Prom [NOOK Book]

( 109 )
NOOK Book (eBook)
$8.99
BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

Overview

Philadelphia high school who doesn’t care about the prom. It’s pretty much the only good thing that happens there, and everyone plans to make the most of it—especially Ash’s best friend, Natalia, who’s the head of the committee and has prom stars in her eyes. Then the faculty advisor is busted for taking the prom money and Ash finds herself roped into putting together a gala dance. But she has plenty of help—from her large and loving (if exasperating!) family, from Nat’s eccentric grandmother, from the principal, from her fellow classmates. And in making the prom happen, Ash learns some surprising things about making her life happen, too.

...

See more details below

More About This Book

Overview

Philadelphia high school who doesn’t care about the prom. It’s pretty much the only good thing that happens there, and everyone plans to make the most of it—especially Ash’s best friend, Natalia, who’s the head of the committee and has prom stars in her eyes. Then the faculty advisor is busted for taking the prom money and Ash finds herself roped into putting together a gala dance. But she has plenty of help—from her large and loving (if exasperating!) family, from Nat’s eccentric grandmother, from the principal, from her fellow classmates. And in making the prom happen, Ash learns some surprising things about making her life happen, too.

Eighteen-year-old Ash wants nothing to do with senior prom, but when disaster strikes and her desperate friend, Nat, needs her help to get it back on track, Ash's involvement transforms her life.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
Ashley Hannigan's plans for the future don't include the senior prom; they include things like squeaking through to graduate, moving out of her parents' crowded house and into a Philadelphia apartment with her high school dropout boyfriend. Those plans change when Miss Crane, the math teacher, embezzles all the prom money. Before she can say, "Too weird," Ashley finds herself choreographing a school gala that changes everything. Tender; funny; perceptive.
Publishers Weekly
"This energetic novel, narrated by Ashley, offers snappy commentary about high-school life, and some priceless scenes," wrote PW. Ages 14-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
More Reviews (4) Fewer Reviews
From The Critics
Ashley Hannigan, an 18-year-old senior, has no interest in school or school-related activities until prom is canceled. Ashley's long-term plan has been to get through high school, have a boyfriend, move out of her parents' house, and get a job. All of these she plans to do with minimal effort. Among other things, her grades are abysmal, her boyfriend's a dropout, and her waitress job involves wearing a rat costume. With the urging of her best friend, she becomes involved in saving the prom. After being given some decision-making power and responsibility for the prom, Ashley discovers that school is actually not so bad. She wants to go to the prom! Being permitted to attend is another matter. Students will enjoy the first-person account and the short chapters. The humorous antics of quirky characters add to the fun. The story's resolution is satisfying as Ashley is not willing to settle for a life with few possibilities. She is going to try the local community college. One knows she will make it. 2005, Viking Press, 225 pp., Ages young adult.
—Joy Frerichs
Children's Literature
Ashley Hannigan considers herself one of the "normal" kids. She is scraping through an urban Philadelphia school, cuts class regularly, but does enough homework so she will be sure to graduate. She is more interested in sex than school, though her boyfriend can be a loser at times. Her home is full of love and male siblings. The babies keep coming, in fact there is another on the way. Ashley's has enough going on when her best friend Natalia, who's a real student with a real interest in the prom, hooks her into planning because the faculty advisor has embezzled the money and left everyone in the lurch. Ashley must avoid her many earned detentions to help her friend plan an event she doesn't really care about. Or does she? And if she did, who would she go with? And what is she going to do next year? Short chapters, involving voice, accurate dialogue, humor and reality all make this a winning book for teens, especially the ones who are not in the top academic or most popular groups! 2005, Viking, Ages 12 to 15.
—Susie Wilde
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Ashley is (in her own words) normal-a senior from a lower-middle-class family, dating a high school dropout, and gearing up for graduation but with no plans for college. But when the new math teacher steals the prom money, Ashley-who swears she doesn't care-finds herself sucked into turning nothing into the best prom ever because it means the world to her best friend, Nat. This is a light, fast read, with "chapters" that range from one line to five pages and a narrative voice that is only a little smarter than it should be. Some secondary characters-Ashley's mother and Nat's grandmother-jump off the pages; unfortunately, the teens do not fare as well. Boyfriend TJ is a stereotypical tough boy, and Ash and Nat's other friends are there mostly as filler. But the first-person narration and the essentially personal nature of the story-Ashley finally comes into her own and proves herself successful at something other than garnering undeserved detentions-makes this a flaw that readers will overlook. In fact, the major flaw is that it's hard to believe Ashley is as bad a kid as she might have you believe. But teens are notorious for making petty misbehavior sound bigger and badder, so this could be read as further proof of just how normal she is. Those looking for another Speak (Farrar, 1999) may be disappointed, but this book will delight readers who want their realism tempered with fun.-Karyn N. Silverman, Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Ashley thinks of herself as a normal kid: best friend next door, hot, but unreliable dropout boyfriend, parents a bit spacey, and a household barely hanging in there. She's not into the prom the way her best friend Natalia is, so when it nearly gets cancelled because a teacher has absconded with all the money, Ashley is not prepared for Nat's approach. Nat figures they can still have a prom, if they beg for stuff and get teachers to help and bribe the custodial staff and so on. Rather against her will, Ashley gets sucked into the lists in Nat's pink notebook. It delights her very pregnant mom; it makes dealing with all those detentions and uncompleted assignments even more of a chore; it focuses Nat's slightly addled Russian grandmother on dressmaking; and calls Ashley's hilarious aunts to the fore. Modern teen life just outside Philadelphia is vividly drawn in Ashley's first-person tale, and it's both screamingly funny and surprisingly tender. It's also full of sly throwaway references: oaths taken on a copy of Lord of the Rings instead of a Bible, Ash's dad singing Aerosmith, accounts that read, "he was all . . . I was all . . . then he was all." Expect teen readers to be quoting aloud to each other, and giggling. (Fiction. YA)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781101157244
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
  • Publication date: 2/2/2006
  • Sold by: Penguin Group
  • Format: eBook
  • Pages: 224
  • Sales rank: 72,476
  • Age range: 12 - 17 Years
  • File size: 217 KB

