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Prom Crashers
Will you go to the proms with me?
It was love at first sight for Emily and Ethan. But then Em lost his number and, with it, all the hope of finding a real boyfriend before the end of senior year. All she knows about Ethan is his first name, that he has a supercute smile, and that he's going to a prom this month. Which high school? That's anyone's guess....
Em enlists the help of her three best friends, who quickly score formal wear and hail a limo. Together, Emily, Max and Sid vow to find Ethan, to find a cure for senioritis, and most important, to find true love -- one hilarious prom night at a time.
It was love at first sight for Emily and Ethan. But then Em lost his number and, with it, all the hope of finding a real boyfriend before the end of senior year. All she knows about Ethan is his first name, that he has a supercute smile, and that he's going to a prom this month. Which high school? That's anyone's guess....
Em enlists the help of her three best friends, who quickly score formal wear and hail a limo. Together, Emily, Max and Sid vow to find Ethan, to find a cure for senioritis, and most important, to find true love -- one hilarious prom night at a time.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 27, 2007
12 people are currently reading
1281 people want to read
About the author
Erin Soderberg Downing
58 books272 followersI read and write lots of funny, adventurous, & heartwarming books for kids, tweens, and teens (and even a few romantic comedies for adults, too!) that are ultimately about finding your place, finding your people, and finding your voice. I always love book recommendations, so please send them my way. As a reader, I'm partial to contemporary romantic comedy, thrillers that keep the pages turning and have well-built characters, funny/original voices, quirky characters, and always kids' books with humor and heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 19, 2018
This book was a super quick read. It was very entertaining, but there wasn’t a lot of substance. If you’re just looking for a way to be entertained this book is for you!
December 4, 2011
*Blank stare*
*Blink*
*Sigh*
I read this because I remember at least slightly enjoying Erin Downing's Drive Me Crazy. OK, and because I have less than a month to read ten more books to reach my goal for the year and these are nice, quick reads. All I usually ask for from these books is perhaps a few laughs, a minimum of stupidity, and some saccharine romance. Prom Crashers failed on all counts for me, save perhaps for the minimum stupidity aspect. I did enjoy the fact that none of the characters seemed particularly stupid but, as it turns out, that isn't enough to make a book enjoyable for me.
It started out innocently enough, with our main protagonist, Emily, sitting at work waxing poetic about how she doesn't have a date for senior prom. In walks dashing Ethan and it's love at first sight. But tragedy! Ethan writes his number down on a napkin and Emily's cousin and co-worker, Charlie, uses said napkin to wipe up a spill, obliterating lover boy's digits in the process! The horror.
Enter the idea of crashing various high school proms in order to track down the elusive lover boy. With the help of Charlie (he's gay and Downing was really bordering on stereotypical with his character), Charlie's best friend Sidney, and Emily's best friend, Max, they eventually find Ethan at the 8th prom they crash. Before this happens, however, Emily and Max share "a moment", so by the time things get going with Ethan, Emily is really confused. Is she supposed to be with Ethan, Mr. Love At First Sight, or is she supposed to be with Max, Mr. I Didn't Look Twice At You Until You Had A Boyfriend And Seemed Happy?
And that, that right there was what turned this book from something that could be at least mildly enjoyable, to something that ended up being slightly irritating. General romance formula involves a slight love triangle in order to create an obstacle. For every author who employs this particular formula, there is the ever-important decision of who gets the girl. Or who the girl chooses, if you'd rather look at it from that angle. In a story where the cute, sweet best guy friend seems to be pining achingly after our heroine, the path that makes sense is generally the path of least resistance; boy and girl have been best friends since childhood, are comfortable with each other, know everything about each other, can't imagine life without the other, etc. When the two finally get together, the reader generally experiences that comforting (if somewhat nauseating) rush of warmth that often produces a breathy sigh and perhaps an utterance of "Awwww".
