Customer Reviews

Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

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10 Uses is a real page turner. Tina Ferraro keeps the plot moving at a good pace, and you become really attached to the heroine. She's both fun & tormented. What a combo! Plus, the love interest is adorable.
And it's very "clean teen" which is perfect for some young readers. I liked this book a lot!

Nicolette Antonovich is an average sophmore girl. Her mom and dad are divorced, she plays volleyball and she dreams about the prom. Enter her dream date and long time crush, Rascal.

Lucky for Nic, Rascal's popular girlfriend Kylie has moved out of state. Luckier yet, Rascal has asked Nicolette to his junior prom. She's willing to suffer through anything to find her dream dress, even if it means hiring her best friend's brother to drive her.

Jared is constantly annoying and belittling her. He acts as if he's her big brother. And there's just no way to get rid of him without being rideless forever. Fortunately, hard work pays off and Nic finds her dream dress. It does wonders for her shapeless body. She's never seen such a beautiful dress in her life.

All of a sudden, disaster strikes. Kylie has moved back and is returing to Newport High! Rascal breaks his date with Nicolette, leaving her heartbroken. She was counting on finally making her wildest dreams come true and now it's ruined, all because of Kylie.

So what does one do with an unworn prom dress anyways? Nicolette finds out exactly that while learning a little about love, life and friends on the way.

Much more than the prom is at stake for Nicolette in this novel. After spending the last of her savings on the perfect dress, Nicolette gets stood up by her dream date, Rascal, when his old girlfriend moves back to town. Months later, she's still crushing on Rascal and daydreaming about the junior prom night that never was. But soon she's got bigger things to worry about -- her parents' broken marriage still weighs on her mind, her mom's new career may be hitting a rough patch, her spot as a starter on the volleyball team may be in danger, Rascal's girlfriend still has it in for her, her best friend has been acting distant, and her best friend's brother has suddenly become remarkably cute, if as bossy as ever...

A funny, heartwarming, romantic debut. Can't wait to read Ferraro's next book.

The author really has a talent for writing the teen mind. I found myself transported back to the days when you did really dumb stuff but it all made sense at the time. This book kept me up late too - I just had to know what was going to happen to Nic next (and couldn't wait for the kiss...) This book is for everyone who went to the prom, didn't get asked, got stood up, or is planning on going some day. I enjoyed it so much I sent copies to several of my friends the next day. When do we get more from this author?

Right away you are hooked and have to find out what Nic is going to do next. Ageless and timeless a book that will have both a teen and her mother laughing. I recommend this book without reservations.

I was stuck in the purgatory of a doctor's waiting room, and the time flew by while I was engrossed in this story of disappointment, love, screwing up, growing up, and finding out what it is you really want. Nicolette, the narrator heroine of the novel is funny and relatable, and the story is substantial: besides her romantic problems, Nic has to worry about her rep at school, an unfairly incriminating rumor that could cost her place on the volleyball team, a father's second family and her mother's struggle as a single parent.

A particular strength of the book is the romantic interest, Jared (who is very crush-worthy), and the sparkling banter between the characters. Ferraro convinces that these two are perfect for each other, but maintains Nic's obliviousness with good credibility. This was a delightful read, and I highly recommend it.

Nicolette Antonovich bought the prom dress of her dreams toward the end of her sophomore year when one of the cutest guys in school, Rod "Rascal" Pasqual, asked her to the prom. But her ecstasy turned to agony two days before the big event when Rascal suddenly dumped her and took his ex-girlfriend instead. Nic still cringes at the memory of that humiliating fiasco, but none of those painful emotions have affected her appreciation for her wonderful prom dress. She finds comfort and reassurance in secretly trying on the pink vintage gown, which does wonders for her slight, athletic figure, making her feel lovely and desirable--in spite of her terrible luck with boys.

