Book Review: Prom House by Chelsea Mueller
Prom House by Chelsea Mueller
Published: May 4th 2021 by Underlined
Rating: ★★★
Genre: Young Adult // Mystery, Thriller
Quick Thoughts: Killer prom night with predictable, but enjoyable tropes
About the book: It’s the season to scream . . . Prom turns deadly in this unputdownable thriller for fans of Halloween Kills and Fear Street.
A KILLER AFTERPARTY . . .
When Kylie walks into the gorgeous beach house, it’s a dream come true. She still can’t believe she talked her parents into letting her spend the weekend down the shore with her boyfriend, Liam, after prom. Kylie, Liam, and their friends have rented the most amazing party house—and it’s all theirs. Prom was awesome, but this is going to be even better.
Except there’s a little problem. A violent storm hits the beach and the power goes out—with no sign that it’s coming back anytime soon. Roughing it with candles and camping lanterns isn’t the vibe they were going for, but everyone wants to make the most of it. Until people start disappearing . . . and turning up dead. Kylie is terrified. Is somebody’s prom date a killer?
First Thoughts
Ever since Prom House arrived on my doorstep, I’ve been desperate to tear into it. I (impatiently) waited until it got more autumnal (i.e. darker nights, cosy vibes) to tuck into this killer read.
My Review
Kylie, our main character, voices the book through her POV. The moment that she walks into the beach house for the afterparty of prom, she knows that it’s far out of her and her friends league. She can’t believe her parents let her stay there for the weekend, either. For the most part, the party starts without a hitch. Only, a storm occurs on the shore, and suddenly the house is left without power, cascading the night into darkness. But then, to make matters worse, a body is discovered – one of her friends – and as soon as that happens, the entire weekend goes up in flames.
Soon enough, people start disappearing. Even after candles are lit and the house is illuminated once more, it doesn’t stop bodies from dropping. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Questions are thrown into conversation, trying to piece together the motive, and most importantly, which prom-goer is a killer.
Overall, I thought that Prom House was a short-but-good read. It had the signature “prom killer” clichés that I love, but I sadly guessed the killer way too early, but some people might not though! If I had to describe it in a nutshell, I’d say it was a killer prom night read with predictable, but enjoyable tropes, most probably best for 14-17 year olds as older-YA lovers might find this a bit slower than their usual plot-pacing preference. Definitely a three-star read – I think that I just wasn’t the right fit for the book was a whole, but I know so many others that would eat this up!
About the Author
Chelsea Mueller writes gritty contemporary fantasy and thrillers for adults and teens. She founded the speculative fiction website Vampire Book Club and blogs about TV and romance novels for numerous websites. She loves bad cover songs, good fight scenes*, and every soapy YA drama Netflix can put in her queue. Chelsea lives in Texas, and has been known to say y’all. For the latest updates, join her email list at ChelseaMueller.com or follow @ChelseaVBC on Twitter and Instagram. * Need tips for writing dynamic and realistic fight scenes? Check out Chelsea's Write Like a Fighter blog series where she puts her martial arts background to use for fellow authors.
Have you read Prom House?
If you haven’t, don’t forget to add this killer book to your TBR!
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happy reading!