Meet the Author

Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson is the New York Times-bestselling author who writes for kids of all ages. Known for tackling tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, her work has earned numerous ALA and state awards. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists. Laurie has been honored with receiving the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award given by YALSA division of the American Library Association for her "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature...". Mother of four and wife of one, Laurie lives in Northern New York, where she likes to watch the snow fall as she writes.

Read an Excerpt

1.

Once upon a time there was an eighteen-year-old girl who dragged her butt out of bed and hauled it all the way to school on a sunny day in May.

2.

That was me.

3.

Normal kids (like me) thought high school was cool for the first three days in ninth grade. Then it became a big yawn, the kind of yawn that showed the fillings in your teeth and the white stuff on your tongue you didn't scrape off with your toothbrush.

Sometimes I wondered why I bothered. Normal kids (me again), we weren't going to college, no matter what anybody said. I could read and write and add and do nails and fix hair and cook a chicken. I could defend myself and knew which streets were cool at night and which neighborhoods a white girl like me should never, ever wander in.

So why keep showing up for class?

Blame my fifth-grade teacher.

Ms. Valencia knew she was teaching a group of normal kids. She knew our parents and our neighborhood. Couple times a week she'd go off on how we absolutely, positively had to graduate from high school, diploma and all (like the GED didn't count, which was cold), or else we were going straight to hell, with a short detour by Atlantic City to lose all our money in the slot machines. She made an impression, know what I mean?

Every kid who was in that fifth-grade class with me was graduating, except for the three who were in jail, the two who kept having babies, the one who ran away, and the two crack whores.

The rest of us, we were getting by.

I was getting by.

4.

