21 Proms by David Levithan (Editor), Daniel Ehrenhaft (Editor)

From the Publisher

Prom night.
The stress. The dress.
The hype. The anticipation.

Nothing ever goes the way it's planned.

Whether it's the girl whose date turns out to be more of a frog than a prince. Or the guy who wants to get up the courage to say "I love you"...to his best friend's date. Or the girl who decides to plan a backwards prom--a morp--to protest the silliness of a regular prom. Or the girl who wants a picture-perfect movielife prom...no matter what.

VOYA

The twenty-one prom-related stories in this collection range from sweet—Adrienne Maria Vrettos's Mom Called, She Says You Have to Go to Prom—to downright raunchy—Holly Black's In Vodka Veritas-and pretty much everything in between. There are good, bad, nonexistent, multiple, primate, and same-sex prom dates. There is sex, drugs, drinking, dancing, magic, and love. In some stories, parents play a major role; in others, they are safely vacationing in a faraway location. In John Green's tale, The Great American Morp, there's no prom at all. There is a little bit of something for every reader. Not being a huge fan of short story collections and having spent her own prom night cleaning her room, this reviewer set off to read this collection with some trepidation before being very pleasantly surprised. It is a book that should not be relegated to the stack of fluffy reads. Although plenty of humor can be found in many of the stories, there is not a lack of substance and more serious tales are cleverly placed to balance the collection. Teens who have experienced prom can compare their stories with those found here, and teens waiting for their turn will be able to live vicariously through the many interesting characters they will meet within these pages. Certainly this book will fly off the shelves, and multiple copies may be necessary.

KLIATT

Don't pick up this anthology expecting to be regaled with princess-at-the-ball prom stories. Sure, you might read a little about searching for the perfect dress, or lusting after the unattainable prom date. But this collection, containing stories by some of the very best contemporary YA authors around, generally approaches proms with a cynical, outsider's eye. These are the stories of kids forced to go to the prom—forced by their parents, their friends, or by unwritten social codes—and of kids who feel that not going to the prom is making a statement. Many of the characters view prom as a cliched and generally unfulfilling rite of passage that you should want to attend to create some meaningful high school memory. A lot of them genuinely don't care about prom, while some do, and some are too cool to admit they care. The collection is well rounded, with a third of the tales written by male authors. Stories are told from the perspectives of both teen boys and girls, and one is even told by a father who is looking back at his own prom. Characters are everything from dateless and desperate, to happy to go stag, to unexpectedly escorted by three dates. Noteworthy stories include John Green's "The Great American Morp," in which Maggie and Carly decide to hold an un-prom, or "morp" (prom spelled backwards), where they can just have a fun, laid-back party with people they like. They hire a punk band, encourage their guests to wear crazy costumes, and the morp proves to be a resounding success. The stories are witty, edgy, and unpredictable. 21 Proms is a definite must for all libraries and has something for every reader.

School Library Journal

Gr 9 & Up - In a collaboration that brings together an impressive array of 21 authors, Levithan and Ehrenhaft have produced a collection worthy of exploration. Ranging from sad to funny to truly disastrous, these memorable stories mark that oh-so-important right of passage for many teenagers. Starting with dress-hating, heel-hating, bra-hating Emilie in Elizabeth Craft's "You Are a Prom Queen, Dance Dance Dance"; moving on to Daniel Ehrenhaft's "Better Be Good to Me," in which aging Zack remembers his prom and being in love with his best friend's girlfriend; and ending with rebel chicks Maggie and Carly, who throw the ultimate anti-prom party in John Green's "The Great American Morp," readers are drawn into a wide cross section of prom nights from both male and female perspectives. A celebration of all that is good, bad, and sometimes unforgettable about these events, this fast-paced but carefully strung anthology speaks of pink dresses, tuxedos, first kisses, unrequited love, and the thrill of taking love to its ultimate climax. Clever writing featuring many unexpected twists and turns, as well as a stunning display of each writer's razor-sharp wit, makes this an enjoyable read. Older teens will flock to this book, which undoubtedly features some of the best teen fiction writers of our era.-Caryl Soriano, New York Public Library

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