The Prom Queen was an exceptionally fun and bloody romp through Shadyside. It pulled off having a large cast of characters much better than many of its Fear Street predecessors, at least so far as the five prom queen candidates went. I can’t say the same for the boy characters; they all kinda blended together aside from being suspects. There are also some great examples in this book of how you don’t have to be a killer to be a total fucking creep. It was kinda funny how the students and parents were all anxious about the recent murders in Shadyside, as though murders don’t happen there all the time. It was also pretty ridiculous that the school would put on a play and do the prom on the same weekend. I mean, Shadyside is hardly a normal town, but maybe this was a tradition in some high schools. I can’t say for sure. It sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. In fact, I would say my biggest issues with the book were the baffling decisions made by the minor adult characters. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. That alone elevates this book for me. The plot may have followed a familiar Fear Street formula, but I felt like The Prom Queen was one of the best-executed books to use it.
Score: 4
Find my full review with spoilers snark, and memes over on my blog:
https://www.danstalter.com/the-prom-queen/
Today (Nov. 28th 1991) Kurt Cobain sang Smells like Teen Spirit in a lower key imitating Morrissey from The Smiths. And changing the lyrics to "Load up on drugs, Kill your friends."
And attempted to eat the microphone at one point.