It had been a decent morning, for a Tuesday. No meltdowns at home. The perverts outside the shelter left me alone, and the Rottweiler on Seventh was chained up. A bus splashed through the puddle at the corner of Bonventura and Elk, but only my sneakers got soaked. It could have been worse. At least the sun was shining and some of my homework was done.

So I got to admit, I was in a half-decent mood that morning, dragging myself and my butt to school.

I had no clue what was coming.

Interviews & Essays

Q&A with author Laurie Halse Anderson

Where were you born?
Potsdam, NY way up in Northern New York state.

Where did you go to high school?
Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Manlius, NY and the Hong Studenter og HF Kursus in Hong, Denmark. (Note the "o" in Hong should have a diagonal line through it - it's one of those funky Scandinavian vowels.)

Were you a good student?
Ha. Oh, ha.

What were you like when you were growing up?
Quiet.

What were your favorite books?
Science fiction and fantasy

What was your family like?
Struggling. My parents loved us, but they had many, many complications in their lives from their jobs and other painful personal stuff going on. My sister and I were on our own a lot.

Are any of your other characters based on you or your family?
I think the sense of humor is like that of my family's. We are very good at laughing.

Did you go to your prom?
I went to my junior prom, and to the junior prom of my boyfriend. He went to a different school. The theme at mine was, no joke, "Stairway to Heaven". It was the '70s. For my senior prom, I was in Denmark. No proms there, just a lot of pigs and great pastry.

How much do you think proms have changed over the years?
People pour way more money into them, but I think the overall experience is the same. It can be a blast or a nightmare. A lot of it has to do with having realistic expectations, and making sure you hang out with people you like, instead of being somebody that you're not.

If you could take any president/celebrity to the prom, which one would you choose and why?
I'd take Ashton Kutcher because he looks like he'd be a lot of fun.

If you went to the prom this year, what would you wear?
Something that shows off my biceps.

Did you do anything special to gear up for writing about Prom?
Went back to my favorite research spot - the food court at the mall.

What's your advice for making prom the most memorable night?
Stay sober. Nothing says "Prom Loser" quite like vomit on a four hundred dollar dress.

Do you have a favorite place to write?
I can write pretty much anywhere. Listening to my iPod helps me write in crazy places like airports.

What's on your Ipod?
You're kidding, right? I have 2 days worth of music and a collection of David Sedaris essays. The artists who are played most often include Joan Osborne, Natalie Merchant, Pachabel, Sting, Nirvana, the Allman Brothers, Dave Matthews and U2. Oh, and Bruce. This gadget qualifies as my number favorite toy of the century. I would rather have an iPod than a microwave, I swear.

Do you have plans to write any more books?
Oh, yeah!!!! I got a million of them!

What were some of your previous jobs before you became an author?
Best job - milking cows. Worst job - stockbroker. Job I'd go back to if I quit writing books - newspaper journalist... or maybe milking cows. You don't have to deal with obnoxious people on a dairy farm. You just have to watch where you step.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 109 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(51)

4 Star

(23)

3 Star

(20)

2 Star

(8)

1 Star

(7)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 110 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 11, 2007

    Real life sucks, might as well deal...

    I am an avid reader and I believe I am qualified to give a helpful review. Prom was artfully written, dealing with real life issues in a slightly sarcastic but humorous way. Anderson is brilliant when it comes to teenage sentiments although all her characters seem to be much the same. I believe her books are meant to be funny and insightful, but if you are looking for John Updike material this isn't it. For those reviewers who have accused this book of being immoral and trashy, please take a look around. Anderson describes real life. Teenagers have sex, drink, and curse all the time, so please do not be ignorant to the times.

    4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 11, 2012

    Prom review

    I read the first 3 chapters and found it surprisingly racist. Unless you enjoy reading offending books about your race, dont even click buy now.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 9, 2011

    Sort of boring

    This book jumped into the exciting part really quickly. However, I didnt find it grabbing me into the story like other books. It was a cute story. But I feel like it's an average book.
    I recommend it for people who just wants to read.
    This is definitely a beach book.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 7, 2011

    Breathtaking book!

