The first story in Prom Nights from Hell is The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot. It's a cute story about a teenage girl who is seeking revenge on the son of Dracula (Sebastian), who has put a spell on her best friend. The reason the girl, Mary, seeks revenge on Sebastian is because his father turned her mother into a vampire.
It's told from the first person perspective of two characters, Mary the heroine, and Adam, the hero who eventually becomes Marys boyfriend. This story is easy to follow, having been written for a young audience and (of course) the major action happens at prom.
It's a budding romance story and was interesting but not one of my favorite writers. I give it a 2 out of 5.
The next story is The Corsage written by Lauren Myracle. In this story we have a new telling of an old campfire tale. Frankie, the main character in this tale, goes to a fortune teller to see if the boy she loves, Will - who just happens to be there too, is going to ask her to the prom. During their session, they happen across a corsage that is suppose to grant three wishes. Will dies in the process of asking Frankie to prom under extreme circumstances and probably the influence of the corsage as well.. Frankie goes a little mad and decides to bring Will back to life, after he's been buried for several days. The ending was a bit surprising for me and somewhat of a let down. This one gets a 2.5 out of 5, and maybe that's just because it was too short of a story and felt a little rushed for me.
Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison was one of my favorites in this compilation. Madison Avery is in a new town she calls Dullsville, USA with her father and at prom. She is unhappy with her date and decides to leave the prom with a mysterious dark stranger named Seth who turns out to be pretty scary. Seth and Madison are speeding along in a convertible that promptly looses control, at Seth's direction. Madison is not yet dead, much to Seth's chagrin, who cuts through her with a knife. She wakes up in the morgue to hear two people arguing and this is where our story beings. Through several circumstances, Madison is turned into a Reaper. Not really dead, but not quite alive either. The ending in this story is just the beginning to the series of Madison Avery the first book being Once Dead Twice Shy.
I loved this story, the characters were well written and believable and the story line left me wanting more. I suppose Kim Harrison felt the same and that's why we now have a series. I give this story a 4 out of 5 only because it felt unfinished, and now I MUST read Once Dead Twice Shy to find out what happens next!
Michele Jaffe intrigued me with Kiss and Tell. The story immediately begins with a death and just gets better from there. We are introduced to Miranda who has some extraordinary capabilities, like being able to hear EVERYTHING with crisp clarity. Miranda is a student at a boarding school; she has no parents that she can recall and is on a roller derby team to help expel some the "extra" energy she seems to have. To be on the team, she also has to be a driver for the teams sponsor, a car service. This is how she meets Sibby, her fare. When Miranda drops Sibby off at her destination, she notices things aren't exactly what they seem and resorts to rescue her from her captures clutches.
I enjoyed Miranda's kwirky nature in this story and would like to read more about her. I hope that Michele Jaffe will make this story into a series since there were several loose ends that were not tied up when this tale was finished. It's a 4 out of 5 for me; I just wanted more explanations.
Now, to my favorite in this book - Hell on Earth by Stephanie Meyer. Gabe, our hero, has asked a girl to prom, Celeste, who instantly wraps herself around every guy in the place, abandoning Gabe. We hear from several different perspectives, Gabe's, Celeste's, Sheba's (the new girl) and several other minor characters. Gabe is drawn to Sheba for reasons he can't understand, he just knows that she needs his help. Sheba, who is dark, mysterious and a bit devious, has an agenda all her own, which is to wreak havoc throughout the entire prom. She MUST do this in order to advance among the ranks of the demons.
Sheba tries to regain control over the devastation of the night, sensing there is another calming presence there, but unable to place it. Little does she know, until it's too late, that Gabe is her own personal guardian angel.
She falls in love with an actual angel, and is instantly enslaved for life, but couldn't care less about her unfortunate situation while she is looking into Gabe's eyes.
I truly loved this story! Of course I did, it's Stephenie Meyer, one of my favorite authors. It was well done, didn't feel rushed, and the characters were well defined, not hollow or two dimensional. This story gets a 5 out of 5!
