This is a collection of short stories from popular teen authors that takes the revered tradition of going to the Prom and gives it a dark twist. From a vampire hunting girl named Mary whose mission it is to take out Dracula, to the demon Sheba delighting in wreaking mayhem at the prom, these stories take the reader on an exhilarating ride of action and suspense with strong, appealing characters.
The Exterminator’s Daughter by Meg Cabot was my favorite. It’s about Mary, a young girl who shows up at a ritzy downtown Manhattan nightclub with a mission to take out her best friend’s date Sebastian with a crossbow! Things go a little awry when fellow classmate Adam takes his own shot at Sebastian. I was sorry to see this story come to an end, and hope Meg Cabot considers revisiting the characters again in the future.
Lauren Myracle's story, The Corsage was by far the creepiest story of the bunch. It’s about a young girl named Frankie who gets a corsage from a psychic with the knowledge that it will grant her three wishes. What Frankie wants most in the world is for her best guy friend Will (who she has a crush on) to ask her to the prom. Should be so simple right? As they say, though- "Be Careful What You Wish For". And for Frankie, this will be a painful lesson learned.
Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison is the longest story and most involved. When Madison winds up stuck at her prom with a real dud for a date, she ends up taking off with the mysterious Seth whom she just me that evening. Only Seth isn't like the other guys at the Prom. When she finds out why, it's too late, and it's not pretty. Note: Kim Harrison recently released Once Dead, Twice Shy, which is a continuation of this back-story.
Michelle Jaffe's story, Kiss and Tell was another solid contribution. It's about a crime fighting student/part time limo driver named Miranda and the strange passenger she picks up named Sibby Cumean. Sibby has the oddest habit of kissing every boy she can find. Strange occurrences ensue with lots of action/adventure.
Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer was another well executed short story about a demon named Sheba whose sole mission was to bring misery to others. Her plan to ruin the prom was working pretty great- everyone there was having a horrid time. Gabe was the only person at Prom who she could not affect though, and it confounds Sheba. By the time she figures it out, it's too late and prom just might have a happy ending after all.
BOTTOM LINE: Prom Nights from Hell was a great paranormal anthology that both teens and adults will enjoy reading and I’d highly recommend it.
Hardover/Paperback: 320 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN-10: 0061253103
ISBN-13: 978-0061253102
Buy at: Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, etc.
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