Prom Dates from Hell » (Large Print)

Rosemary Clement-Moore lives and writes in Arlington, Texas. You can visit her at www.readrosemary.com.

From the Hardcover edition.

Maggie Quinn, Girl reporter. Honors student, newspaper staffer, yearbook photographer. Six weeks from graduation and all she wants to do is get out of Avalon High in one piece. Fate seems to have different plans for her.

High school may be a natural breeding ground for evil, but the scent of fire and brimstone is still a little out of the ordinary. It's the distinct smell of sulfur that makes Maggie suspect that something's a bit off. And when realTwilight Zone stuff starts happening to the school's ruling clique—the athletic elite and the head cheerleader and her minions, all of whom happen to be named Jessica—Maggie realizes it's up to her to get in touch with her inner Nancy Drew and ferret out who unleashed the ancient evil before all hell breaks loose.

Maggie has always suspected that prom is the work of the devil, but it looks like her attendance will be mandatory. Sometimes a girl's got to do some pretty undesirable things if she wants to save her town from soul-crushing demons from hell and the cheerleading squad.

Publishers Weekly

Beyond the amusing title, this book has an equally compelling premise: smart-mouthed Maggie Quinn tries to ignore her psychic powers, but begins to be disturbed by dark dreams. Then strange events happen in real life, too, such as Maggie seeing a dark shadow in the pool just before a friend slips on the school's diving board, nearly drowning. Slowly, with the help of a cute college boy who knows a lot about the occult, she begins to piece together what is haunting her classmates-and her-and who will be the next victim. But even she is surprised by who is behind the spell, finally figuring it out in an outrageous scene on prom night. There is a lot to like in this story that takes on magic, romance and even clique politics. The book occasionally shifts from lighthearted fun into some true darkness, such as when Maggie's best friend reveals that she had been date-raped by the school's most popular guy. In the end, readers will appreciate the lesson Maggie learns about listening to her gut, and will likely laugh when she bravely shouts at the shadowy evil spirit, "I hope you enjoyed your leave, Smokey, because your pass is about to be revoked." Ages 14-up. (Mar.)