Prom Dates from Hell November 19, 2007

Clement-Moore, Rosemary (2007). Prom Dates from Hell. NY : Delacorte Press. 308 pages.

High-school senior Maggie Quinn isn’t a big fan of the prom. She’s also not a big fan of the Jocks and Jessicas, the clique that rules her school. But when someone puts a curse on the Jocks and Jessicas – not to mention possibly Maggie herself – she has no choice but to try and stop it, even if it means buying a dress, snagging a hot date, and going to the big dance.

Maggie’s witty narration made a fairly decent follow-up to my little Wodehouse binge (see previous entry), which in and of itself was a pretty big hurdle to leap. Happily, the wittiness added to the book and Maggie’s character, rather than detracting – while Maggie wasn’t the most dynamic character ever to grace the pages of a YA novel, she was definitely appealing as an intelligent and subtly vulnerable heroine.

Despite the fact that Maggie claims idolize Nancy Drew, the book itself is an unabashed Buffy tribute, featuring not only a sarcastic heroine with super powers, but also a smart Willow-esque friend, and a suspiciously helpful (and hot) older guy who is, probably, the secret love child of Angel and Giles. Happily, there is still room for an original story with some surprises. I especially liked the nature of the curse and some of the forms it took, from hilarious to near tragic.

The book went by fairly quickly despite its reasonably substantial length – like most horror books, it was really fast-paced. However, unlike other horror books, Prom really isn’t very scary (trust me, I’m a giant wuss, so I’d know) and is really more of a mystery than a thriller, despite the supernatural elements.

If you read this book, keep an eye out for the sequel, Hell Week, that’s coming out in 2008.

Booktalk Hook: What would it take to get you to the place you’d least like to go?

If you like this book: Clearly you should just watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Oh, you’ve done that already? Of course you have. Well, why not check out Bleach, the popular supernatural/horror manga series? Like Prom, it’s low on gore and scariness, and high on suspense and humor.

Half-Moon Investigations October 16, 2007

Colfer, Eoin (2006). Half-Moon Investigations. NY : Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children. 290 pages.

Fletcher Moon knows better than to get involved in the cases he’s investigating – even if he did only just earn his detective badge via correspondence course – but when his first case leads to him, and his enemy, Red Sharkey, getting framed for crimes they didn’t commit, Fletcher has to get way more involved than he intended.

This book hits every single one of my reading kinks in the best way – I really can’t be objective about it at all. The writing is excellent – I think Colfer (better known for the Artemis Fowl series) is really at his best here – and Fletcher’s first person narration is a brilliant cross between detective noir and teenage boy. The mystery is engrossing, unpredictable and hilarious. And I loved the reluctant-allies relationship between Red and Fletcher.

My only problem? There is no sequel.

The book is mainly a light read, but there are some deeper issues that sort of haunt the book around the edges – issues with family, rumor, society, etc. And there’s a slight vein of sort of girl phobia that some people may find offensive.

Booktalk Hook: It’s like the Hardy Boys but 100 times more awesome.

And if you like this: You might want more teen detectives, and a good bet to satisfy would be the short Japanese live action drama, Detective Academy Q. Like Half-Moon Investigations, this series also scores really high points for the quality of the mysteries, good characterizations, and strong friendships between characters.