Creepy Tales Make a Hell Out of Prom Night
Prom Nights from Hell
It doesn't matter whether horror is your genre or not. Anyone who has been through high school will smile at the title and theme of this collection of novellas from HarperTeen: Prom Nights from Hell.
Add to the mix that the contributors are Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, and Stephenie Meyer and it's obvious someone at Harper Teen is having a lot of fun. Nor does it hurt that most of the paranormal prom stories are pretty entertaining reads.
Overall, the collection of novellas showcase wonderful writing of creepy tales. Each author is able to capture their own distinct style in the five stories as well as inject them with very different moods. Granted, some work better than others.
The first three stories went from a happy ending to a tragic ending to no ending at all. In fact, Kim Harrison's Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper reads more like one of those promotional chapters at the end of a series book. It was the beginning of a novel with all of the expositional setup presented but nothing resolved or explained. While it hinted at possibilities, it was a disappointing read because of its failure to reach a climax or a resolution.
However, that is the exception in this handful of stories. All together, it is a book that invites its readers to delight in the characters and creations of each of the authors.
The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot
That Meg Cabot is a much-loved teen author is no surprise after reading this novella. There is something warm, inviting, and familiar about the way she writes. In this book, a young teen is determined to save her best friend from Dracula's son, a vampire who is getting ready to feast on her as the crowning moment of prom night.
However, even in a vampire story, Cabot manages to weave in her trademark teen novel items. There are confused lovers, odd attractions, and distracted parents. There are also e-mails, homework worries, and a youthful vernacular that keeps this story fresh and interesting.
The Corsage by Lauren Myracle
Myracle tells you right at the outset that she was inspired by The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacob. Those familiar with the tale won't find The Corsage particularly suspenseful as Myrcale follows the wishes and results pretty closely, however, they will appreciate her modernization of the famous tale. Those unfamiliar with The Monkey's Paw will be mesmerized and creeped out by this tale of a girl who has her three wishes fulfilled.
What is especially effective about this story is that Myracle's protagonist is not particularly likeable. In fact, she comes across as one of those stereotypical annoying teenagers with too much attitude and not enough sense. The beauty of this is that she manages to stretch the character in a very few number of pages so that by the end, she is entirely sympathetic and tugging at the heart strings of the readers.
Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison
Once again, the protagonist isn't particularly sympathetic, though her plight becomes an interesting and unique one. Madison is at her prom at a new school with a boy who asked her out as a pity date. Suddenly she is swept off her feet by a dashing stranger filled with dangerous charm.
She is then swept into a strange world where angels are fighting reapers over whose coin gets flipped when. Harrison drops dark hints about Madison's importance to various factions, but all is expository introduction. The story ends with nothing but frustration for the reader who holds unfinished strands of a rug that might be interesting to look at once completed but in its current state obscures any real image.
Kiss and Tell by Michele Jaffe
Superheroes count as paranormal under the strictest definition of the word, right? After all, they're certainly not "normal." So Harper Teen can be forgiven for including a superhero story in this collection, especially since the novella is so much fun.
In it we meet Miranda Kiss, a teenage superhero living with all the angst and insecurity of a modern high school student. A student at a boarding school, she's keenly familiar with the knowledge that being different is difficult in high school and having superpowers makes one really different.
Jaffe has so many delightful elements in this story that while it stands alone, one hopes that there will be more stories about Miranda Kiss. Especially if Jaffe includes Miranda's roommate Kenzi who likes to speak in acronyms and frequently breaks up with her girlfriend Beth because she "thought the drama of breakups and the thrill of reconciliation kept a relationship fresh."
Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer
This is another one that skirts a little to close to a prequel rather than a self-contained story, but Meyer manages to bring it to a satisfying conclusion that keeps the novella from being just a teaser.
Instead, the reader is left hoping that there will be more stories to follow this one with perhaps a follow-up to the characters presented in this novel. Hell on Earth begins with a prom night from hell, quite literally, though the participants are painfully unaware.
A female demon, Sheba, is pouring her hellish attentions on this Florida high school prom, making sure everyone is miserable and that there is one break-up after another. She actively tempts each of students, leading them into follies of argument, spite, and hatred. Just when she is on the verge of sending the prom over into truly tragic proportions, she meets with interference.
Meyer has created a wonderful interplay between demons and angels, exploring themes of good vs. evil, love, and the effect that we have on each other. The novella changes points of view several times, giving the reader a wide perspective that makes the ending perfectly delightful.
Meyer also has fun with the names: Gabe (you'll have to read the story to learn his full name) as the hero, Jezebel as another demon, and Celeste as the sultry senior who gladly does Sheba's dirty work by seducing every boy at the dance.
Conclusion
This collection of novellas is sure to entice readers of all ages. It's also the perfect book to read before attending one's own prom — by comparison, reality will seem dreamy perfection.