In this book, however, we're shown how sweet and awesome Max is, then shown how he apparently wants to be with Emily only to be profoundly confused when we're treated to a scene where Emily and Max are laughing hysterically about how silly it would be for the two of them to be more than friends.
I'm sorry, what?
So the real knight in shining armor, Ethan, gets a total of a few pages in this book while Max gets chapters, then Ethan is ungraciously thrown by the wayside while Emily tries to "figure things out", then Ethan is back because Max, after being an ass to Emily every time he saw her with Ethan, has decides he's cool with their relationship after all.....
When it was over, I had the distinct bruises that were a tell-tale sign I'd been smacked around like a ping-pong ball.
I guess maybe this story could work for some people, and I can almost appreciate Downing's attempt at unpredictability. But for me, rooting for Max throughout the entire book (after being lulled by the author into some sense that Max would be the best one for Emily) only to have the entire thing laughed at and disregarded in a matter of seconds...it was disorienting and slightly insulting. Also, if Ethan really were the one for Emily, it would have been nice to have gotten to know him a little better before the book's end.
So while I appreciated the premise and the fact that the characters were generally respectful (of each other and themselves), I didn't laugh once and was pretty disappointed with how the two love interests were treated.
*Blink*
*Sigh*
I read this because I remember at least slightly enjoying Erin Downing's Drive Me Crazy. OK, and because I have less than a month to read ten more books to reach my goal for the year and these are nice, quick reads. All I usually ask for from these books is perhaps a few laughs, a minimum of stupidity, and some saccharine romance. Prom Crashers failed on all counts for me, save perhaps for the minimum stupidity aspect. I did enjoy the fact that none of the characters seemed particularly stupid but, as it turns out, that isn't enough to make a book enjoyable for me.
It started out innocently enough, with our main protagonist, Emily, sitting at work waxing poetic about how she doesn't have a date for senior prom. In walks dashing Ethan and it's love at first sight. But tragedy! Ethan writes his number down on a napkin and Emily's cousin and co-worker, Charlie, uses said napkin to wipe up a spill, obliterating lover boy's digits in the process! The horror.
Enter the idea of crashing various high school proms in order to track down the elusive lover boy. With the help of Charlie (he's gay and Downing was really bordering on stereotypical with his character), Charlie's best friend Sidney, and Emily's best friend, Max, they eventually find Ethan at the 8th prom they crash. Before this happens, however, Emily and Max share "a moment", so by the time things get going with Ethan, Emily is really confused. Is she supposed to be with Ethan, Mr. Love At First Sight, or is she supposed to be with Max, Mr. I Didn't Look Twice At You Until You Had A Boyfriend And Seemed Happy?
And that, that right there was what turned this book from something that could be at least mildly enjoyable, to something that ended up being slightly irritating. General romance formula involves a slight love triangle in order to create an obstacle. For every author who employs this particular formula, there is the ever-important decision of who gets the girl. Or who the girl chooses, if you'd rather look at it from that angle. In a story where the cute, sweet best guy friend seems to be pining achingly after our heroine, the path that makes sense is generally the path of least resistance; boy and girl have been best friends since childhood, are comfortable with each other, know everything about each other, can't imagine life without the other, etc. When the two finally get together, the reader generally experiences that comforting (if somewhat nauseating) rush of warmth that often produces a breathy sigh and perhaps an utterance of "Awwww".
In this book, however, we're shown how sweet and awesome Max is, then shown how he apparently wants to be with Emily only to be profoundly confused when we're treated to a scene where Emily and Max are laughing hysterically about how silly it would be for the two of them to be more than friends.
I'm sorry, what?
So the real knight in shining armor, Ethan, gets a total of a few pages in this book while Max gets chapters, then Ethan is ungraciously thrown by the wayside while Emily tries to "figure things out", then Ethan is back because Max, after being an ass to Emily every time he saw her with Ethan, has decides he's cool with their relationship after all.....
