This is a nice quick read about an LGBT teen who is comfortable with who she is, just trying to live her life like a normal teen. I appreciated the way the main character reacted to the adversity thrown in her way and how even the adults made mistakes--no one is perfect. I also appreciated that this story showed that there is still lots of prejudice faced by LGBT teens, even though it's 2019 and gay marriage is legalized, and shows how pervasive some of the prejudices can be in small towns.

The quality of the writing isn't the best, but when you think about how it is a novel based on a Broadway show, it makes sense. There is definitely some appeal for titles like this, especially after "Dear Evan Hansen."

The Prom by Saundra Mitchell is a young adult novel adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name. As with many musicals, The Prom is intended to leave its audience slightly happier than they were when they came into the theater. A little more at ease in the world. The novel achieves the same goal. It is filled with larger than life characters, references to popular culture and social media, and a conversational writing style. Many readers will finish this book feeling hopeful and cheerful, while also wanting to purchase the soundtrack to the musical. However, the book leaves a little bit to be desired when it comes to realistic resolutions and well-rounded characters.

The Prom is written from the perspective of two high school seniors, Emma and Alyssa, who very much want to attend their Indiana high school prom together as dates. This poses some problems. Emma is the only out lesbian at their school and Alyssa has not yet come out to her mother. Their community seems particularly intolerant of LGBTQ individuals. Emma has been kicked out of her home and now lives with her grandmother and Alyssa knows that coming out will result in negative reactions from her family, friends, and religious community. When Emma buys two tickets to prom and adds a fictional girl’s name as her date, the PTA loses the plot. One same sex couple will apparently destroy the prom for everyone. Enter two Broadway stars who stand up for Emma, without her approval, and turn the town upside down.

There are many things to love about this story. Mitchell uses humor to soften some very difficult situations for both Emma and Alyssa. The first-person perspective seems true to the emotional rollercoaster of teenage life and Emma and Alyssa have distinctive voices. Each chapter title is also a lyric from songs, which will entertain young adults and adults alike. The novel also introduces an important theme in LGBTQ literature which all readers should contemplate: what is the answer to bullying, harassment, and homophobia? Often, the solution proposed is for the target of harassment to go somewhere else, whether that be a different school or a different city. Even the Broadway actors in this story seem to think that once Emma and Alyssa are able to move to Los Angeles or New York City, all their problems will disappear. The problem is, Indiana is their home and they want it to stay that way. This issue is covered thoroughly and honestly in The Prom.

Unfortunately, not all of the plot details are resolved quite so realistically. Sometimes the supporting characters in the story are a bit flat and stereotypic. Some of this is probably due to this being an adaptation of a Broadway musical. The audience needs the actors and characters to stand out. That isn’t quite as necessary in a novel, where characters can develop over time. This could also be the cause of some very abrupt resolutions to big problems. Musicals only have a few hours to tell their story, while books can be a bit more detail oriented.

While this book may not check every box for every reader, it will definitely entertain almost all of them. It accomplishes the goal of giving readers hope for greater acceptance and tells an important story in a way that practically calls for a song.

This novel is an adaptation of a Broadway play, also called Prom. Set in Indiana in a very conservative area/high school, this is a story of a lesbian couple who just want to go to Prom together. Emma, who has a YouTube channel, inadvertently outed herself as a Freshman, and is the only openly gay student at her high school. Alyssa is her deeply closeted girlfriend. They decide to go to Prom together with the plan being that Alyssa will come out to her mother and the school prior to the event. Naturally, things go disastrously wrong with Alyssa's mom being the lead villain as a PTA leader determined to keep the prom "traditional, "straight only. When word of the ban gets out, Broadway stars show up to help Emma have her prom moment.

The story was sweet and I am sure the play is delightful. But it seems a little dated in 2019 that there is only one openly gay student and she is reviled. Without giving away the extent, Emma's parents have kicked her out of the house prior to the novel opening - her grandmother is supportive and loving - and literally she has no friends, except for Alyssa (who is closeted, so not too friendly on campus). I think for me the book would have worked better if it had been set at least a decade earlier, but that would have taken the social media angle out of it, and that is pretty huge. I suspect the thinness of the characters is because of the adaptation aspect - most musicals paint in broad strokes. However, fans of the musical and romance novels will like it as it is at heart a romance with the traditional star crossed lovers overcoming seemingly overwhelming obstacles.

I received a galley of this book from NetGalley. I have to start by saying I’ve seen The Prom twice, the last time about two weeks ago. I think my reading of this novel was very colored by my comparing it to the show. I was disappointed that Angie and Trent were kind of mashed into Barry and Dee Dee. I liked that the book was told through Emma AND Alyssas’ eyes. I think the book was cute, but something was lost in translation.

The Prom is based on the Broadway hit musical. Set in Edgewater, Indiana, Emma is a You-tuber who has a secret girlfriend, Alyssa Greene. Emma decides she wants to go to prom, but the PTA decides that the only straight couples can go to the school’s prom. Alyssa is the “IT” girl and Emma’s secret girlfriend. However, Alyssa isn’t sure that she is ready to come out. Will Alyssa and Emma get to go to the prom together? The plot is quirky and humorous. The characters are realistic and endearing. The author does a great job of showing the struggles the two characters are dealing with while staying true to the musical. The Prom will activate empathy in its’ readers. Young adults will feel drawn into the story and find themselves rooting for the characters, while adults may think about their actions from a different perspective. However, the choppy writing style, while true to the story, may dissuade some readers.