Anderson, Laurie Halse (2005). Prom. NY: Viking. 224 pages. ISBN: 0670059749.
In spite of the lame title and kinda stupid cover art that both seem to promise an 80's style romance, this is actually an OK book. Ashley has never really thought about the future, except to imagine sharing a life with her boyfriend when she finishes high school. When one of Ashley's friends convinces her to help plan their inner city school's senior prom, Ashley starts to discover how capable she is and begins to think of her future in terms the magic of the prom allows her to imagine (cheesy, but true). This is not one of Anderson's best novels, but it does deliver an authentic narrative voice we've come to associate with the author. If only it weren't all about The Prom. . . Admittedly, Anderson has re-situated the typical prom story (out of the suburbs and into the city) and populated it with characters who are rarely given voice in y.a. fiction (lower-middle class and lower-class city youth) unless they are detailing their tremendous Social Problems, but geez, the Prom? |
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