When it was over, I had the distinct bruises that were a tell-tale sign I'd been smacked around like a ping-pong ball.
I guess maybe this story could work for some people, and I can almost appreciate Downing's attempt at unpredictability. But for me, rooting for Max throughout the entire book (after being lulled by the author into some sense that Max would be the best one for Emily) only to have the entire thing laughed at and disregarded in a matter of seconds...it was disorienting and slightly insulting. Also, if Ethan really were the one for Emily, it would have been nice to have gotten to know him a little better before the book's end.
So while I appreciated the premise and the fact that the characters were generally respectful (of each other and themselves), I didn't laugh once and was pretty disappointed with how the two love interests were treated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2021
Okay, this book is a bit up-and-down. In the beginning, you think, oh, Emily and Ethan going to end up together, then you move onto, no, Emily and Max are going to end up together, but then they don't. But, otherwise, it's a cool book.
April 12, 2011
I am horrible at picking out chicklit, so I was wandering around the library searching for pink covers. Yes, I admit it. I stumbled across this book and glanced at the back cover and saw that it was being marketed as a romantic comedy. Consider me sold. (I also love anything with a sassy gay best friend/co-worker).
The book is light and funny. I had a few moments where I laughed out loud. One can easily read the book in the afternoon. I really did like that unlike most romantic comedies, it's the girl who loses the number, not the guy. It's predictable and fun and I really did like it.
The novel takes place in Minnesota and I believe there is some specific local humor that you may not get, but it's small town enough that you're not really missing the gist.
I couldn't really relate to the prom scenes, my own prom was anti-climatic, but I really did love the idea of having that "last hurrah" with your best friends senior year of high school before everyone scatters. I'm also kind of tormented about the wrap up of the secondary plot with Matt, but I am a stickler for nice guys (I'm dating one). But the ending is cute and predictable in the way only chicklit can be.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who adores either YA or chicklit or both. It's a lovely way to spend a Saturday. (Or a Superbowl Sunday).
The book is light and funny. I had a few moments where I laughed out loud. One can easily read the book in the afternoon. I really did like that unlike most romantic comedies, it's the girl who loses the number, not the guy. It's predictable and fun and I really did like it.
The novel takes place in Minnesota and I believe there is some specific local humor that you may not get, but it's small town enough that you're not really missing the gist.
I couldn't really relate to the prom scenes, my own prom was anti-climatic, but I really did love the idea of having that "last hurrah" with your best friends senior year of high school before everyone scatters. I'm also kind of tormented about the wrap up of the secondary plot with Matt, but I am a stickler for nice guys (I'm dating one). But the ending is cute and predictable in the way only chicklit can be.
I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who adores either YA or chicklit or both. It's a lovely way to spend a Saturday. (Or a Superbowl Sunday).
November 9, 2012
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
It's prom season, and what better way to celebrate than reading PROM CRASHERS?
Emily met Ethan while working in the mall. He wrote his digits on a napkin, but her co-worker (Charlie, a good friend) used the napkin without realizing it. So, while Emily finds herself crushing over Ethan, she now has no way to contact him, until she comes up with a plan.
Emily wants to crash all the area high school proms with her three best friends. However, it's easier said than done. None of them are going to their respective proms and thus they don't have formal attire. Security at other proms could cause problems, and who knows if they can even find Ethan. They agree to the plan as a way to pass time during the super-boring last months of senior year. Even if they don't find Ethan, it will be an adventure to remember forever.
Erin Downing takes a ritual high school event and turns it into something crazy wild and totally fun. The four friends must find ways to sneak around security and handle multiple proms on one night. Be sure to check out the author's MySpace page for a DANCING QUEEN playlist, as well, which was the author's previous release.
Add PROM CRASHERS to your pile of books to read because it's fabulously fun!
It's prom season, and what better way to celebrate than reading PROM CRASHERS?
