All the stories in this collection confirm the hype associated with prom night. If one unifying theme ties these stories together, it is the seriousness with which teens view the prom event. The authors make light of this seriousness by taking prom scenarios into the realm of the ridiculous. The authors explore situations known to everyone familiar with the rituals of high school life, and they present scenarios that shed light on the teenage concerns that crop up in true-to-life prom dates.

The authors in Springer's collection explore not only the emotions associated with the prom, but they explore more universal emotions by putting them in the context of one noteworthy event with which most teens can identify. Tim Waggoner's "Meeting Dad," for instance, deals with the awkwardness teens often feel when meeting the parents of their dates. Kevin, the protagonist of this story...