    I have this book and it is definitly one of my favorite books. I love the humor that was inc. In this book. This is a must read

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 11, 2011

    Prom , Awesome story

    I thought Prom was very... what's the word? AWESOME!!! It was adventeros and very lauring. It's anything i would want in a book. Whenever i would take a break i would hear the book calling me!!!! Very very interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 5, 2011

    worth the money!!!!!!

    I've already read this book 11 times!!!! It's definitely a must have!!!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 15, 2010

    I like it.

    I read this book because a bunch of people suggested it, and I actually really liked it. I could relate to the main character, Ashley. She was a regular teen that was just trying to help everyone out, and somehow got sucked into the huge prom mess. Her and her best friend are complete opposites, but somehow still got along even with her crazy grandmother and all the prom stuff, which I thought was cool because in any other book they would have had a huge fight and that would be the whole plot. It seemed like the author really took a lot of thought into every word in that book,and it really came together to make sense, not just a story line that goes all over the place. She numbered her points she was trying to make, and kept it up through the whole book. It helped you to get the gist of the section. They had family issues, boy trobules, school drama, and everything in life. It was like you were there watching everything take place. It was an overall good book, and I would recommend it to high/middle school girls.
    -Bethany

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted March 17, 2009

    prom

    the book prom that i read was a pretty good book. it got kinda boring in some parts like there where to many details. but it was a really cute story. i would give this book a four star.the tone of the book mixed emotions it could be happy or sometimes the charecter got upset with each other. also this book is like things that happen in your everyday high school so like it was cool that i could relate to some of it like prom. or and kind of dances. i would suggest it to any girl that wants to read a cute book.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 15, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    9780142407325

    Prom- Laurie Halse Anderson

    Prom was a great book! It had a happy ending, although it could've ended differently. I loved the way Laurie portrayed Ashley's character. From the beginning of the book to the end, Ashley went through a drastic change. She built up her character and became the woman that can move on with her life. And she owes it all to the Prom.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 17, 2008

    All right........

    This novel was about a slacker-teen, Ashley, who gets roped into organizing the prom by her best friend,when the prom advisor stole the money. This book was refreshing with Ashley's upfront take on life. In some ways it was oddly funny with the eccentric Russian grandma and Ashley's wack-job family. It had a happy ending, but not in the traditional prom night way. At times the plot just kinda seemed to fall through and drag on. Overall, it was decent, but be warned that some readers might find some parts unmodest, as pointed out by other reviewers.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 27, 2007

    Terrible

    Prom is a terrible story about a trashy teen who has bogus priorities in life. With a screwed up plot (math teacher steals money for prom, they must re-raise the money for prom) her outcast friend Nat overreacts the entire time about the loss. Her parents are low class adults who don't enforce a curfew or no alcohol (when all of their children are underage). Ashley has a worthless boyfriend, TJ who has big plans for them to be together, but it falls out in the end. This story is redundant and it was a complete waste of my time. If I could rate it less, I would.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 14, 2012

    A must read

    Good book but has a lot of language in it........... not for young readers

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 26, 2012

    PROM

    I LOVE THIS BOOK

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 15, 2012

    Is this good?

    Should i read this or not? Please respond!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 7, 2012

    Rose wanna chat

    Mimi

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 2, 2012

    Britt

    K

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 2, 2012

    Liz IMPORTANT

    Please... i need your help. Im pre gnate with my boyfriends child and i dont know what to do. He left me and i think im having twins. I need advice. Please go to liz first result.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 1, 2012

    Nessa

    Feels like sheet. I almost puked at the dinner table jus now.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 31, 2012

    Sophia

    Ok. I posted to ur mom in rgh.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 30, 2012

    Elise

    I have no idea! I have to go so i dont crack it anymore

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 110 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit