Book Review: A Really Nice Prom Mess
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know this novel gives a humorous slant to a
lot of dangerous behavior by teens, including drinking, buying
and smoking pot, eluding police, and visiting strip clubs. When
one drunk teen vomits into a fish tank, for example, another
character quips, "At least you won't have to feed the fish for
a while." While the ultimate message is acceptance, the book
reinforces questionable stereotypes (for example, when Cameron
screams, he says, "I know I'm gay and a sissy and all that";
several adult men hit on Cameron and one informs him that in
terms of sexiness, "in the gay world, a teenager trumps a
twenty-something any day of the year.") Cameron briefly
contemplates suicide; this is treated in a superficial way.
Cameron and Shane worry about telling their families and
friends they're gay, but everyone accepts the news pretty well,
with one friend just upset he hadn't known the truth
sooner.
Families can talk about whether a single night can live up to all of prom's hype and expectations. Parents can share their own prom experiences and how they coped with related pressures to drink or have sex. So many movies have similar themes, including the recent Superbad -- why do you think that is? What characters do you relate to the most?
Common Sense Media Review
Teens may enjoy this madcap adventure, though it veers from
ridiculous to absurd to preposterous. Cameron's first-person
voice mannerisms can grow tedious and his epiphanies fall on
the stale side. Readers may doubt Cameron's professed love of
Shane when he manages to make out with four other people in one
night.
Even as the unlikely coincidences rack up, though, Sloan keeps his main character grounded with heartfelt scenes, such as one where Cameron confronts his lying boyfriend: "This is not about your lame attempt to make everyone think you're straight. This is about us and the fact you don't love me. Period." There are a few gay stereotypes, but some empowered moments too: after listening to several people call him a "fag," Cameron finally bursts out that "using that term to describe us is incredibly offensive."
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
