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HOW (NOT) TO ASK A BOY TO PROM by S.J. Goslee Kirkus Star

HOW (NOT) TO ASK A BOY TO PROM

by S.J. Goslee

Pub Date: April 23rd, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62672-401-3
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

A teenager bravely contends with hormones, homosexuality, and high school in this uproarious romantic comedy of errors that breathes new life into the prom story.

Nolan Sheffield just wants to make it through his junior year without making waves and follow his beloved older sister, Daphne, to college. The last thing on his mind is dating. Unfortunately for him, his overprotective big sis has other plans. Before Nolan knows what happened, he has an unexpected prom date, an improbable fake boyfriend—who once bullied him—and no clue how to make sense of the situation. In her second novel, Goslee (Whatever., 2016) combines elements of the 1999 films Never Been Kissed and She’s All That into a delightful teen romp that is as hilarious as it is heartfelt. The author has an undeniable knack for dialogue and description and creates a cast of characters so genuine and amusing that readers will scan their high schools hoping to find them. Nolan’s relationships with his adoptive parents and well-meaning yet meddlesome sister anchor the narrative, creating a portrait of a quirky yet eminently supportive modern family that any gay child would envy. Nolan’s candid conversation with his mom about the birds and the bees demonstrates her unconditional love and provides hope that life may one day reflect art. Nolan and his family are white; scant physical descriptions leave readers speculating about other characters’ ethnicities based on names.

A tour de force novel with pages that almost seem to turn of their own accord.

(Fiction. 14-18)