Ask Again Later

High school junior Heart LaCoeur had planned to go to prom with a group of friends—as the No Drama Prom-a Crew—but suddenly gets two other invitations. Heart’s brother promises her to his recently dumped best friend, and her friend Ryan confesses that he’s gay and asks her to be his platonic date. Though readers may not think either option beats Heart’s original plan, she waffles and finally flips a coin. The remainder of the book alternates between the two paths, Sliding Doors–style. In one thread, Heart spends the night with stereotypically drunk football players and their prom-royalty dates; in the other, she has an unromantic evening with Ryan, which is mostly spent with the No Drama group anyway. Duplicate disasters occur in both storylines, which eventually dovetail for a telegraphed happy ending. While Heart’s escapades are largely (and enjoyably) silly, debut author Czukas occasionally hints at deeper issues, but abandons them. Readers dreaming of their own future proms can enjoy the hijinks, but they aren’t quite enough to sustain the story. Ages 13–up. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency. (Mar.)