haia_929's review against another edition
3.0
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
This collection of 21 stories by 21 YA authors is all about proms. The stories range from traditional stories of falling in love at prom to stories about anti-proms to same sex proms to no prom at all. The stories also range from fun and cute to sort of depressing. A good mixture of tales from a mix of narrators.
I have to say, there was just something missing in this anthology. It didn't excite me. It lacked a lot. There were lots of cliches, and boring stories. I was so bored reading this it was just sad. There are a few bright points in this one, but overall pretty bland. The book is slow to pick up, with a disappointing opening, but ends on a high note. The flow throughout the entire book was pretty bad, as well, with some really jarring out of place stories thrown in there.
I have to say the cover of this one made me think of My True Love Gave to Me. I definitely got the feeling this cover was inspired by that cover. I just think it wasn't executed as well. This one isn't nearly as cute looking, and was sort of plain.
Overall I wasn't a huge fan of this anthology. I found it a bit of a chore to read, there were few stories that I actually enjoyed to the point of recommending them. Probably wouldn't recommend reading this, only if you really like the authors.
Below I've broken this book down by story, in the order they appear in the book. Here I've included only the best and the worst.
"You are a Prom Queen, Dance Dance Dance" by Elizabeth Craft - 1 star
Ayla hates everything, especially dancing. Her prom date, Adam, is perfect because he hates dancing too, except it's prom and he wants to dance. Ayla needs to learn to be a little more like Adam, who is overly positive so she can enjoy prom for what it is. This story was basically just boring, clichéd, and bad. The idea is so cliched it made me cringe. The whole thing lacked depth or emotion. Even when Craft tried to add depth it really just failed to take. It didn't even redeem itself by being cute because Ayla was unlikable and the constant repetition of "I hate ---" got obnoxious. Not a good start for the book.
"Three Fates" by Aimee Friedman - 5 stars
Abby needs a date to prom, but she only has 2 weeks left. She asks Elijah but he isn't into prom, her brother, Brian, offers but it turns out he's busy, and she asks Archie, but he can't come into town that day. It turns out she might not be able to have a date after all, or maybe the fates have other plans. This is probably one of the best stories in the book. It's a bit long, like the story that precedes it in the book. I think there was a good amount of depth to this one, Friedman didn't tackle anything too heavy but I liked the idea that Abby has a hard time seeing herself dating boys she's known her whole life. I think this story had some fantastic twists and was very funny. The tone was fantastic. funny and sweet. I liked the characters, liked the content, liked the concept. Definitely one of my favourites.
"How I Wrote to Toby" by E. Lockhart - 5 stars
Paige's brother is in rehab, and she doesn't know how to live anymore. But she realizes she should try to live, so she goes out with Paul and she agrees to go to prom with him. I loved this story. I think this is the first one I read in the whole anthology that I actually loved. I really enjoyed the idea behind this story. I think Lockhart really created a realistic and emotional character in Paige and in her story. I enjoyed it and could really have done with a longer version of the story. I have never read anything by Lockhart before, but now I think I really ought to. This is, at this point in the book, the best written story with the most realistic plot. The other stories all fall into the same sort of rom-com/teen movie style category, and none really take on anything too seriously, which isn't awful, but it doesn't create as realistic and touching of a story.
"Primate the Prom" by Libba Bray - 1 star
He's dating an ape and he just wants people to be okay with it. So they decide to Primate the Prom and go together in the hopes of encouraging other interspecies couples to come out too. This was terrible! This story basically substitutes (and equates) homosexuality with BEASTIALITY. It was awful and difficult to read because why would you ever do this?
"Prom for Fat Girls" by Rachel Cohn - 1 star
Various couples find happiness at a prom party thrown by the Fat Girls Club. Honestly, this one was just a mess of names and plots. It was like a gossip column. Nothing of interest or substance happened, and just a bunch of random stuff was listed off in quick succession. I can't remember a single person, name, events, nothing. It was quick to read? But that's just because it read like a gossip rag. Not a fan at all.
