2005's A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan is clearly a sign of its time - although a (relatively) early YA novel depicting LGBTQ+ positivity with a gay protagonist, it also shows just how far values have come since then. The novel is rife with arguable examples of slut shaming and body shaming; alcoholics are portrayed in a humorous manner and alcoholism closely tied to slut-shaming; certain negative gay stereotypes are reinforced (namely gay men being attracted to underaged teens) and abusive relationships and partners are portrayed positively until near the end of the book.
A Really Nice Prom Mess has a relatively short read at just 266 pages (1st HC edition), and even then the page count (and adult themes/narrative) belies an overestimation of the reading difficulty. Teens, young adults and even older readers who appreciate farcical reads and even "ironic reading" especially when it comes to prom-related subject matter or extremely busy comedic plotlines akin to The Hangover might appreciate this book enough to overlook its faults, but parents might find the content offensive to modern sensibilities. That said, most actual readers, even pre-teens, will probably feel well-insulated from any offense and appreciate the book either in an "ironic" fashion or simply to pad out book reading list counts.
Grade: 3/5 stars, Goodreads.com scale (an average reading experience that is worthwhile for entertainment value or for completing a series, but readers may be feeling little of value to take away from the reading experience).
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