Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

Nicolette has not gotten over the popular ""Rascal"" ditching her before junior prom, causing her to miss out on a big date in the perfect dress. She and her mom try ""humor as medicine,"" keeping the title list taped to the refrigerator. Silly suggestions of what to do with ""The Dress"" begin many of the chapters (""Use the beautiful pink material as a death shroud after you die from complete and utter humiliation""). But even as the aptly named Rascal continues to flirt with her (behind his girlfriend's back) Nicolette finds herself spending more quality time with Jared, her best friend's brother. Tensions escalate between Rascal and Jared, and also between Nicolette and Alison. (Not to mention that Nicolette is dealing with family drama, including her mother's failing career and her father's life with a new wife and two-year-old daughter.) Readers might wish that newcomer Ferraro had chosen to tackle less so she could have developed the major story lines a bit more. Even so, teens will find it easy to cheer for genuine Nicolette, who always tries to do the right thing, whether that means helping her mom pay the mortgage, or having to weigh Alison's ultimatum that Nicolette must choose between her best friend and her best friend's brother. In the end, readers will not be surprised to find out who Nicolette goes to the homecoming dance with (or what she wears), but they will be thrilled nonetheless. An author's note suggests how to donate a formal dress. Ages 12-up.