Prom Kings and Drama Queens

February 11, 2008
Two things dear to teen girls—quality extracurriculars that'll look good on college applications and budding romance—collide in Cirrone's (Dancing in Red Shoes Will Kill You
) lighthearted look at figuring out what's important. Emily Bennet, high school junior, covets the editor-in-chief spot on her school newspaper. She's also ogling Brian, a star basketball player and in-crowd hottie, who also happens to be the boy next door, having recently moved into a McMansion in her Fort Lauderdale neighborhood. Brian shows an interest in Emily just as she and Daniel, a rival for the editor's job, are assigned to write about the upcoming junior prom. A consciousness-raising episode, in which Daniel and Emily witness the near-destruction of a rival school's property but do not act, lead them to spearhead a low-cost alternative prom with a public service component. Then Brian asks her to the “real” prom. Emily is a companionable narrator, witty and self-aware: “I was a reporter on a story. A girl on a mission.... Ahh. Who was I kidding? I was a girl following the crush next door.” Although the author travels well-trod territory, Emily's navigation is fresh and will keep readers going. Ages 12-up.

March 1, 2008
Gr 6-9-Emily, a junior, doesn't fit in with the superficial students at posh Crestview Prep. She nurtures a crush on her next-door neighbor, its basketball star, and she aspires to be editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Chance brings her and her dream boy together and gives her a lead on a potentially winning story. Following that lead takes her places she never expected: both good and bad, but always funny and enlightening. In the end she learns the value of being true to herself and helping others. Plot twists and turns are sometimes predictable, sometimes surprising, and occasionally inexplicable, such as why this boy is suddenly so interested in her. The story is told in accessible first person. Emily is likable, if a little bland, but will hold the interest of most readers. She changes in realistic adolescent fits and starts. Chapter headings are formatted like newspaper headlines tracking the path of Hurricane Emily, a charming homage to the teen's journalistic goals."Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK"

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