Review: The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald

Title: The Anti-Prom
Author:  Abby McDonald
Series: -
Book #: 1
Release Date: April
Page #: 288
My Rating: 2.5

Three unlikely allies team up for a night of rebellion, romance, and revenge in a high-stakes dramedy from acclaimed young author Abby McDonald.



They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but from the first chapter, I knew it would be a cheesy read. Cheese squelched out of all of the pages, coating almost every word. The story also sounded familiar. It was just like John Tucker Must Die, but on prom night...and not as funny. The ending was rather cute, but, sadly, it did not make up for the rest of the book.

Although there were some bad bad things about this novel, there were also a few good things. The author created three extremely distinct characters and wove their stories into each other very well. I was a little confused a couple of times, however, when the chapters changed and the character point-of-view switched, but I could quickly get back on track with the authors' help.

Bliss was your typical popular girl on the outside, but as you got to know her, she became more of a human being and less like a barbie. She found her boyfriend and best friend making out at prom, which spurred her to ask the school's "resident bad-girl" to help her get revenge. The way they planned to get revenge was very unrealistic and, again, cheesy.

The "resident bad-girl", Jolene, had issues of her own, and chose that night to resolve them! What are the chances? She also evolved as a character throughout the book, becoming less of a hard shell, and more of a teenage girl. She seemed to me like a motorcycle chick who was older than seventeen. She also didn't seem like the type of person who would be so interested in going to college. Nowhere in the book did it say what her grades were, but her main focus was to get money for college.

Meg was the character I felt the most connection with. She wasn't a party girl, or "popular". She liked to read and was quiet. I also felt the most sympathy towards her, because of her background and the fact that she was pressured into being Bliss and Jolene's designated driver for criminal activities she did not want to participate in. I was glad for her, though, when she came out of her shell.

Overall, the novel was not my favourite. It was a typical story about three girls who never spoke to each other and then ended up spending prom night getting revenge on their classmates. It was predictable and, (need I say it again?) very cheesy. I'm sorry to say that I had to be honest and give this book a two and a half mask rating.

.5