shower with him, luke is like “i can do that, i know how to shower” a dork.), madison was cute and i liked her overall vibe, and amelia was a side character who came off as a typical, shallow popular girl, but was actually pretty soft and vulnerable and compassionate. i would have liked to get her pov.
henry was pretty relatable, with his social anxiety (it’s not named as that on page, but it’s clear as day that’s what it is). i kind of thought maybe paisley was going to be aromantic or asexual or both, because of things she said, but nothing ever came of these comments, and i’m highkey disappointed. this along with the fact that she didn’t have a romance, despite the many many times she was asked out, kind of solidifies my headcanon firmly into place. and my decision to tag this book as "aroace" because i tag other implied/hinted characters, and i think paisley was kind of aroace coded.
when amelia tells paisley to not say anything to henry about their conversation, she tells her to follow girl code, which makes me roll my eyes, but later on when paisley is thinking back on that, there’s this line, "for the record, paisley didn’t even believe in the girl code." which makes me happy. the girl code does not exist, people.
cora questions her sexuality, thinks she might be bi, but is uncomfortable identifying as bi because she isn’t sure about her sexuality yet, so she settles on questioning. i wish her storyline had been about her figuring out her sexuality, rather than staying in a relationship she wasn’t happy in, and only having a small conversation about her sexuality at the end. i think having firm questioning rep is important. letting young readers know it’s okay and valid and normal to not be sure and not immediately slap a label on for the sake of it is really important.
a few things that did bug me, because i’m never without those, are the constant ableist use of “blind” and “crutch” as metaphors for negative/ignorant things, the phrase “only friends” as if there is something less about friendship compared to romance, assigning sexualities to things that don’t have them (in this case; sex), a guy asking paisley to prom and taking her lack of no as a yes (typical male), the use of “omg” in spoken dialogue, and paisley constantly downplaying and dismissing henry’s anxiety as him being dramatic and forcing him to do things he doesn’t want to do and that give him anxiety. pushing boundaries and fighting through anxiety are goals the person with anxiety sets, not things that other people force them to do out of “care/worry.”
i really liked this, as i did sandy hall’s other books i’ve read. it’s very cute and fun and light and has sweet moments, as well as some light angst, with some nice rep. and there’s no queer hate, not even in the “it’s from a bully and framed as bad!!” sort of way that people justify, even though it’s not at all necessary to hate queer hate in a book with queer characters. the way the epilogue is, it kind of feels more like the set up for another book, not the ending of one. but totally, 8-9/10, would recommend.
i’m not surprised that i enjoyed this as much as i did. so far, sandy hall has not disappointed me overall. i usually don’t like having multiple povs, but i didn’t mind here.
even though i wish some of them were swapped. i would have preferred luke’s pov over otis’, madison’s over lizzie’s, and amelia’s over cameron’s. those three characters just didn’t really do anything for me. specifically, i didn’t really get otis, he made a huge thing out of nothing, and would have avoided all the drama and hurting luke if he had just communicated to his boyfriend. i think luke, madison, and amelia would have been more interesting characters to explore. luke was more likable and entertaining (i mean, when otis asks him to shower with him, luke is like “i can do that, i know how to shower” a dork.), madison was cute and i liked her overall vibe, and amelia was a side character who came off as a typical, shallow popular girl, but was actually pretty soft and vulnerable and compassionate. i would have liked to get her pov.
henry was pretty relatable, with his social anxiety (it’s not named as that on page, but it’s clear as day that’s what it is). i kind of thought maybe paisley was going to be aromantic or asexual or both, because of things she said, but nothing ever came of these comments, and i’m highkey disappointed. this along with the fact that she didn’t have a romance, despite the many many times she was asked out, kind of solidifies my headcanon firmly into place. and my decision to tag this book as "aroace" because i tag other implied/hinted characters, and i think paisley was kind of aroace coded.
when amelia tells paisley to not say anything to henry about their conversation, she tells her to follow girl code, which makes me roll my eyes, but later on when paisley is thinking back on that, there’s this line, "for the record, paisley didn’t even believe in the girl code." which makes me happy. the girl code does not exist, people.
cora questions her sexuality, thinks she might be bi, but is uncomfortable identifying as bi because she isn’t sure about her sexuality yet, so she settles on questioning. i wish her storyline had been about her figuring out her sexuality, rather than staying in a relationship she wasn’t happy in, and only having a small conversation about her sexuality at the end. i think having firm questioning rep is important. letting young readers know it’s okay and valid and normal to not be sure and not immediately slap a label on for the sake of it is really important.
