Prom House

March 15, 2021
In this whodunit set on prom weekend, partiers stuck in a house are being picked off: Is it a random killer or one of their own? Kylie is looking forward to spending this weekend in a house on the Jersey shore, the perfect celebration before old and new friends, such as bestie Aubrey and recent boyfriend Liam, head off in different directions for college. Things quickly go wrong when Aubrey's boyfriend is found dead with a shard of glass stuck in his neck. Strangely, when the cops arrive, the body is gone. The mystery spins out like a B movie; just as the teens are arguing about what to do next, a storm brings flooding, trapping them in place. Nervous, they agree to stay together only to drift off from the group for different reasons. Bodies pile up. Surely one of them must be the perpetrator? Most attempts by narrator Kylie at logical deduction are lost in the presence of hormone-arousing Liam, although she occasionally pauses to wonder whether he is the culprit. The cast of characters is two-dimensional, with individuals representing stock types: the boozer, the fighting couple, the failure, and the weird kid. Tension is lacking, and by the time psychological drama and jealousy are explored, the lagging pace will have turned delighted screams into yawns. Most characters are White by default. Only those addicted to teen drama will be hooked. (Thriller. 12-16)

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May 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Ten high school students rent a party house on the Jersey Shore for the weekend of their senior prom. When they get there, they find that their rental is spectacular, but their good fortunes quickly turn disastrous. One of their friends is found dead, and his body goes missing as the predicted storm turns into a hurricane. They are trapped in their rental house, electrified water flooding the area. And then another body is found. The conclusion: The killer must be one of them. Frantically, they try to survive while examining each other, looking for a killer. This is the perfect set up for a whodunit thriller. The storyline will appeal to a younger high school audience, but note the mature nature of couples at a beach house. At times the book seems drawn out, with repetitive scenes of arguing teens. VERDICT Many teens will enjoy this high school thriller and try to figure out who the real killer is.-Nancy Hawkins, Franklin County H.S., Brookville, IN

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