Once Upon a Prom: Dream

Reader reviewed by the book muncher

Its senior year and prom is coming up in a mere four months! There are plans and preparations to be made regarding dates, dresses, and getting permission to attend. Best friends Jordan, Tara, and Nisha are caught up on the pre-prom mood; all are thrilled to go. Jordan has the perfect dress and date and, being a gorgeous blonde cheerleader, will probably be prom queen; but lately, after having met a different guy, shes having doubts if prom queen is really what she wants. Tara is the head of the prom committee, but her other prom plans arent turning out so nicely; she cant even find a decent dress or date until a secret admirer starts texting her. Nishas afraid her strict Indian parents wont let her go to the dance, seeing they forbid her to date, but Nishas determined to go with her boyfriend (the one her parents dont know about). As prom date looms ever closer, these girls lives will change as well.

Once Upon a Prom: Dream was overall a very cute book, but very average. There wasn't really anything that made this novel stand out from other girly books I've read. There are the boy drama and fashion dilemmas classic to chick lit. The only thing that was missing was the friendship spats, and I hate to say this, but I actually think that a fight amongst the friends would've made the story more realistic because these three friends seemed really different from each other. I wasn't always rooting for the characters either: Tara came off as a shallow girl, Jordan seemed very confused, and Nisha couldn't get her priorities straight. If there's one thing in the characters I could admire, it was their persistence in what they believed in.

This novel is good if you're only looking for a short and light read, because the story isn't particularly meaningful. Once Upon a Prom: Dream was not one of my favorite novels and not one that I'd recommend unless you are a devotee to all things chick lit.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

Reader reviewed by Chelsea, 2008 Teen Demi-Goddess

Tara, Nisha, and Jordan want to make the best of their senior year, and having an amazing prom is part of the package. But in order to do so, they each have to go through separate struggles.

Tara needs to find a date; she wants to go with a cute, funny, charming guy just like Nate, Jordan's boyfriend. Problem is, her school seems to lack anyone she considers date material. But then Tara starts getting mysterious text messages from someone who goes to her school -- someone who's interested in Tara. Could this be the date she's been looking for?

Nisha already has a date but he's not Indian. And Nisha's strict parents forbid her to date anyone who isn't. For six months, she's been dating someone who is firmly off-limits, and Nisha knows that if she lets it slip to her parents exactly who she's seeing, it'll be over for their relationship. But how is she going to be picked up in a limo and whisked off to her dream prom if her parents won't allow it?

At first glance, Jordan seems to have everything. She's got the perfect date, a gorgeous dress, and a nomination for prom queen. But she's sick of being the blonde cheerleader stereotype a shoo-in for queen. When she's challenged by her photography teacher to truly show who she is, she starts to question what she really wants.

Short and sweet, this is the first book in the Once Upon a Prom series. The book gives you just enough glimpses of the three girls lives to get you interested, but not enough to keep you satisfied it leaves a lot of questions unanswered, making the second in the series something I'm really anticipating. The characters are realistic and easy to get attached to as they try and keep a sane mind while frantically pulling strings to have the night of their lives. It's light, enjoyable, and perfect for teens.