"The Great American Morp" by John Green - 5 stars
Maggie and Carly cannot go to prom, because Maggie's parents are the photographers and that's embarrassing. So they plan a Morp, a reverse prom. And it may just turn out to be the best party ever. This is probably the most fun and sweet story in the entire anthology. This is the only story in the book that made me excited and squinch and gush a little. I think the idea is not super original or anything, it's basically an anti-prom, but John Green just has a way with the words and makes the whole story feel so unique and beautiful. Tyler Trumpet? Basically picture Jamie Blackley in If I Stay. One issue with this one? He says "retarded". Boo. Otherwise, a great ending to this book.
This collection of 21 stories by 21 YA authors is all about proms. The stories range from traditional stories of falling in love at prom to stories about anti-proms to same sex proms to no prom at all. The stories also range from fun and cute to sort of depressing. A good mixture of tales from a mix of narrators.
I have to say, there was just something missing in this anthology. It didn't excite me. It lacked a lot. There were lots of cliches, and boring stories. I was so bored reading this it was just sad. There are a few bright points in this one, but overall pretty bland. The book is slow to pick up, with a disappointing opening, but ends on a high note. The flow throughout the entire book was pretty bad, as well, with some really jarring out of place stories thrown in there.
I have to say the cover of this one made me think of My True Love Gave to Me. I definitely got the feeling this cover was inspired by that cover. I just think it wasn't executed as well. This one isn't nearly as cute looking, and was sort of plain.
Overall I wasn't a huge fan of this anthology. I found it a bit of a chore to read, there were few stories that I actually enjoyed to the point of recommending them. Probably wouldn't recommend reading this, only if you really like the authors.
Below I've broken this book down by story, in the order they appear in the book. Here I've included only the best and the worst.
"You are a Prom Queen, Dance Dance Dance" by Elizabeth Craft - 1 star
Ayla hates everything, especially dancing. Her prom date, Adam, is perfect because he hates dancing too, except it's prom and he wants to dance. Ayla needs to learn to be a little more like Adam, who is overly positive so she can enjoy prom for what it is. This story was basically just boring, clichéd, and bad. The idea is so cliched it made me cringe. The whole thing lacked depth or emotion. Even when Craft tried to add depth it really just failed to take. It didn't even redeem itself by being cute because Ayla was unlikable and the constant repetition of "I hate ---" got obnoxious. Not a good start for the book.
"Three Fates" by Aimee Friedman - 5 stars
Abby needs a date to prom, but she only has 2 weeks left. She asks Elijah but he isn't into prom, her brother, Brian, offers but it turns out he's busy, and she asks Archie, but he can't come into town that day. It turns out she might not be able to have a date after all, or maybe the fates have other plans. This is probably one of the best stories in the book. It's a bit long, like the story that precedes it in the book. I think there was a good amount of depth to this one, Friedman didn't tackle anything too heavy but I liked the idea that Abby has a hard time seeing herself dating boys she's known her whole life. I think this story had some fantastic twists and was very funny. The tone was fantastic. funny and sweet. I liked the characters, liked the content, liked the concept. Definitely one of my favourites.
"How I Wrote to Toby" by E. Lockhart - 5 stars
Paige's brother is in rehab, and she doesn't know how to live anymore. But she realizes she should try to live, so she goes out with Paul and she agrees to go to prom with him. I loved this story. I think this is the first one I read in the whole anthology that I actually loved. I really enjoyed the idea behind this story. I think Lockhart really created a realistic and emotional character in Paige and in her story. I enjoyed it and could really have done with a longer version of the story. I have never read anything by Lockhart before, but now I think I really ought to. This is, at this point in the book, the best written story with the most realistic plot. The other stories all fall into the same sort of rom-com/teen movie style category, and none really take on anything too seriously, which isn't awful, but it doesn't create as realistic and touching of a story.
"Primate the Prom" by Libba Bray - 1 star
He's dating an ape and he just wants people to be okay with it. So they decide to Primate the Prom and go together in the hopes of encouraging other interspecies couples to come out too. This was terrible! This story basically substitutes (and equates) homosexuality with BEASTIALITY. It was awful and difficult to read because why would you ever do this?