Emily met Ethan while working in the mall. He wrote his digits on a napkin, but her co-worker (Charlie, a good friend) used the napkin without realizing it. So, while Emily finds herself crushing over Ethan, she now has no way to contact him, until she comes up with a plan.
Emily wants to crash all the area high school proms with her three best friends. However, it's easier said than done. None of them are going to their respective proms and thus they don't have formal attire. Security at other proms could cause problems, and who knows if they can even find Ethan. They agree to the plan as a way to pass time during the super-boring last months of senior year. Even if they don't find Ethan, it will be an adventure to remember forever.
Erin Downing takes a ritual high school event and turns it into something crazy wild and totally fun. The four friends must find ways to sneak around security and handle multiple proms on one night. Be sure to check out the author's MySpace page for a DANCING QUEEN playlist, as well, which was the author's previous release.
Add PROM CRASHERS to your pile of books to read because it's fabulously fun!
Read
September 8, 2010Prom Crashers
by Erin Downing
pg233
who ever thought a boring end of the year could lead to crashing and searching and having the time of the year.Like the sub title i think 4 friends 9 proms 1 month Priceless. who whould have thoguht that just a normal day with friends talking aobut prom could lead to all that happens with all the prom and thier freinds.
This story was very intresting for me who has never been to prom or even think of trying to crash prom.i think the people who should read this book can be anyone who is intrested in fun laghter prom and twista and turns. you can be a person who had never been to prom or a person who has because i suspect no one has ever had a prom like this.At any age you could rad this and think of it.
the story was very fun i loved how i thought i knew what was gonna happen and then in the end bam!!! it changed and the bam!! it changed again but to have a great ending like that i thought how cool it was to have read this book and makes me think of how nice it was and how my prom whould be.
by Erin Downing
pg233
who ever thought a boring end of the year could lead to crashing and searching and having the time of the year.Like the sub title i think 4 friends 9 proms 1 month Priceless. who whould have thoguht that just a normal day with friends talking aobut prom could lead to all that happens with all the prom and thier freinds.
This story was very intresting for me who has never been to prom or even think of trying to crash prom.i think the people who should read this book can be anyone who is intrested in fun laghter prom and twista and turns. you can be a person who had never been to prom or a person who has because i suspect no one has ever had a prom like this.At any age you could rad this and think of it.
the story was very fun i loved how i thought i knew what was gonna happen and then in the end bam!!! it changed and the bam!! it changed again but to have a great ending like that i thought how cool it was to have read this book and makes me think of how nice it was and how my prom whould be.
June 14, 2011
This was fun read. Its short, quick and definitely a summer read. I had a blast reading about Emily and her friends.
Emily doesn't have a date for prom, this fact alone is bad but throw in a mother and sister completely gaga about prom and you feel down all the time. So, when she meets 'yummy' Ethan, she figures he's the perfect guy for her. Only problem, she took his number and then lost it. The only clue she has is that he's attending prom too, only she has no idea for which school. So, the daring and adventurous Emily decides to crash every single prom in the city in order to find her Mr. Perfect.
When i finished this book, i wanted to do all the things that Emily and her friends did to accomplish their goal. She had put everything on the line just to find that one guy who she thought was perfect for her, never mind the fact that she was running on instinct alone.
Anyone looking for an easy summer read, grab this book. You'll have fun reading this and won't want to put it down till you turn the very last page!
Emily doesn't have a date for prom, this fact alone is bad but throw in a mother and sister completely gaga about prom and you feel down all the time. So, when she meets 'yummy' Ethan, she figures he's the perfect guy for her. Only problem, she took his number and then lost it. The only clue she has is that he's attending prom too, only she has no idea for which school. So, the daring and adventurous Emily decides to crash every single prom in the city in order to find her Mr. Perfect.
When i finished this book, i wanted to do all the things that Emily and her friends did to accomplish their goal. She had put everything on the line just to find that one guy who she thought was perfect for her, never mind the fact that she was running on instinct alone.
