How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom

Starred review from March 1, 2019
A teenager bravely contends with hormones, homosexuality, and high school in this uproarious romantic comedy of errors that breathes new life into the prom story.Nolan Sheffield just wants to make it through his junior year without making waves and follow his beloved older sister, Daphne, to college. The last thing on his mind is dating. Unfortunately for him, his overprotective big sis has other plans. Before Nolan knows what happened, he has an unexpected prom date, an improbable fake boyfriend--who once bullied him--and no clue how to make sense of the situation. In her second novel, Goslee (Whatever., 2016) combines elements of the 1999 films Never Been Kissed and She's All That into a delightful teen romp that is as hilarious as it is heartfelt. The author has an undeniable knack for dialogue and description and creates a cast of characters so genuine and amusing that readers will scan their high schools hoping to find them. Nolan's relationships with his adoptive parents and well-meaning yet meddlesome sister anchor the narrative, creating a portrait of a quirky yet eminently supportive modern family that any gay child would envy. Nolan's candid conversation with his mom about the birds and the bees demonstrates her unconditional love and provides hope that life may one day reflect art. Nolan and his family are white; scant physical descriptions leave readers speculating about other characters' ethnicities based on names.A tour de force novel with pages that almost seem to turn of their own accord. (Fiction. 14-18)

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April 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Goslee's (Whatever) sophomore effort is a tale of boy takes boy to prom, with a twist. Unlike other juniors fretting about college, Nolan Grant Sheffield is content to work at the plant nursery forever if he doesn't get into his top school. But among a long list of college prep plans, his older sister Daphne's making her never-been-kissed brother ask a boy to prom-or she'll ask someone for him. Nolan chooses his longtime crush Si O'Mara, out school football star and GSA president. But before Nolan gets Si's answer, classmate Bern intercepts the promposal to save Nolan from potential embarrassment. Suddenly, Nolan finds himself not only going to the dance with Bern, a guy who used to bully him, but also fake dating him. As the relationship starts to tiptoe the line between real and pretend, will the odd couple make it to prom night? With a colloquial tone, Nolan's first-person narration drops readers into the action alongside the humorous cast. Episodic time jumps read like cinematic cuts. Aside from the "dick drawings" on Nolan's locker and a few exchanges, the plot is refreshingly light on homophobia. The presence of multiple queer characters fosters a welcome sense of queer community-and that support extends into Nolan's adoptive family. Though race is not overtly described, character names suggest some diversity beyond a white default. VERDICT A smash hit for teen romcom fans wanting a queer read-alike to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before.-Alec Chunn, Eugene Public Library, OR

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
Grades 8-12 "Fake dating is apparently a thing. A trope that usually ends up with both parties having sex and living happily ever after, but that is not my life. My life is sassy cats and plants with quirky names." Nolan Grant probably wouldn't even be looking at how to fake date a guy if it wasn't for his sister forcing him to ask Si O'Mara to the prom. When the attempted promposal doesn't go as planned, Nolan finds himself "fake dating" Bern, an intimidating guy who just broke up with his girlfriend, Gia. But as the weeks go by, Nolan ends up on an emotional rollercoaster and starts wondering if things with Bern are moving from fake to real. Nolan's first-person narration?navigating the tension between his sense of self and the observations of his peers?is illuminating and humorous. Goslee (Whatever, 2016) has produced a delightful comedy of errors populated by complex characters that exhibit emotional depth while navigating the angst and drama of a queer YA romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)