Overview
Jack Grammar, average American senior, has no date to the prom. Or so he thinks. Percy and Natalie, Jack's so-called best friends, posted an ad in the classified section of the online version of the school newspaper. They figured it couldn't hurt-after all, there's not much in this world sadder than Jack's love life. Soon Percy and Natalie have assembled a list of girls eager to go to the prom with Jack, including one mysterious girl known only as FancyPants. He has just seven days to meet and date them before he will ask one special girl to the prom.
Newcomer Alex Bradley shares a fresh and funny boy perspective in a genre dominated by girls. With snappy dialogue and hip, smart writing, this is a hilarious take on the trauma and pageantry that is prom.
Synopsis
Jack Grammar, average American senior, has no date to the prom. Or so he thinks. Percy and Natalie, Jack's so-called best friends, posted an ad in the classified section of the online version of the school newspaper. They figured it couldn't hurt-after all, there's not much in this world sadder than Jack's love life. Soon Percy and Natalie have assembled a list of girls eager to go to the prom with Jack, including one mysterious girl known only as FancyPants. He has just seven days to meet and date them before he will ask one special girl to the prom.
Newcomer Alex Bradley shares a fresh and funny boy perspective in a genre dominated by girls. With snappy dialogue and hip, smart writing, this is a hilarious take on the trauma and pageantry that is prom.
Publishers Weekly
"This comical debut novel introduces high school senior Jack Grammar, who is so unlucky in love that his two best friends go behind his back to design a personal ad for him [so he can go to the prom]," wrote PW. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
"This comical debut novel introduces high school senior Jack Grammar, who is so unlucky in love that his two best friends go behind his back to design a personal ad for him [so he can go to the prom]," wrote PW. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.KLIATT
Jack hasn't got a date for the senior prom, and without his knowledge his two best friends post a personal ad soliciting one for him in the online school newsletter. What began as a joke surprisingly gets a flood of responses. Now Jack's task is to sift through the e-mails and somehow schedule 24 dates before the prom, just seven days away, in order to find the girl he wants to invite. The adventures of a funny but somewhat geeky guy in date-land make for amusing light reading, featuring witty dialog and e-mails, some suspense, and a sympathetic protagonist. Jack is a true gentleman (kissing is about all that takes place), and the ending is satisfying. The intriguing title is sure to attract many readers to this assured first novel, set in Iowa City, and they will quickly be drawn into Jack's entertaining plight. KLIATT Codes: S—Recommended for senior high school students. 2005, Penguin, Dutton, 272p., Ages 15 to 18.—Paula Rohrlick
VOYA
Young adult chick-lit from a boy's perspective is the only way to describe this book. Bradley's concept is intriguing, but the writing, while humorous, doesn't always flow because sometimes the dialogue and narrative are choppy. The plot, while somewhat predictable, creates an overall happy ending with characters that anyone would want to actually know. Because of those qualities, it is a good, quick read, and I'd recommend it to anybody. VOYA CODES: 3Q 5P J S (Readable without serious defects; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Dutton, 272p., Ages 12 to 18.—Abbe Goldberg, Teen Reviewer