Say No to the Bro

Gr 9 Up—Ava just wants to blend in during her senior year after moving to a new place. Angry at her mom, she feels disconnected from everyone around her. When she is signed up against her will for her new school's strange tradition known as Prom Bowl, where girls are auctioned off as prom dates to the highest bidder, her plans of anonymity are shattered. Told through the points of view of Ava and the school's popular quarterback, Mark, the story unfolds in a frustrating plot of miscommunication that feels realistically teen. However, Ava's voice at times is inauthentic as she makes strange observations about her fellow contestants. Ava and Mark end up dating and falling in love, a payoff that readers will find rushed and unearned. Other than their initial meeting and a single movie date, they don't interact outside of Prom Bowl. At the end, they both reminisce about dates and conversations they've had but to which readers are never privy. Ava's resolution with her mother is too quick. The story's exploration of consent and self-image is lacking. For a darker but well-executed look at how society treats teenage girls, try Mindy McGinnis's Female of the Species.