As it turns out, it's fortunate Nic has something in her life that is comforting, because the problems she's facing her junior year are far worse than even the prom debacle of the previous spring. Her mother is struggling to make money as a real estate agent and the bank is about to foreclose on Nic's childhood home. Her uncaring father is too involved with his two-year-old "replacement" daughter in his new marriage to be concerned with Nic and her mom. Scandalous rumors about Nic are circulating around school that could get her kicked off the volleyball team and ruin her chances for a sports scholarship for college. She's finding it hard to resist the flirting of the jerk who dumped her. And though her best friend's older brother may be the biggest hunk at her school, he's nothing but a thorn in Nic's side, constantly giving her unsolicited advice.

Nic is an adorable heroine, feisty and determined and just plain cute. The way she tries to help her mother is admirable, and her struggles with her feelings of jealousy and abandonment due to her father's divorcing her mother and starting a new family are movingly portrayed. I also found the juxtaposition of Nic's assertiveness and strong athletic talent with the conventional femininity of her love of a frilly prom dress a fascinating contrast. And her frustrating encounters with her two gorgeous romantic interests are laugh-out-loud funny.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves chick lit or romantic comedy. Tina Ferraro is fantastic at writing it, both in this book and her two other wonderful romantic comedies, How to Hook a Hottie and The ABC's of Kissing Boys.

High School is all about the dances, Home comings and Proms. Girls go out and spend outrageous amounts of money on the perfect dress only to be worn for one night. Then end up hanging the dress in the back of the closet only to be forgotten. But what happens when you get dumped before the prom because your dates girlfriend moved back to town? If you're like Nicolette Antonovich you hang it on the back of your bedroom door and secretly try it on when you are in a bad mood just to feel better and dance to the Beatles.
This is a great story filled with lots of high school drama, the prom date with the dimples who dumps you two days before the prom so he can go with his perfect girlfriend that shows back up after moving away. Your best friends brother is starting to stir up little feelings inside of you that were never there before. And the betrayal of a best friend just to keep your feelings from being hurt even more. Lets not forget the fights between said dimple guy and the best friends brother. Those were always exciting, halls would buzz with the rumors for days.
I enjoyed reading this YA novel by Tina Ferraro, she makes me remember high school all over again. I actually got chills while reading this book; I could not help smiling along and getting worried about all the same things on Nicolette's plate. This would be a great read for all those freshman to senior girls because this could happen to them. Being left with an unworn prom dress. But the question is does she ever get to wear it? I guess you'll just have to buy the book to find out!

While I like a light fluffy read, there was just something about the almost too high school setting in this that turned me off within the first few chapters. I liked that Nic had to deal with stuff that most teenagers don't; asking her dad to help her save her house. But the whole prom dress thing was a little too much for me. I wouldn't have kept the dress like Nic did, especially after the way Rascal dumped her as his prom date.
The almost childlike tension between Nic and her best friend Alison's brother Jared, was boring and so predictable. Of course she only saw him as an older brother, but you just knew that he felt different and that eventually she would see that. And then you insert Rascal ( the original dumper in the story), of course he has a thing for Nic too, now that is stuck up girlfriend is back and he thinks that Nic may be an easy conquest.
And as predicted Alison, has an issue with her best friend dating her brother, but it is quickly resolved; almost within the same chapter ( not very likely in the real world). Though the book leaves alot to be desire for me, I am sure that others will enjoy the light way that Ferraro writes and the way that Nic deals with the high school drama. This wouldn't be a book that I would hand to a young teen as it does involve sexual tension, but it also deals with a few things that may make sense to an older teen in today's world.

Review:

This book summed up in one word is this: cute. It somewhat reminded me of a Simon Rom Com book, where everything is just really cute, and there is always the perfect ending, because the characters are just destined to be together.

While I love those kind of novels, they also have their disadvantages. First of all, there are some unrealistic events, even though they are supposed to be realistic novels. Second, the characters are cliched and cheesy at times. Both of these were problems that I saw in Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress.


Overall, though, this novel was really cute and I did enjoy it. It is a fast paced novel, and it is very easy to connect with the main character, Nic. If you are a fan of romance novels, cute novels, or Simon Rom Coms, you will enjoy this novel.


Short Review: Cute and fast paced.


Grade: C+