While I was searching for a cover to stand out to me in the fiction section, I happened to glance over to my right. It was a section I normally ignore-Young Adult. This cover practically jumped off the shelf at me:
With a title of Prom Dates from Hell how could I possibly pass this book up? Who hasn't had a prom date from hell? It's been over 20 years and I still remember my prom date from hell. (He ate with his mouth open!)
In this case though, Maggie Quinn really must save everyone from demons from hell that have been unleashed on the popular snotty clique known as the Jocks and Jessica. Maggie is your typical high school senior. She doesn't want to go the prom, and does her own thing. That is until she is forced to deal with the second sight that runs in her dad's family. Her dad doesn't have the gift because he's well, a guy...her mother doesn't understand it and tends to freak out over Maggie's dreams-which sometimes come true, so she's tried to fight this gift.
It isn't until strange events start happening at Avalon High after the Jocks and Jessicas (I love that name for a clique!) pick on poor geekish Stanley Dozer. One by one each of the Jessicas (there are three Jessicas, known by their nicknames: Jessica Prime, Jessica Minor and Thesipca) The Jocks are: Brandon, Brian and honestly, I forget the third jocks name, but you get the point.
One of the things that I loved about this book was in the process of solving how to stop the demon and figuring what exactly was causing the accidents, there are a ton of pop culture references to things like Nancy Drew, Brenda Star and Ghostbusters. In trying to figure out how and what was causing the demon to cause the Jocks/Jessicas to drop like flies, Maggie enlists the help of one her dad's college students Justin, and somehow finds Brian of the Jocks liking her and trying to separate himself from the Jocks/Jessicas group.
I don't want to ruin the ending, so I'll just say it's cute, and I'm very tempted to read the sequel to this book called Hell Week. The author Rosemery Clements-Moore did a great job describing the angst of high school. This book has been described as a cross between Buffy and Veronica Mars and I have to agree! If you like YA books, then you must give this one a try!!
Another thing that I liked about this book was that it had a strong female character who wasn't afraid to be herself. It also took a pretty honest approach to life in high school. Sure there were touches of "that could never happen in real life" but all in all it was just an enjoyable read. This was a nice change of pace from the romances I've been reading.
