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Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?
But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.
He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.
This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.
kittydanza
Posted February 9, 2011
WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS, by Aimee Ferris, is an absolutely charming story about a normal girl who works hard to buy a perfect prom dress for a perfect prom. Quigley and Anne are best friends who are seniors in high school. They offer up most of their spare time to part-time jobs to get money for prom. With school, boys, and work piling up, Quigley is on a path of discovery that even she didn't see coming.
This book was chock full of hilarity and bittersweet moments. Ferris charmed me right away with the ridiculous jobs that these girls took on. Quigley was the type of girl who was clumsy and sometimes a bit naive, but I related to her. I felt bad when she was embarrassed and I reminisced to a time where everything was wrong and awkward (AKA high school!). She was the perfect friend to Anne, even when sometimes it wasn't reciprocated. And she managed to be humble with her amazing artistic talent. I think many girls and women alike will enjoy Quigley as much as I did.
I loved the relationship dynamic between Quigley and Zander. It was a typical slow moving type of romance but both of them carried secrets that consistently threatened the couple. Zander was handsome, talented, and an absolute sweetheart. I definitely developed a character-crush on him.
Ferris truly created a fantastic novel. There were unexpected twists and turns that I could not have imagined but added such a great depth to the book. I highly recommend this one!
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 March 8, 2012
Boooo
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.Looking for a cute and adorable prom-related read? Well, look no further because Aimee Ferris' Will Work for Prom Dress is the perfect pick!
When Quigley's best friend Ann first talks about her prom-related plan (which involves the perfect dresses and dates), Quigley reluctantly agrees, figuring it won't to lead to too much trouble, but as it turns out that's a huge understatement. For one, Ann's first matter of business is to find Quigley and her the perfect prom dresses but prom dresses equal money and Quigley and Ann don't have that, so soon enough both have jobs at the frozen pizza topping place, which ends in misery. Then, comes the dinner murder victim job for Quigley, which ends horribly. So, when they are asked by Ann's mom (Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world) to model clothes for her fashion design class, Ann jumps at the chance and Quigley follows, not realizing that this choice may change both of their worlds forever. But for the better or for the worse? And will the two get their perfect prom dresses and dates? Only time will tell in this fast-paced tale about the events leading up to one of the biggest social events of the year!
Quigley and Ann were hilarious main characters, which lead to them being one of my favorite parts of Will Work For Prom Dress. I loved how both of them played so well of each other because it lead to several laugh out load moments, as well as some serious ones. Adding to this, I adored the love interests Aimee chose for each, especially Quigley's because I never could figure out who she was going to end up with (Xander or David?) for most of the book.
The plot of this was also great. I liked how one of the big focuses of the book were the mostly horrible jobs Ann and Quigley ended up with, because who hasn't had a terrible job before? I also liked how who Ann's farther was played a big role, as well as Quigley's future plans, because they created some tension for this mostly light book.
Aimee's writing was also up to par. She did a great job of developing the characters and plot lines!
In all, Will Work for Prom Dress is a fun, semi-light hearted/semi-serious read I adored! I can't wait to see what Ms. Ferris comes up with next!
Grade: B+
Quigley and her best friend, Anne, want amazing dresses for prom. Good thing Anne's mom is a famous fashion designer, right? Wrong! Wanting to be independent, Anne created the Betterment Plan for her and Quigley. This plan involves dieting so they will look great on prom night, getting part-time jobs so they can buy their own amazing dresses, and flirting with guys so they can land a date. What seems good in writing isn't practiced perfectly, however, especially when Quigley gets fired from her first job (making frozen pizzas) and suddenly has two amazing guys who might want to go to prom with her. WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS is a quick and easy read, and brings back all of those memories for those of us who are old enough to have been to a senior prom. Quigley is a quirky character who you can relate to from the first chapter, and you're rooting for her until the very last page. Filled with some surprising twists and a good ending, this book is definitely recommended for anyone who wants a quick escape.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8444238
Posted May 1, 2011
this book is good and very much realistic
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6653494
Posted April 30, 2011
i havent read this book but it sounds good
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Absolutely full of adorability, Will Work For Prom Dress will appeal to both young and not-so-young readers who enjoy a bubbly high school romance with a dash of thoughtfulness. By far, our main character has a rather quirky name, but it works for her - and Quigley will surely steal your heart away without really meaning to. Aimee Ferris provides us with a colorful cast of characters with memorable personality traits. Even though there wasn't much in-depth characterization, I still thought that the characters sparkled - and I had so much fun in their company that I wasn't bothered by not knowing everything about them. I especially loved Anne's love interest T-shirt, so aptly nicknamed for the catchy quotes on his shirt, and how he was often immature but surprisingly well-meaning throughout the story. As for the love triangle involved Quigley, David, and Zander, I thought Ms. Ferris handled it quite well - and the resolution surprised me! What is more appreciated is how much Quigley matured by the end of the story, partly from her relationships with both boys as well as finally realizing that the world isn't high school for much longer (yes, I know sometimes high school is still happening in the "adult" world). I was a little disappointed with how little the "working for a prom dress" angle was worked. I thought there'd be more funny job anecdotes, but sadly the number of jobs could be counted with one hand. Don't get me wrong - the jobs that Quigley and Anne did work were hilarious, but I was hoping that they'd work a few more before landing the modeling opportunity. Will Work For Prom Dress will be a perfect read if you are in the mood for frothy fun and a love triangle that will keep you on the edge of suspense.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ReadergirlReviews
Posted February 20, 2011
I've been on a contemporary YA chick lit kick lately. This was a cute addition to the group of contemps I've read lately. It was cute and fun. It took me a little bit to get into it. I think too much time was spent at the very beginning following Ann and Quigley around on a couple other jobs before they finally got to the design class. That is where things finally get started, but it took several chapters. I am glad I stuck with it though, as it really did begin to get interesting once they start going to design class and Quigley meets Zander.
It was nice to see how things were going to go...whether Quigley would end up with David or with Zander...although that question was answered a lot more quickly in the story than I was expecting. One of these guys is a real snake in the grass, and one of them is super sweet, cute, and exactly what you'd want out of a boyfriend. But I like that the author didn't spend a lot of time having Quigley be confused about the bad one. So much of the time you see a character be completely fooled by someone like him and it draws out way too long. But not in this case.
There were some more serious events that happen toward the end, which I thought added a nice bit of drama to the story and gave it a little bit of depth. It was cute and is a good book to read if you need to lighten your spirits and give you some smiles.
costello
Posted February 11, 2011
Friends, fashion, art, lousy jobs, dilemmas and some drama - definitely not formulaic or sappy - kept me hooked and guessing right til the end. Loved the authentic conversational tone and getting to know the quirky and interesting characters. A fun read - recommended!
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Overview
Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?
But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses ...