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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 31, 2007
What do you get when five great authors come together to create a paranormal prom anthology? In a word - greatness! Meg Cabot starts off the collection with THE EXTERMINATOR'S DAUGHTER. When Mary shows up at Swig, an exclusive VIP club in Manhattan, it's not to socialize. No, she's on a mission to take out Sebastian Drake -- and by take out, I mean kill him with a crossbow. But when Adam, a fellow student at Saint Eligius, takes his own potshots at the dreaded Sebastian, things get a lot more interesting. Lauren Myracle, the author of THE CORSAGE, has written what is probably the saddest, and creepiest, story of the bunch. All Frankie wants is for her best guy friend, Will, to realize that it's his destiny to ask her to the prom. To accomplish that goal, she drags Will and her other best friend, Yun Sun, to visit Madame Zanzibar, a fortune-teller. She's sure that Madame Z will proclaim that Will is her one true love, and that will be that. But the psychic is short on information, but does end up grudgingly handing over to Frankie a dried up old corsage, which she says will grant her three wishes. Over the next couple of days, however, Frankie will come to realize that she'll have to make some requests that she never in her wildest dreams would have thought of making. MADISON AVERY AND THE DIM REAPER by Kim Harrison is the longest story in the group, and the most involved. When Madison ends up at the costume prom with a dud date, she's surprised to find one guy who can pick up the slack. Seth isn't like anyone she's ever met before. Unfortunately, before too long she'll find out why that is, and the picture it paints isn't pretty. There are deaths, white reapers, black reapers, grim reapers, and odd amulets. I really liked this story, and would be happy to see more of these characters in the future. Michele Jaffe's story, KISS AND TELL, was by far my favorite. Miranda has a secret. Not only is she a student and a part-time driver/chaeffeur, but she also fights crime in her spare time. It turns out Miranda has special abilities that allow her to do things most regular teens can't do -- like, say, knock over a lamppost just by leaning on it. This particular day turns out to be stranger than the norm, though, when she picks up young Sibby Cumean, a strange girl who has an even stranger habit of kissing every boy she can find. When weird things start happening, Miranda's day turns into an action-adventure movie beyond anything she could have expected. I LOVED this story, and I HAVE to read more about Miranda and Sibby in the future! Yes, Ms. Jaffe, that's me begging!! Last but not least is HELL ON EARTH by Stephenie Meyer. This is the story of Sheba, a demon on earth who loves bringing misery to others. Her plan is working pretty well, too, because nearly everyone at the prom is having a downright horrible time. Everyone, that is, except for Gabe, who seems not just happy but serene. By the time Sheba can figure out what's happening, it's too late, and prom just might end up having a happy ending after all. PROM NIGHTS FROM HELL is a great paranormal anthology that teens and adults alike will enjoy. I highly recommend picking up a copy today! Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, but so-so, January 1, 2009
This is a collection of five paranormal stories that all deal with, well, the prom. While all are unique and enjoyable in their own way, the anthology does not live up to my expectations. A fun read, but definitely not the best paranormal anthology out there. A portion of the proceeds goes to First Book, so if YA paranormal stories are your thing, it is worth checking out. Pickier readers, however, should stick to a library copy, because many of the stories are open-ended and could leave one feeling cheated. The Exterminator's Daughter (Meg Cabot): This is the tale of Mary, a slayer who is trying to save her friend from a vampire. It contains Cabot's trademark humor and romance which allows fans of her other work to quickly liken to the story. It is told in two first person, present tense perspectives (Mary and Adam, a fellow classmate) which has the potential to be confusing if one doesn't read the chapter titles. The story was cute, but nothing special or entirely unique. And, while closure is given to the story's central plot, there are still some loose ends needed to be solved. The Corsage (Lauren Myracle): This is the shortest story in the anthology. It was inspired by "The Monkey's Paw" and is an enjoyable retelling of the "be careful what you wish for" motif. Although predictable, it successfully establishes an eerie suspense that kept me hooked to the end. Out of all the stories, this is the only one that felt like it had complete closure. Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper (Kim Harrison): I found this story to be the most engrossing but also the least satisfying, closure-wise. It develops a very interesting Reaper mythology and is very original. However, when it ends, it feels like there is much more left to be told of the story. The abrupt ending is very disappointing. After some internet sleuthing I discovered that this story will be expanded in book form, but seeing as this is an anthology, it should have been more complete. Kiss and Tell (Michele Jaffe): This story hooks you in from the beginning, but then starts to drag as the characters are developed. The characters are likable, though, so it is worth reading until the plot picks up again. Fans of superhero-like stories will especially find this story entertaining. It feels like more stories could be told with these characters given their history, but all-in-all the tale wraps up the conflict nicely and won't leave you hanging in hopes for more. Hell on Earth (Stephenie Meyer): First off, I have to give Meyer props for actually having the entirety of her story center around prom, a setting only touched on briefly in the other stories. (Which, let me tell you, is a bit disappointing when you consider the anthology's premise.) Although the ideas are intriguing and it had its comedic moments, the story fell flat for me. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and the point-of-view jumps around mostly without notice. I couldn't find myself caring for any of the characters. Being a short story, concentrating on less characters would have worked to its advantage. The demon character also felt a little cartoony to me, especially when "smoke [seeps] from her nose and ears." The conclusion had enough closure, but it felt a bit rushed to get there.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but needs closure, January 29, 2008
I'm a large fan of taking normal events and adding a fantastic/supernatural twist. For this reason I loved the idea and the majority of this book. However, since it's a short story collection I don't think it should have been as open-ended as it was. Meg Cabot, although alluding to events coming in the future, ended the story. The Corsage was ended too. The other three however, were too much like book previews. If you write for a short story collection, write a short story. Granted, these authors are used to the novel and that could be the reason, but "Dim Reaper" dumped a lot of information and left you hanging. "Kiss and Tell" could have ended but threw in a cliche "she's a princess" twist and Hell on Earth was almost there. Almost Still, I did enjoy the concept.
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