Anyone looking for an easy summer read, grab this book. You'll have fun reading this and won't want to put it down till you turn the very last page!
Read
May 12, 2008Prom has become a long standing traditional event held at the end of the senior year for high school students. Students have dreamed about this one night fantasizing about what they think a prom should be like. However for Emily her senior year will be one to remember. One day she had met the boy of her dreams and had gotten his phone number. But no life is a fairy tale ending. After losing his number, she is determine to find the boy in time for her own senior prom. But how can she when all she knows is his name and that he is attending a prom of his own. How else but to crash every other high school prom in the area. This is one funny book that shows how one prom might not be enough to get a fairy tale ending.
June 3, 2010
This is one of those romantic comedies where you know who ends up with who. i found it interesting how Emily actually went through all that just to find Ethan. i get it if there was something more you knew about the guy but all she knew was his name and his number. but she lost it which led to all the problems. In real life i don't think anyone would've went through all that. Well at least not anyone that i know.
I like how in these books the characters are very well developed. Which for me helps me understand the story more and find it easier for me to react to the book and have my own opinion on what's going on.honestly if i were her i wouldn't go through all that. But it was pretty exciting, fun and sneaky.
I like how in these books the characters are very well developed. Which for me helps me understand the story more and find it easier for me to react to the book and have my own opinion on what's going on.honestly if i were her i wouldn't go through all that. But it was pretty exciting, fun and sneaky.
December 25, 2008
This was really, really, really stupid, with no real redeeming qualities. I mean, I'll be the first to admit that a lot of the books I read are silly, but they're at least funny and entertaining. This took me forever to read because I couldn't get into it to save my life. What could have been really funny just ended up being flat, silly, stupid, and boring. The only part I liked about it was the end--Ethan's song dedication to Emily at her prom. That was funny. And the whole making out on their first date thing and the "borrowing" the prom dresses, a.k.a. stealing them? What's that about?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2009
This book ... well, frankly it surprised me. From page one, I was expecting her to end up with Max. The whole time, I thought that it was completely obvious that something would go wrong with Ethan. So, imagine how I felt when the ending that I was anticipating did not happen ... in fact, it was missed by just a breath. I was so sad! Honestly, I wanted her and Max together ... although, I'll have to admit that Ethan's a nice guy. Anyway, this is another of those silly, fluffy romantic books that I love to read for the hour that it takes me, but that I generally forget pretty quick. They simply seem to blend into each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2014
I liked the book. It had a adventure with a pinch of love.
Emily and Ethan fell in love at first sight when Ethan came into Emily's job. Ethan gave her his number, but then Emily loses the number and loses her chance at finding true love. All Emily knows is his name and that he is going to prom. Emily enlists the help of her friends to find Ethan and to have their last adventure before they graduate. Emily, Charlie(Emily's cousin), Sid, and Max (Emily's Best Friend) go to nine proms. See what happens next and read Prom Crashers.
Emily and Ethan fell in love at first sight when Ethan came into Emily's job. Ethan gave her his number, but then Emily loses the number and loses her chance at finding true love. All Emily knows is his name and that he is going to prom. Emily enlists the help of her friends to find Ethan and to have their last adventure before they graduate. Emily, Charlie(Emily's cousin), Sid, and Max (Emily's Best Friend) go to nine proms. See what happens next and read Prom Crashers.
April 13, 2008
This novel followed Emily's senior year. Emily is on a journey to find Ethan, a boy she fell in love with at first sight. However, she knows nothing about him, not even his last name. With the help of her three best friends, they became the prom crashers. School after school, they dressed up for prom in hopes of finding Ethan.
I thought that this novel was entertaining because it was interesting to read about how they manage to crash other high school's proms without getting caught. The novel was unpredictable and the ending wasn't what I expected.
I thought that this novel was entertaining because it was interesting to read about how they manage to crash other high school's proms without getting caught. The novel was unpredictable and the ending wasn't what I expected.
August 15, 2008
"Prom Crashers" is about a girl, Emily who is obsessed with Prom. She still doesn't have a Prom date when it's a week away. One day while Emily was at the cafe lounge where she works, a super hot guy, Ethan, came up to order a drink. It was love at first sight for Emily. Ethan asked Emily is she ever wanted to go out with him and Emily, of course, agreed. So Ethan left his phone number. But just after he left, Emily lost his number. So now, Emily and her 3 best friends are going to every single High School's Prom to find which school Ethan goes to.
June 22, 2011
Emily, her cousin Charlie, best friends Max, and Sid, their rocker friend, all go on an adventure to find Ethan, Emily's future prom date, if they can find him. After meeting him only once, getting only his first name and number, her cousin accidentally cleans a spill on the napkin the info was in. She enlist the help of these three people to crash proms in order to find Ethan and be able to go toher own prom.
This book is full of laughter, friendship, and romance. I wouldn't have been able to do what Emily and her friends did, but it sure is senior year they will never forget.
This book is full of laughter, friendship, and romance. I wouldn't have been able to do what Emily and her friends did, but it sure is senior year they will never forget.
December 5, 2012
While I was reading this book i thought it was really good, i thought it was hilarious when Charlie won prom king at the prom he crashed,& how Emily had to dress up in costume at one of the proms, but then I got to the end of the book....I AM SO MAD THAT EMILY DID NOT END UP WITH MAX!!!!!!!!! the ending ruined the whole book for me. it's a good book & i recommend it to all who want a good read but if end up a Max fan its a HUGE disappointment!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2016
Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies are always a fun read. These books are not necessarily the best written novels but the stories are always fun and you know you will get a happy ending. I think some adult romances could take a note from these books b/c they are characterized well which is much of the battle in writing any novel since you want your characters, for the most part, to be endearing and relatable.
March 28, 2008
this book was good to me i liked it because she was going to like every prom in her town to find a boy that she like named ethan and thats all she knows about him nothing more nothing less, but than she starts to wonder if her best friend max and her are meant to be together because they almost had a moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2011
Honestly this YA Novel is one of those mediocre quick reads where you can guess the ending by like Chapter 2. Perfect beach read and just flows by real quick and doesn't drag on too much! Don't expect to much for it's just another mindless teen romance that probably has all the girls going- "Aww I wish this would happen to me!"
August 6, 2013
It was definitely an interesting and fun story! I kinda just pulled it off my sister's bookshelf and it was better than I'd expected in the beginning. I'm a little disappointed about the Emily/Max spark and what happened there... but as long as they're both happy... overall, it was a decent read with a unique storyline!
September 15, 2007
this book is about a girl wanting to find a guy that she like by crashing the whole town's high schools' prom. She went through a lot just to find a guy that she saw only once. Will she find him? Read it and you'll know.
September 9, 2011
Emily is doomed. When she mets her perfect boy to go to the prom with but she loses his number and only knows his name Ethan. Emily goes around every prom just to find her perfect boy. Will Emily find Ethan? Or will she have the worst prom ever?
February 28, 2014
This was an okay quick read if your looking for something cute and typical for a YA book. It has it's laughs. Emily and her friends were so much fun to read about. Definitely, a book to read in the summer and when your looking for that cheesy romance.
Read
October 8, 2007Downing, Erin PB
May 29, 2008
cute book, it was okay
October 31, 2008
This was very funny and a very good mystery book to read.
December 6, 2009
Romance. It was pretty good.
January 12, 2010
Loved this! It planted the idea in my head, so I may have something up my sleeve this prom season!
April 24, 2010
The book for me was boring and i actually thought she was going to end up with max but i guess I was wrong
June 26, 2010
With a good mix of thrill and romance, this book has been put up at the top of my list
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews