The Night When No One Had Sex by Kalena Miller is a story that you could easily imagine being a teen movie on Netflix etcetera. I can guarantee that there would be laughter, blushes and recognition of the group of teens in viewers just as much as there will be readers of this YA novel.

Our tale follows a group of friends at the end of their time in an American High School, and @ItsKalenaMiller has perfectly written this group of teens who've made a post-prom pact involving of course; sex. The group chats alone will have you chuckling and recognising either yourself or acquaintances in the group of teens because Miller has written The Night When No One Had Sex that well.

It's told from different points of view, which really gives you as the reader let's you understand the eight characters both individually and as the four couples. Whether it be members of the LGBTQ+ community, a teenager struggling with living with chronic illness and a family member who struggles to balance their sibling being ill and being still themselves, someone who struggles with anxiety and the impact it has on their day to day life choices as well as ethnicity and body size. Not once does it feel like a character is there to tick a box, Miller's attention to detail and thought over the eight teens and the world building around them ensures the reader can see the events clearly from each person as if at their side.

Classed as a romance, I feel the The Night When No One Had Sex is a tale of self discovery, of friendship and understanding of who you are and who you can become. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This book is extremely relatable and an easy read. The plot is moved quickly and propels the story forward. Not to mention, it is extremely funny with a really beautiful cover aswell. Even though the plot only takes place over one night, the characters and relationships are fully formed.

This story gives a small snapshot into the night of a group of teenagers, after their school prom ends. A missing cat, awkward fantasy roleplay and an emergency hospital visit causes chaos to ensue, and the sex pack they all agreed to in their extremely relatable group chat starts to look less and less likely.

I loved this story because it's just so fun, balancing the seriousness of a Grandmother in hospital and chronic illness with Zoe stress baking scones with bananas and an unfortunate amount of lube. It's a multi-pov, and despite this only covering a short period of time, keeping up with who was currently speaking was never an issue.

My only problem was that I wanted more time with the cast. I really got attached to this group and wanted to spend more time with them, see them in college and which paths they chose. I'm always a little sad to leave characters behind, especially ones as fun as these friends were.

I loved this book; even as an adult there were times I laughed out loud. A great read; so relatable to teenage life and how our plans don't always quite turn out. Fantastic!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review, "The Night When No One Had Sex" by Kalena Miller. This was such an interesting take on prom night and was different from things I have read before regarding prom/prom night. I love the dynamic between the characters and the funny one liners throughout. I wish the characters had a little bit more depth to them. The ending was a little too sudden. Overall, a pretty good read that kept me entertained.. 3.5 stars.

This book was a quick, easy read and a great representation of high school kids and all the different kinds of pressure they are under all wrapped up in one special night, prom. The characters were diverse, highly relatable and “normal”.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book (and why I chose them):

“I would rather burn my entire rare stamp collection than tell my mom about the sex pact my friends agreed.”

We all know that our parents had to have had sex for us to exist, but talking to them about it can be really embarrassing and scary, especially if you were raised in more strict or conservative households. I can definitely relate to this on many levels.

“I’m not deluded enough to think I’m going to spend the rest of my life with my high school sweetheart. This isn’t 1980.”

While this can happen, life is not a John Hughes movie (i.e. the 80s) and the ones we love at 17 may not be the right fit for us five years down the road, or even just a year or two into the relationship. People grow and change, and so do their preferences in a partner.

“Are you ready to have sex with an elf?”

This made me laugh so hard! But while it speaks to my inner nerd, it also shows that your perfect person will love you for you, and be willing to step outside of the box to make you happy or in this case, ready for intimacy.

“Well, all I feel is myself freaking out”

I’m 35 and still feel this way sometimes when it comes to big life changes. It can be hard to figure out what you want and even harder to admit to yourself and others. It's okay not to be okay, but know there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

“You know there’s nothing I find sexier than a pro-con list.”

No truer words have been spoken (or written in this case). I am a sucker for lists. They make me so happy and I get so much enjoyment from making them, and crossing things off those lists. I love playing devil’s advocate and seeing a problem from both sides.

“But if tonight has taught me anything, it’s that a bit of unpredictability won’t be so bad after all”

I think this sums up that last bit of high school perfectly. There are break ups, new loves, big life decisions, and family issues. Combining all that with all those hormones raging through our bodies and we are expected to magically be adults who know who they are or who they are going to be.


The night of prom holds many expectations, hopes, fears and then it all goes sideways but in the best ways possible. This coming of age book is a must read for anyone who felt even the smallest bit lost at the end of high school.

Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Night When No One Had Sex

Author: Kalena Miller

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Korean American MC, Plus size Chinese American male character, F/f romance, MC with Lupus

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, sex-positive

Genre: YA contemporary

Publication Date: October 12, 2021

Publisher: AW Teen

Pages: 342

Recommended Age: 16+ (Sex, Sexual content, Sexual fantasies, Fatphobic comment, Language, Porn mentioned, STDs mentioned, Racism mentioned, Animal violence mentioned, Masturbation mentioned)

Explanation of CWs: Sex and all it's different forms are mentioned and discussed in the book. There is one instance of a fat phobic comment. Lots of swearing. Animal violence is mentioned as well as beastiality in a unlikable joke.

Synopsis: It's the night of senior prom, and eighteen-year-old Julia has made a pact with her friends. (Yes, that kind of pact.) They have secured a secluded cabin in the woods, one night without parental supervision, and plenty of condoms. But as soon as they leave the dance, the pact begins to unravel. Alex's grandmother is undergoing emergency surgery, and he and his date rush to the hospital. Zoe's trying to figure out how she feels about getting off the waitlist at Yale--and how to tell her girlfriend. Madison's chronic illness flares, holding her back once again from being a normal teenager. And Julia's fantasy-themed role play gets her locked in a closet. Alternating between each character's perspective and their ridiculous group chat, The Night When No One Had Sex finds a group of friends navigating the tenuous transition into adulthood and embracing the uncertainty of life after high school.

Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this read. It was well written and I loved the switching POVs. The character development was great as was the world building. I also love how sex-positive the book was and how it discussed different aspects of sex and consent. Definitely a win for teens who are looking for books that openly discuss it and doesn't back down from awkward talks.

The only thing I really thought could have been improved on was that the switching POVs did take me a bit to get into and there is a large cast of characters that take a bit to know as well.

Verdict: It was good!

3.75 stars; this was a fun YA contemporary. the wide cast of characters and the various antics they were up to kept me entertained throughout the book. I always appreciate when YA really captures how big and important things feel as a teenager and this one definitely did that. but while I liked it, I didn't find it to be that special. I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it but I think there are just other contemporaries I'd recommend over it.

Thoughts and Themes: As this book has four different point of views as well as four different couples, I will review each of those storylines separately and then review the book as a whole.

Zoe and Morgan

Zoe and Morgan have been together for a while now and are the only two of the group that have already had sex so this night should be no big difference to them. I really liked how this night goes for both of them and how they are both forced to confront their fears about the future. I like how they not only are forced to confront those fears but how they do this all together and help each other through those fears.

Julia and Kevin

These two made me laugh throughout this whole book and I loved reading their parts because of how funny it was. I loved how comfortable these two are with each other and how much they clearly love each other. I loved how all of this was Julia’s plan but nothing goes according to what she has planned.

Madison and Jake

As much as I wasn’t invested in this relationship as much as the rest of them, I still really liked seeing how things played out for them. I liked seeing the way that Madison navigates her relationship with Jake and what her needs are. I thought it was great that we got to see everyone telling Madison what she should want and what her needs are but she stands up against them because of what she wants.

Alex and Leah

This pairing was my favorite of the whole book and I loved how wholesome it all was. I liked seeing how Leah supports Alex through what is probably the scariest night of his life. I like that they don’t really know each other but spend this whole night learning about each other. I also like how we get to see Leah interacting with Alex’s family and love getting to see who these characters are when they are alone.

Overall

I loved the friendships between all of these characters and was laughing during the scenes that you get to see their interactions through the group text. I would’ve loved to see these characters interacting more with each other throughout the night.

I loved that this book was about fearing the unknown in so many different ways and the transition from being a teenager to being an adult. I remember being that age and then going to community college so I didn’t feel like a full adult yet until I left home a few years later. I remember trying to decide which college was the best choice for me and thinking about what leaving friends or friends leaving me meant for my future.

Characters: In this book you get introduced to four main characters, and their partners. I loved getting to learn more about each of the main characters as well as read about their relationships. I loved reading about the separate couples but also the relationships they had with the others in the group.

There were some moments in which some of the characters were frustrating me but then I reminded myself that these are teenagers and this was typical behavior for this age. I liked that this book has Sapphic representation as well as chronic illness representation (Lupus).

Writing Style: This book is told through four points of view in first person which I really enjoyed. I was a bit concerned that I would get confused between all of the points of view but they were all distinct enough that you are able to tell the difference between who is speaking. I liked that you got to see things from each of these perspectives because you got to be in the characters head but also follow along as they are figuring the night out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance to read and review an early copy.

This is definitely a book geared towards the lower end of YA, especially since it takes place in high school, senior year, when our main characters make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night.