a few things that did bug me, because i’m never without those, are the constant ableist use of “blind” and “crutch” as metaphors for negative/ignorant things, the phrase “only friends” as if there is something less about friendship compared to romance, assigning sexualities to things that don’t have them (in this case; sex), a guy asking paisley to prom and taking her lack of no as a yes (typical male), the use of “omg” in spoken dialogue, and paisley constantly downplaying and dismissing henry’s anxiety as him being dramatic and forcing him to do things he doesn’t want to do and that give him anxiety. pushing boundaries and fighting through anxiety are goals the person with anxiety sets, not things that other people force them to do out of “care/worry.”
i really liked this, as i did sandy hall’s other books i’ve read. it’s very cute and fun and light and has sweet moments, as well as some light angst, with some nice rep. and there’s no queer hate, not even in the “it’s from a bully and framed as bad!!” sort of way that people justify, even though it’s not at all necessary to hate queer hate in a book with queer characters. the way the epilogue is, it kind of feels more like the set up for another book, not the ending of one. but totally, 8-9/10, would recommend.
September 18, 2023
:( im sad. this wasn't good. the beginning was okay, the middle was really good but the end ... bad .... so bad.
April 24, 2018
This was cute. I enjoyed seeing how the main characters dealt with their senior year and life in general. each one changed over the period of the book.
The book centered around Cora, Paisley, Henry, Otis, Lizzie, Cameron and Jacinta. Their thoughts, feelings and prom. For Cora she was confused about herself and what she was doing in the future. She had the perfect guy but for someone reason he drove her nuts. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him she did but she was sure of who she was and knew she needed to spread her wings. What made her story fun was that her conflicting emotions we all can relate to-her confusion about her future and how we don’t want to be in a rut. Paisley was trying to figure out if she cared about things. She didn’t care for prom and yet she nominates her best friend as prom king. She isn’t sure where her feelings stand on anything. In the end we learn that Paisley may care but doesn’t acknowledge her feelings for things. I loved how she helped Henry and pushes him out of his comfort zone. Henry is antisocial. He is smart and kind but just doesn’t like to be with people or let’s rephrase social settings. He speaks in a matter of fact way and when placed in a setting that overwhelms him you can see he doesn’t deal. this happened with Amanda and prom. Poor guy. I loved the story of how he realized he can go out and when he has had his fill he can go. I also loved his story with Cameron and how it helped him realize how to be a better friend. Otis was adorable. He had the relationship with Luke and they are awesome together. Only Otis is scared to go to prom because Luke has done what typical guys going to prom do-got a hotel room. This has Otis questioning himself and if he is ready for that and scared of what will go on. Instead of talking to Luke he does some crazy things and we see Luke feel sad and scared of where his relationship with Otis is going. Their ending was adorable and sweet. Loved those two so much. Lizzie was the girl you rooted to get the guy. She was kind and sweet. But didn’t really see herself as one guys care for. I loved her story with mystery boy and that ending for them was just precious. Her story didn’t disappoint. Cameron was the one you felt the most for. He was going through so much and to deal he became a hermit. So much emotion was bottled inside him and his only bright side was the girl on the computer. Over time he does realize that shutting down didn’t help him but have him feel more lost and I enjoyed how he came out of this funk but also how he and Henry started to find their friendship again. Jacinta was just trying to be seen. She wanted others to know who she was. She didn’t want to be in the background anymore. She was smart, funny, sweet and adorable. I loved watching her come out of her shell and her prom experience was just cute.
the story was refreshing and sweet. There wasn’t the angst and drama of relationships but the very real feelings many have in their senior year about to go off. We got to see the lives of different characters play out and what they thought and felt leading up to prom and after. the characters were ones you just can’t help but love. Their friendships were precious and you can see how those friendships helped them and grounded them as well. Watching them figure themselves out and their feelings was engaging and sucks you in. A truly fun adorable book.
The book centered around Cora, Paisley, Henry, Otis, Lizzie, Cameron and Jacinta. Their thoughts, feelings and prom. For Cora she was confused about herself and what she was doing in the future. She had the perfect guy but for someone reason he drove her nuts. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him she did but she was sure of who she was and knew she needed to spread her wings. What made her story fun was that her conflicting emotions we all can relate to-her confusion about her future and how we don’t want to be in a rut. Paisley was trying to figure out if she cared about things. She didn’t care for prom and yet she nominates her best friend as prom king. She isn’t sure where her feelings stand on anything. In the end we learn that Paisley may care but doesn’t acknowledge her feelings for things. I loved how she helped Henry and pushes him out of his comfort zone. Henry is antisocial. He is smart and kind but just doesn’t like to be with people or let’s rephrase social settings. He speaks in a matter of fact way and when placed in a setting that overwhelms him you can see he doesn’t deal. this happened with Amanda and prom. Poor guy. I loved the story of how he realized he can go out and when he has had his fill he can go. I also loved his story with Cameron and how it helped him realize how to be a better friend. Otis was adorable. He had the relationship with Luke and they are awesome together. Only Otis is scared to go to prom because Luke has done what typical guys going to prom do-got a hotel room. This has Otis questioning himself and if he is ready for that and scared of what will go on. Instead of talking to Luke he does some crazy things and we see Luke feel sad and scared of where his relationship with Otis is going. Their ending was adorable and sweet. Loved those two so much. Lizzie was the girl you rooted to get the guy. She was kind and sweet. But didn’t really see herself as one guys care for. I loved her story with mystery boy and that ending for them was just precious. Her story didn’t disappoint. Cameron was the one you felt the most for. He was going through so much and to deal he became a hermit. So much emotion was bottled inside him and his only bright side was the girl on the computer. Over time he does realize that shutting down didn’t help him but have him feel more lost and I enjoyed how he came out of this funk but also how he and Henry started to find their friendship again. Jacinta was just trying to be seen. She wanted others to know who she was. She didn’t want to be in the background anymore. She was smart, funny, sweet and adorable. I loved watching her come out of her shell and her prom experience was just cute.
the story was refreshing and sweet. There wasn’t the angst and drama of relationships but the very real feelings many have in their senior year about to go off. We got to see the lives of different characters play out and what they thought and felt leading up to prom and after. the characters were ones you just can’t help but love. Their friendships were precious and you can see how those friendships helped them and grounded them as well. Watching them figure themselves out and their feelings was engaging and sucks you in. A truly fun adorable book.
April 10, 2018
This book is so cute. There are about a million main characters, and they're all so different and so great in a wide variety of ways. I am torn if I love Paisley and Henry or Lizzie and Cameron most. Jacinta is also great. Oh, and so is Cora. And also Otis and Luke. And Madison, LOL. …Dangit.
This is told from the point of view of a bunch of different seniors in high school starting when they get back from spring break at the end of April all the way up to their prom night on June 1. (Thankfully NOT in the first person POV, or I'd have gone bonkers trying to follow it…) Normally I'd be a little put off by how MANY "main" characters there are, but they're all such individuals and so interesting. Jacinta feels like a side character in her own life, Paisley and Henry clearly have some social/mental issues (Man, is Paisley fantastic), Cora has been with her boyfriend basically since 7th grade and is just realizing she needs space to discover who she is, Cameron is adjusting to life after closing himself off after his mom remarried, Otis is feeling his way through what it means to be gay in high school with his boyfriend Luke (and what Luke getting a hotel on prom night means for their relationship), Lizzie is a plus-sized worker at a food court restaurant that only sells baked potatoes and has a "double-blind" relationship with someone that she communicates with using only a shared classroom laptop. Who am I forgetting? :D
This book is so light-hearted and fun, like fizzy champagne bubbles and that gooey cheese on bowling alley pizza. That is how this book is. (Yes, I'm aware the description makes little to no sense. Just go with it.) The ending left me smiling a big, dorky grin and wishing I could relive my own prom experience (which involved driving a bunch of friends in my parents' big ugly blue conversion van, and making up dances we called things like "The Giraffe Dance" and "The Llama Dance"). Read this book for a light-hearted, fun, low-angst, quasi-drama-filled read that will leave you feeling all gooey and bubbly. <3
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is told from the point of view of a bunch of different seniors in high school starting when they get back from spring break at the end of April all the way up to their prom night on June 1. (Thankfully NOT in the first person POV, or I'd have gone bonkers trying to follow it…) Normally I'd be a little put off by how MANY "main" characters there are, but they're all such individuals and so interesting. Jacinta feels like a side character in her own life, Paisley and Henry clearly have some social/mental issues (Man, is Paisley fantastic), Cora has been with her boyfriend basically since 7th grade and is just realizing she needs space to discover who she is, Cameron is adjusting to life after closing himself off after his mom remarried, Otis is feeling his way through what it means to be gay in high school with his boyfriend Luke (and what Luke getting a hotel on prom night means for their relationship), Lizzie is a plus-sized worker at a food court restaurant that only sells baked potatoes and has a "double-blind" relationship with someone that she communicates with using only a shared classroom laptop. Who am I forgetting? :D
This book is so light-hearted and fun, like fizzy champagne bubbles and that gooey cheese on bowling alley pizza. That is how this book is. (Yes, I'm aware the description makes little to no sense. Just go with it.) The ending left me smiling a big, dorky grin and wishing I could relive my own prom experience (which involved driving a bunch of friends in my parents' big ugly blue conversion van, and making up dances we called things like "The Giraffe Dance" and "The Llama Dance"). Read this book for a light-hearted, fun, low-angst, quasi-drama-filled read that will leave you feeling all gooey and bubbly. <3
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
April 26, 2018
Rating 4.5 out of 5
One of the main reasons I like to read young adult books as an adult is I like stories that take me back to that age and the time in my life A PROM TO REMEMBER does just that and it’s probably why I liked it so much. A PROM TO REMEMBER is fun and sweet and endearing.
I decided to read A PROM TO REMEMBER because I wanted to read a story about prom during “prom season”. This book is more about what happens leading up to the prom, but it was exactly what I wanted. And while I do like a story told from multiple perspectives, it took me a little while to get all of the characters straight in my head and remember their friends and how all of the side characters were connected. (Honestly I think this was more about the e-book format than anything else). And the characters are distinct enough with their own personalities that they become memorable.
As someone who went to the prom the last 3 years of high school (I was invited my freshman year, but my date stood me up, so yeah that happened) the characters’ experiences were relatable - the excitement and the anxiety and the idea that it is a rite of passage. Each experience was different for me as it was for Cora, Paisley, Henry, Otis, Lizzie, Cameron, and Jacinta, but I could identify with almost every one of them - especially Lizzie and Jacinta.
I loved the humor and the friendships and the interconnectedness of the characters. For some, prom is everything - the highlight of high school, but for others it’s just a good time to be with your friends. And I like the idea of everyone going to have a good time and making memories and celebrating the most.
A PROM TO REMEMBER is a good time. It was an amusing read and a fun way to reminisce.
One of the main reasons I like to read young adult books as an adult is I like stories that take me back to that age and the time in my life A PROM TO REMEMBER does just that and it’s probably why I liked it so much. A PROM TO REMEMBER is fun and sweet and endearing.
I decided to read A PROM TO REMEMBER because I wanted to read a story about prom during “prom season”. This book is more about what happens leading up to the prom, but it was exactly what I wanted. And while I do like a story told from multiple perspectives, it took me a little while to get all of the characters straight in my head and remember their friends and how all of the side characters were connected. (Honestly I think this was more about the e-book format than anything else). And the characters are distinct enough with their own personalities that they become memorable.
As someone who went to the prom the last 3 years of high school (I was invited my freshman year, but my date stood me up, so yeah that happened) the characters’ experiences were relatable - the excitement and the anxiety and the idea that it is a rite of passage. Each experience was different for me as it was for Cora, Paisley, Henry, Otis, Lizzie, Cameron, and Jacinta, but I could identify with almost every one of them - especially Lizzie and Jacinta.
I loved the humor and the friendships and the interconnectedness of the characters. For some, prom is everything - the highlight of high school, but for others it’s just a good time to be with your friends. And I like the idea of everyone going to have a good time and making memories and celebrating the most.
A PROM TO REMEMBER is a good time. It was an amusing read and a fun way to reminisce.
July 11, 2018
A Prom to Remember is sadly, kind of forgettable.
The book was fine for the most part, a light and fluffy contemporary. But I feel like a few factors just didn't quite work. There was too much going on, too many characters with drama and too many relationships to keep track of! Everyone knew each other in different ways and it was very difficult to remember. A lot of the actual problems the characters faced also seemed to be sort of simple to fix. I feel like the story relied on miscommunication as a plot device a little too much. If these characters had simply talked to each other a bit more, a lot of the issues could have been avoided.
Then there were a few characters I just... didn't really like. They lowered the mood for me. For example, I found Cora really meh. I also found Jacinta a little unsympathetic at times. Her drive to be more important/significant just felt strange, like she knew she was in a book. It made her motivation difficult to believe.
I sound very negative now, but there were things I liked as well. I enjoyed seeing the friendships between some of the characters and how they evolved throughout the book. I liked seeing boy/girl friendships without any romantic connotations. The writing was also good, it all fit the story very well.
In the end, not my favorite contemporary of the year but still an entertaining light read. Especially if you're better at tracking many characters than I am.
The book was fine for the most part, a light and fluffy contemporary. But I feel like a few factors just didn't quite work. There was too much going on, too many characters with drama and too many relationships to keep track of! Everyone knew each other in different ways and it was very difficult to remember. A lot of the actual problems the characters faced also seemed to be sort of simple to fix. I feel like the story relied on miscommunication as a plot device a little too much. If these characters had simply talked to each other a bit more, a lot of the issues could have been avoided.
Then there were a few characters I just... didn't really like. They lowered the mood for me. For example, I found Cora really meh. I also found Jacinta a little unsympathetic at times. Her drive to be more important/significant just felt strange, like she knew she was in a book. It made her motivation difficult to believe.
I sound very negative now, but there were things I liked as well. I enjoyed seeing the friendships between some of the characters and how they evolved throughout the book. I liked seeing boy/girl friendships without any romantic connotations. The writing was also good, it all fit the story very well.
In the end, not my favorite contemporary of the year but still an entertaining light read. Especially if you're better at tracking many characters than I am.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews