Prom Nights from Hell

I bought this book because I'm a huge Kim Harrison fan so wanted to read her story in it. I rarely ever read young adult fiction, so hadn't even realized this book existed until a few days ago, even though I have read the other "Hell" anthologies like Dates From Hell. I'm glad I finally discovered it! I don't hand out five stars frivolously, but this anthology surely deserves it. I thought all five stories were solid and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of them, even though it's been a few decades since I was a young adult myself. All of the authors were new to me except for Kim Harrison, which makes it a treat to discover others I may enjoy reading more of in the future. The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot was a fun story that immediately drew me in. The character Mary is a typical teen outsider due to being new at the school she's attending and being different than other kids. Her differences are both mundane and unusual, such as being the daughter of an exterminator who is now a vampire herself. The story doesn't have much depth and is quite formulaic, but that isn't always a bad thing. After all, those formulas are successful for a reason! The story was a fun read that I enjoyed. The Corsage by Lauren Myracle is one of those stories where you know where it's going but you have to keep reading anyway. The story is based on The Monkey's Paw and is a classic tale of the dangers of magical wishing, mostly because the wisher generally isn't smart enough to forsee consequences or believe there will be a cost exacted. The ending, while predictable, is suitably creepy in a Stephen Kingesque way. This was another fun read. While I mentioned that the two above stories were fairly predictable, that should probably be put in perspective. After all, I'm 47 and have been an avid reader since I was 8. That's a lot of years of reading and experiencing a lot of the common types of tales. They may not seem that way at all to a younger reader. Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper was the reason I purchased the book and Ms. Harrison did not let me down. The story was unique and entertaining. The main character, Madison, is not really a very sympathetic character to start with. Her date at the prom accused her of being a bitch and I have to say I rather agreed. But that's okay because it allows plenty of room for character change and growth. One weak point in the story was where the whole reaper thing was revealed. It seemed a bit contrived and Madison seemed a bit too quick on the uptake. But otherwise it was a well-crafted and interesting story. Though it does leave you hanging at the end. Kiss and Tell by Michele Jaffe is a great story with humor, sadness, and mystery. The story had me chuckling outloud several times, and then would suddenly switch tone and add a bit of heartache. I think this was my favorite story of the bunch because I really enjoyed the humor, but it's a really close call between the last three. Here's a quote from the story that I

Great read! Short stories are hard, but each author made good with the space they were alotted. Exciting to see Stephenie Meyer writing something other than Twilight and the Host!

I read this book in less then a day it was very addictive and I love the seperate but all so similarly themed stories. My favorites were the Exterminators daughter and Hell on Earth. Very enjoyable and all well written.

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'

I have been on this kick lately where I am reading any book about a supernatural prom that I can get my hands on. I don't plan on going to my own so I figured that I could read as much as I could about other people's proms going badly. It first started with Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore (which is another great read) and then I got an email telling me that Prom Nights From Hell was being published. I read an excerpt and knew that I had to get this book. All five stories were excellent. My favorites had to be "Kiss and Tell" and "The Exterminator's Daughter." I could really see both books being made into full length novels. Of course I love Meg Cabot, and Michele Jaffe (whom I hope I remember correctly as writing "Kiss and Tell") was an amazing author to read (I had never actually read any of her books before). All-in-all, this is a really good book that anyone not wishing to go to their own prom (and those that do)to read.