The story was fun, and relatable in the regard of the pre-conceived notions about what prom night is to look like. It was a little confusing at first trying to decipher who was who, and their relationships but the different POVs made for a nice touch. It also dealt with a lot of other topics, like the anxiety of which college to choose and being away from friends.

Overall; not a bad book. I wasn’t the intended audience but I still enjoyed it and thought it was fun and humorous.

I LOVED THIS. This takes place in the hours after senior prom and follows four couples; Julia & Kevin, Madison & Jake, Zoe & Morgan and Alex & Leah. Two are in serious relationships, one in a relationship less serious and one that were set up as prom dates.

The friendship group have a sex pact and head to a cabin in the woods after prom. When the group branch off into their four couples, the story gets really fun. I had my favourite out them, that being Alex and Leah. The story is tied really well together, with a group chat being an excellent transition from one couple to the next.

Overall, a really fun read and I look forward to reading more from Kalena Miller.

I am so happy to be a part of this tour, I absolutely loved this book and It made me laugh so much in places. It’s a really feel good coming of age story primarily focusing on the strength of friendships as high school comes to a close.

Like the best teen movies, this book starts with a plan then everything goes hilariously awry. Miller got it all right. The characters were endearing without feeling phony. The humor was funny without being over the top. This book has a lot of heart & I’m so happy I read it. I’m looking forward to seeing what Miller comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was really fun, and even though this was nowhere near what my prom experience was like (I sat at home and watched movies with a friend after), I feel like there are a lot of aspects of this book that are still very relatable which makes it incredibly enjoyable. This book follows a group of friends who make a sex pact to all have sex on prom night - you know, typical high school stuff. It then bounces between the perspectives of a few of the different characters, and also lets us see into their group chat as they message each other their antics throughout the night. There is loss and love, heartbreak and new beginnings, and lots of teen angst. Based on the title it was assumed that the sex pact wasn't going to happen, and it was due to a series of unfortunate events, so reading the different problems each of them were dealing with that night was a nice change of pace to the more stereotypical prom night shenanigans. I did get frustrated with some of the characters behaviors at times, but then I remembered they are 17, and I am much older and have lived many more experiences than them, so I cannot say I wouldn't have done the same thing when I was 17 - so they get a pass.

If you are looking for a book that has a lot of different viewpoints so it can keep your attention, and you don't want it to drag out over a long time (I think this whole thing takes place over maybe 12 hours?), this is a fun way to live a very different after prom night evening than I think many of us would have had. 4.5/5

Kalena Miller really captures the excitement, anxiety and angst typical of ONE NIGHT in as teenager's life. I laughed out loud so many times, seeing my own teenage years reflected in the characters. This was a highly engaging read, a romp (or not) through a night filled with chaos, ridiculous (in a good way) scenarios, and relationships that are in the process of growth and change. Highly recommend.

honestly, this book sounded so good. but there was so many different povs in this book, that it honestly confused the hell out of me. and i feel like it was just so confusing for me to read and i couldn't connect to anyone, since there was so many things and people happening in this book. and i feel like if you didn't like every single character and every single couple, it would have been a bit of a mess. and the couple good characters weren't enough to save the book for me.

zoe and morgan- i honestly liked that they were queer and that they honestly felt really real. and i honestly liked how they kind of talked about how they were sexual active, and not some cardboard cut out of a couple, since they are the only queer couple in the friend group. and i liked that we got to see zoe freak out about college and all of this. and how morgan didn't really want her sister to have sex with her boyfriend, and i honestly liked seeing how overprotective they were.

alex and leah- they were probably the best couple in the books and i really liked that they were this blind date to prom, and i think it was just cool to see their dynamic about it all and how they weren't going to have sex and all of that. and i really liked how leah and alex went to go see his grandma once she has a heart attack.

madison and jake- she has lupus and i really liked that this played into morgan's anxiety about it all, and the need to make sure she is safe and okay. and jake is leaving for college and is an athlete.

This book was pretty good! I would give it 3.5 but round up to a 4. I thought the plot was unique and appreciated that it brought up a number of issues that young people are often think of, such as college decisions and what that means for friendships and relationships and the pressure to have sex. I also really liked how it talked about sex very openly, the author didn't decide to skirt around any topics that might be uncomfortable which is something I think we need more of in literature. The one flaw that sticks out to me is that there were a few times where a character would say something and I would have to take a step back for a moment because it just didn't seem to make any sense. Other than that though, I would for sure recommend this book to a customer or friend.

I enjoyed this book because it could be a real story. The friendships and relationships came across as genuine, and so did the struggles each character faced. The realistic struggles around sex in this novel were great. There are characters figuring out lube, role playing, vaginismus, chronic illness, and more.

I also liked the emphasis on plans gone awry. There's so much change going on in a teenager's life and pressure to meet certain milestones and make big decisions. The way that the characters dealt with these roadblocks in the book wasn't always rational, but it was real.

Overall, this story about the escapades of a tight knit group of friends on prom night was charming, light-hearted, and authentic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Albert Whitman & Company, and Kalena Miller for the opportunity to read The Night When No One Had Sex in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is told in various perspectives featuring four couples who decide to make a sex pact after their senior prom. Zoe's uncle is out and his cabin in the woods is up for grabs (not a creepy story, I promise!). Each couple plans to make the best of the night and come away having had a wonderful (sexual) time with their significant other. But as John Lennon says, "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." 

Alex and Leah: Leah doesn't know about the sex pact, but sex pact member and lab partner Julia pushed Leah to go to prom with her friend, Alex. After prom, Alex rushes to the hospital because his grandma had a heart attack. Leah, even though she and Alex never really talked before, remains a faithful prom date and goes with Alex to the hospital, instead of going to another party that is being held. Leah might have a little secret of her own for going to the hospital with her prom date. Demon Cat will make an appearance with Alex eventually...

Julia and Kevin: Both determined, but Julia has severe pain every time she and Kevin try to have sex. They attempt numerous things to try and make the magic happen without pain, including a whole bottle of lube and some role-playing from her favorite book series. Also, Julia hates cats, and Zoe's uncle's cat, dubbed "Demon Cat" by Julia, happens to be in their room of choice...

Jake and Madison: Madison has lupus, a disease where the immune system attacks its own tissues. Some symptoms include fatigue, rashes, joint pain, and fever. Sometimes stress or too much activity can cause Madison to get a flare-up, and the pain scale varies. Jake knows about her lupus but tries not to have that on his mind or ask her about it. Instead he pushes to keep the sex pact in tact and find a fun way to spend time with Madison, which might involve climbing on the roof...and getting interrupted by Demon Cat.

Zoe and Morgan: Morgan is Madison's twin sister. She spends far too much time worrying about her sister's condition and tends to make frequent phone calls to her mom at moments a phone call should not be made. Zoe was on a waitlist for Yale University and was actually accepted. But she also wants to go where Morgan is going to college so they can remain together. This choice causes Zoe some severe anxiety throughout the night, and she isn't sure how to tell Morgan what she wants to do. She isn't even sure what school she wants to attend. To top off their night of not-so-much-romance, Zoe's uncle's cat disappears and she continues to stress, needing to find the cat or face the wrath of her uncle.

Demon Cat: also known as Bulldog, this orange male kitty is a beloved comic relief throughout the tensions of high school senior teenage romance drama. 

Part of me requested this novel because the drive to read teenage angst books was really hoping this would be more romantic than it was, but it definitely had its real relationship moments. Not all relationships are perfect, but working through conflict is how relationships grow stronger. These high school seniors are about to enter adult life and will need to take those problem-solving skills with them. Maybe they didn't get lucky, as things do not always go according to plan, but they certainly each come away having gained some life/worldly experience from the night.

This is a quirky, fun book that a teen reader may enjoy, and I had fun waiting to see how each relationship would turn out at the night's end.

The Night No One Had Sex follows a close-knit group of friends, enjoying their last glory days of high school before adulthood with a sex pact. If you’ve ever wondered what the inside of a bunch of horny high schoolers looks like then read this book for one hell of a group chat!

I adored the multiple POVs as the storyline follows 8 characters (4 couples) and readers can fully appreciate the dynamic relationships and the ability to canvas each character's thought process and emotions. The character representation was eclectic from LGBT couples, chronic illness, anxiety disorders, plus-sized characters, and a plethora of ethnicities- this novel offers something for everyone and I approve of the inclusivity.

At its core, this novel touches on the struggles of transitioning from a teenager to adulthood, planning for college to the uncertainty of what the future may hold. It imparts such an integral lesson to the younger generation which is to live in the moment and stay true to yourself. The writing style is extremely sarcastic and comical and 100% entertaining.

There’s a level of uncertainty as the author wraps up the story, that is very vague and open to interpretation which I don’t usually like but somehow it works with this story. There is almost a whisper of, "this isn't the end of their journey but merely the beginning."

This was a highly entertaining coming-of-age story about love, friendship, and family. It provides an extremely sex-positive, straightforward overview of teen sexuality and common issues of teenage life.

Thank you to the author, Albert Whitman, and Company and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.