"Prom for Fat Girls" by Rachel Cohn - 1 star
Various couples find happiness at a prom party thrown by the Fat Girls Club. Honestly, this one was just a mess of names and plots. It was like a gossip column. Nothing of interest or substance happened, and just a bunch of random stuff was listed off in quick succession. I can't remember a single person, name, events, nothing. It was quick to read? But that's just because it read like a gossip rag. Not a fan at all.
"The Great American Morp" by John Green - 5 stars
Maggie and Carly cannot go to prom, because Maggie's parents are the photographers and that's embarrassing. So they plan a Morp, a reverse prom. And it may just turn out to be the best party ever. This is probably the most fun and sweet story in the entire anthology. This is the only story in the book that made me excited and squinch and gush a little. I think the idea is not super original or anything, it's basically an anti-prom, but John Green just has a way with the words and makes the whole story feel so unique and beautiful. Tyler Trumpet? Basically picture Jamie Blackley in If I Stay. One issue with this one? He says "retarded". Boo. Otherwise, a great ending to this book.
jena_33's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chai_latte_auroras's review against another edition
21 Proms is by 21 different authors(Which I think is cool). There are multiple prom stories in the book, and none of them connect with each other. They are each stand alone stories.
Warning: Cussing and inappropriate content is in this book. There are also other topics mentioned that may make some people feel uncomfortable. Definitely for mature readers, and I don't recommend reading this book to any kids as a bed-time story. :-)
Warning: Cussing and inappropriate content is in this book. There are also other topics mentioned that may make some people feel uncomfortable. Definitely for mature readers, and I don't recommend reading this book to any kids as a bed-time story. :-)
ziab2023's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition
This collection of short stories edited by David Levithan includes prom stories written by various authors such as John Green, Libba Bray and E. Lockhart. Each story is focused on a different type of prom, whether it be a backwards prom, known as a “morp,” a prom for fat girls or skipping prom altogether to stay home and watch movies with your neighbors. Read 21 Proms to find out how each character does prom his or her way.
wordsbetweenlines's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Some stories I loved, some I didn’t really care for and others were just there. But overall I enjoyed the concept and the variety of prom experiences, especially as a non prom goer.
whittneyshea's review against another edition
1.0
The stories I loved best in this anthology were no surprise to me: the ones written by Libba Bray and John Green. I also really enjoyed Aimee Freedman's story. With a few exceptions that I didn't mention, most of these stories fell flat.
bluesreader's review against another edition
4.0
After one of the stories, I literally said outloud, "That was the weirdest story I have ever read." Not bad, just different. The book as a whole was okay. Some stories were not so great, some good. John Green's story, the last one, saved the whole book and elevated it from a 3* to a 4*.
kba76's review against another edition
3.0
Prom is not a ritual I ever had to go through...and I know that I would have been one of those students who came up with every excuse possible to not be involved in it. For that reason, I was intrigued as to how you could offer a collection of stories about a ritual that seems so divisive.
The reality is that the book doesn't even attempt to offer any kind of cohesive arc to events - it really is just a collection of random writings about different characters and their varying experiences of prom. Not a problem as such, but it might have been entertaining to have some kind of linking element to it (having recently read Blackout, it's definitely a good way to offer stories up to readers).
There were one or two stories that stood out - my favourite is definitely the one about the girl dating her brother's friend on the sly, getting drunk and passing out all while determinedly denouncing the experience. However, most seemed to perpetuate the concept and didn't seem too keen to break out of the stereotype.
The reality is that the book doesn't even attempt to offer any kind of cohesive arc to events - it really is just a collection of random writings about different characters and their varying experiences of prom. Not a problem as such, but it might have been entertaining to have some kind of linking element to it (having recently read Blackout, it's definitely a good way to offer stories up to readers).
There were one or two stories that stood out - my favourite is definitely the one about the girl dating her brother's friend on the sly, getting drunk and passing out all while determinedly denouncing the experience. However, most seemed to perpetuate the concept and didn't seem too keen to break out of the stereotype.
cheryl6of8's review against another edition
3.0
My niece brought this book on our cruise and I took the opportunity to read it. I never went to prom or had any interest in that scene. Probably why I found a lot of these stories difficult to relate to. My favorite was entitled Mom called and she says you have to go to the prom. That chick gets it. I also really liked How I Wrote to Toby.