Will Work for Prom Dress

May 16, 2013 Esther Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

I chose this book, because after reading Last Christmas, I had to find something to read. I was in Mrs. Augustine's library, and this book caught my eye, so I decided to read it. This story is about Quigley Johnson and her best friend Anne. Quigley and Anne are trying out every job that they can find so that they can raise money for their prom dress. Quigley is in the middle of a love triangle when David the "Art King" asks her to prom, and she has to decline him because Quigley developes feeli...more

like · see review

Oct 20, 2011 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, prom, quirky, art, artists, arty-chicks, arty-boys, friendship, relationships, relationship-problems, high-school, teenagers, families, parents, parenting, young-adult-fiction, fashion, gutsy-girls, love, first-love, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Quigley Johnson and her best friend Anne are going to the prom. They don’t have dates and they don’t have dresses, but they have a plan – they’re going to do everything they can to improve themselves AND save enough money for the affair (even though Anne’s mom is a famous fashion designer who would be more than happy to make them gowns). Thus begins their journey into weird and wacky employment and money-making schemes (somehow Quigley always seems to get the worst of it). Getting dates turns ou...more

like · see review

Feb 28, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

4.5 stars see the full review at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2...

Quigley and Ann are in their last year of high school and on a mission to improve themselves just in time for prom. Their Betterment Plan includes eating right, exercise and plenty of off the wall jobs to pay for the perfect dress. The girls find themselves in a frozen pizza factory making artistic creations with sauce and pepperoni, sitting in as the dead man at a mystery murder dinner and even part of a float in their loc...more 4.5 stars see the full review at http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2...

Quigley and Ann are in their last year of high school and on a mission to improve themselves just in time for prom. Their Betterment Plan includes eating right, exercise and plenty of off the wall jobs to pay for the perfect dress. The girls find themselves in a frozen pizza factory making artistic creations with sauce and pepperoni, sitting in as the dead man at a mystery murder dinner and even part of a float in their local parade. Quigley always seems to get the short end of the stick in every finagled job, so she is hesitant when Ann's world famous designer mom, Victoria Parisi, offers them a gig as models for her fashion design class at the local college.

Quigley is everything your average student, not overly concerned with her body or standing out. So it's no surprise when her perfect beautiful friend Ann lands all of the votes for first pick as model in the class. Zander sides with Quigley and in his humble sincere way slowly wins his way to her heart. Meanwhile, Ann is busy with Lance, the Spikester, who has a past of his own. But both design class boys have competition awaiting them at the High School.

As a reader you'll never know until the very end if Ann picks T-Shirt, the local rich boy who wears his daily motto on his tee or if Quigley will turn arch nemesis self-proclaimed art King David into more than just an enemy.

Author Aimee Ferris will have you laughing out loud with the funny, awkward situations going on and the richly developed characters. But hidden beneath the pre-prom fluff are many real life lessons about choosing a college, making amends with parents and finding yourself amidst peer pressure. She does a great job of teaching that bad choices have life long consequences and you can't judge a person by your first impressionWill Work For Prom Dress is a clean, light read that I would recommend to all readers. It offered me a nice break from heavy writing and I loved the artistic elements of photography, drawing and dress design sprinkled into the plot. I can't wait for more from Ms. Freeman. Her blog alone is enough to have you in stitches as you travel back to the scary days of big hair in YA promapalooza. Thanks so much to Goodman Media for sending me such a fun pick. "Measure twice, cut once!"(less)

like 1 like · see review

Feb 05, 2011 cecilia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pink-covers

Absolutely full of adorability, Will Work For Prom Dress will appeal to both young and not-so-young readers who enjoy a bubbly high school romance with a dash of thoughtfulness. By far, our main character has a rather quirky name, but it works for her - and Quigley will surely steal your heart away without really meaning to.

Aimee Ferris provides us with a colorful cast of characters with memorable personality traits. Even though there wasn't much in-depth characterization, I still thought that t...more

like · see review

Jan 13, 2011 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Prom certainly seems to be a popular topic in YA lit lately for me. Maybe it always has been and I didn't realize it. This is the second prom related book I've read lately. Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris is a cute story with its ups and downs for me.

Synopsis: Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their...more Prom certainly seems to be a popular topic in YA lit lately for me. Maybe it always has been and I didn't realize it. This is the second prom related book I've read lately. Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris is a cute story with its ups and downs for me.

Synopsis: Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?
But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.
He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds. (B&N.com)

Quigley and her friend Anne are determined to go to prom and they are earning money for dresses, working on their health courtesy of Anne's Betterment Plan. It is all kind of crazy but Quigley just goes along with it because she will do anything for Anne. One of their jobs, modeling for Anne's fashion famous mother, leads to Quigley meeting Zander, a sweet guy whose designs are perfect for her. They quickly become friends, and Quigley hopes for something more, even if there is this other guy in the picture, the guy Anne is telling her she should like and take to prom. Should a girl listen to her best friend or for once listen to her own heart?

Ok, the cover of this book is sweet enough but it reminds me of the chick lit books of the early 2000s, which isn't exactly a recommendation. I think a lot of teens are over cartoon covers too. And Quigley, well she definitely is not like the girl on the cover so its also kind of misleading. Quigley is her own girl in a lot of ways but she is also a girl teens are going to relate to pretty well. She does not get perfect grades, far from it in fact, struggling for C's. She does let Anne lead her around quite a bit and is content to do so. She has dreams for college but is pretty realistic in thinking that it will not happen due to several factors.

Unfortunately, the book pulls out several plot points that were definitely not realistic and bordered, for me, as saccharine or too over the top. I can handle some fictionalization obviously but the way some of the events occurred in this book, well I just was not totally on board.

On the other hand, I did feel like Ferris did a great job depicting the somewhat uneven friendship between Quigley and Anne. I think everyone has experienced a friendship like the one portrayed in this story, where it is obvious that Anne takes some advantage of Quigley, yet is also the shoulder she needs to lean on. This is what teen friendship is! Doing selfish things, sometimes hurting each other, but also being there for each other, laughing, talking about boys, and knowing that other person has your back. I enjoyed this aspect of the book most of all.

There is also a few great comedic scenes that add levity to the book, particularly revolving around Quigley's struggles with boys. Also, there is a scene involving a pickle that had me smiling immensely.

So, all in all, somewhat a mixed bag but in the end, I feel I got more enjoyment out of this book than disappointments. It's a perfect easy breezy read and sometimes, that is just what I need.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 11, 2012 Alex rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, teen-ya

At First Sight: Even though it isn't exactly her dream, budding artist Quigley has agreed to her best friend Anne's plan to get themselves some smoking-hot dresses for their Senior Formal, even if that means some crappy after school jobs (like working at a pizza factory or a dinner-theater thing).

That's how she gets dragged to Anne's mom design class to work as a model for Mrs. Parisi's class of budding designers. Quigley things it's all going to be a drag - and a bit humiliating to boot since s...more At First Sight: Even though it isn't exactly her dream, budding artist Quigley has agreed to her best friend Anne's plan to get themselves some smoking-hot dresses for their Senior Formal, even if that means some crappy after school jobs (like working at a pizza factory or a dinner-theater thing).

That's how she gets dragged to Anne's mom design class to work as a model for Mrs. Parisi's class of budding designers. Quigley things it's all going to be a drag - and a bit humiliating to boot since she doesn't have the thin, waif body Anne does and no-one will chose her as a model - until she meets Zander.

He might not be able to draw, but his designs are beautiful, and he always picks Quigley as his model. He is nice and funny and charming, and sometimes it even seems like he's really interested in her.

But things aren't all smooth sailing for Quigley, between the signals Zander sends and she misreads Anne escalating rebellious behavior and David, Quigley's nemesis who suddenly seems interested in way more than their not-so-friendly artistic competition.

Second Glance: Will Work for From Dress had been on my TBR pile for a good long while, yet I always kept putting it off. I always figured it would be a fluffy, fun, little book to read, and I think that was it's intention but I don't think the execution was all the way there.

To start with, I thought the characters were nice but really underdeveloped, I never felt like I really got to know them in any sustancial way, it was all on the surface. And Anne was really annoying during 80% of the book (she always got Quigley stuck with the worst part of the jobs she lined for them, and gets them in really awkward situations).

There are times where your only information about certain characters comes in the form of third-party exposition that borderlines info dump. And the problems the girls face are more or less rather superficial. Anne acts out and does stupid stuff to lash out at her mom, Quigley assumes things and miss interprets stuff, oh and she doesn't know what her artistic style is yet and this is A Big Deal that only gets trotted out at convenient times. And so on and so forth.

And, in the end, everything gets resolved in a very perfect, sweet and instantaneous fashion. All the troubles, big and small, get magically solved in the last twenty pages or so (maybe even less), and it's just weird.

Bottom Line: Sadly, Will Work for Prom Dress was something of a disappointment. It wasn't particularly bad, just inconsequential, almost like a place holder for every other story about girls trying to go to prom. It doesn't suck bad enough to be singled out, and it's not special enough to stand out. It's just, by it's very definition: Meh. (less)

like · see review

Jun 21, 2011 Alyssa hoffmaster rated it 5 of 5 stars

more reivews here

To say I liked this book was an understatement. I honestly could not stop reading it till I was finished. It was a break from all the paranormal/dystopian novels I have been reading recently and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Quigley and Ann are best friends, Ann’s mom is a famous fashion designer and she told both the girls that she would make them prom dresses for free. But Ann doesn’t want that. So Quigley and Ann both get jobs to pay for them as a frozen pizza topper, unfortun...more

like 1 like · see review

Mar 24, 2012 Avon Bernabe rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars!

At first I didn't think that I was going to love this book. I though it was just all about two teenagers who loves to go to prom, boys, and all. But I was wrong and this book slammed that back to me.

While this book really is about Anne and Quigley's earning for prom, it is also about issues teenagers might face, small or big, about family issues, and about love. This book of Ferris gave a little bit of everything and I loved it. You would never realize how a small thing would lead to a...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2011 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, young-adult, egmont

Such a cute story! Fast-paced and funny, WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS satisfied my need for a light read with great characters (and no cliffhanger--yay!).

Quigley is kind of an "every girl" character--nice girl, pretty, artistic, but nothing too stand-out, at least in her mind. (I was kind of curious about the origins of her name, though. Cute but made me think of that cheesy Tom Selleck movie, Quigley Down Under.). She's content to let her best friend, Ann, take the lead in their relationship which,...more Such a cute story! Fast-paced and funny, WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS satisfied my need for a light read with great characters (and no cliffhanger--yay!).

Quigley is kind of an "every girl" character--nice girl, pretty, artistic, but nothing too stand-out, at least in her mind. (I was kind of curious about the origins of her name, though. Cute but made me think of that cheesy Tom Selleck movie, Quigley Down Under.). She's content to let her best friend, Ann, take the lead in their relationship which, at this moment, involves buying fabulous dresses for prom. A dance that they do not as yet have dates for. Despite the fact that Ann's mom is a famous designer who'd be more than happy to create dresses for them.

Ann's plan to earn money for said dresses involves some pretty wacky jobs including acting in a dinner theatre play and working on a pizza assembly line (Quigley gets creative with the toppings--she is an artist, after all). The last job--model for a fashion design class--puts Quigley in the hands of adorable budding designer Zander. Lucky her. Unfortunately, she thinks of him as more of a friend, one who may or may not play for the other team (she kind of assumes...and you know what happens when people assume things). Then there's David, her nemesis, the jerk, the one who she's always been in artistic competition with. He's being nice and...wait, is he flirting with her? (Personally, I rooted for Zander to make his move and get past that "friendship" stage. He's so cute!)

This story made me giggle quite a bit. Quigley always seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to Ann's plans (the time she had to face-plant into a plate full of dressing comes to mind) but she keeps her sense of humor, especially since Ann wants what's best for both of them. Then there's Ann. She's the secret daughter of a liaison her mom had with a famous actor, she's got big plans for her life, and she's just one of those people who lights up a room. A great character. There's a bit of a serious sub plot interwoven through the story but it doesn't dominate and it doesn't scream "There's a moral here, people". It does, however, add an extra layer to the novel.(less)

like · see review

Feb 09, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS, by Aimee Ferris, is an absolutely charming story about a normal girl who works hard to buy a perfect prom dress for a perfect prom. Quigley and Anne are best friends who are seniors in high school. They offer up most of their spare time to part-time jobs to get money for prom. With school, boys, and work piling up, Quigley is on a path of discovery that even she didn't see coming.

This book was chock full of hilarity and bittersweet moments. Ferris charmed me right away...more

like · see review

Feb 09, 2011 Jessica Lawlor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Quigley Johnson and her best friend Anne are psyched for prom. There’s just one tiny problem; Quigley and Anne are both broke. In order to pay for their dream night out, both girls take on several odd jobs to earn enough money to buy that perfect dress. And of course, both are on a mission to find the perfect prom date.

But with a few months to prom, Quigley has bigger problems to worry about. Like where she’ll be attending college in the fall. And the misery that her art class rival David has be...more Quigley Johnson and her best friend Anne are psyched for prom. There’s just one tiny problem; Quigley and Anne are both broke. In order to pay for their dream night out, both girls take on several odd jobs to earn enough money to buy that perfect dress. And of course, both are on a mission to find the perfect prom date.

But with a few months to prom, Quigley has bigger problems to worry about. Like where she’ll be attending college in the fall. And the misery that her art class rival David has bestowed upon her. When Anne suggests another odd job; being a model for a fashion design course, Quigley half-heartedly goes to the class, not expecting much. And when every single person on the class chooses Anne and not Quigley to model their clothes, Quigley is mortified…until Zander chooses her.

Zander is gorgeous. And nice. And he understands Quigley so well. Quigley falls hard and fast. But will she get the prom of her dreams?

When I accepted this book for review, I was naturally excited. I thought I’d be in for a treat- WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS looks completely cute and has an adorable cover. I was right, but I also got so much more. This book has a lot of heart and had me rooting for Quigley until the very end.

I loved reading about the different fun and silly jobs Quigley and Anne took on to pay for prom- frozen pizza toppers, dinner theater murder victim, parade performer and fashion class model. Readers will laugh out loud as Quigley and Anne take on the silliest of jobs. Both characters are hilarious and so perfect for each other. I adored their friendship and kind of wish I had a friend like Quigley or Anne in high school. Probably would have made it a bit more bearable!

I was a little surprised (pleasantly so!) that the book had way more conflict than I had originally thought it might. Quigley finds herself in a love triangle AND in a major fight with her best friend Anne. This book certainly isn’t all prom dresses and pretty makeup! Quigley has some major issues to sort through throughout the course of the book.

One of my favorite parts of the book was how art played a major role in several different storylines in the book; Quigley’s photograpy, David’s art and Zander’s fashion design and sketching. I think the role that art played really sets this book apart from all of the other high school prom books. As Quigley’s photography developed and improved, so did her maturity. By the end of the book, I felt like Quigley had really learned a lot about herself, and about high school, and how it doesn’t last forever.

As far as secondary characters go, I enjoyed Anne’s storyline. With her fashion designer mom and mystery celebrity dad, it was fun to see Anne develop into a young woman throughout the book. She started out a little immature and easy to cave in to peer pressure, but truly blossomed throughout the book, as she dealt with meeting her dad for the first time and falling for a new guy.

And of course there’s Zander. *Swoon.* Zander isn’t the usual male character that I’d find myself attracted to (I don’t normally go for the brooding artsy types) but Aimee Ferris definitely converted me after I was finished reading WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS. I thought Zander was the perfect match for Quigley- artistic and sensitive, but also kind and caring. And again, I was pleasantly surprised when the book delved deeper under the surface of Zander’s good looks and charms when we learned about the accident he was in as a teenager.

If you’re looking for a very cute and quick read but with a lot of depth and heart, then you will love WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS. And with prom season just around the corner, what are you waiting for?

And if you haven’t checked out the hilarious website for this book featuring different authors’ prom photos, definitely check it out. (less)

like · see review

Feb 18, 2011 Katieb (MundieMoms) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mundie-moms-review, arcs-i-own, 2011-100-book-challenge

Will Work for Prom Dress is a charming, delightful, fun read that brings to light real life lessons and situations presented in a light hearted, enjoyable story.

4.5 stars

Aimee introduces some wonderful characters whom bring the story to life, including that of Quigley, the story's down to earth main character. Quigley and her best friend Anne are working various jobs to earn money for their upcoming prom. Despite a few failed attempts with some previous jobs, Quigley is now working with Anne for...more Will Work for Prom Dress is a charming, delightful, fun read that brings to light real life lessons and situations presented in a light hearted, enjoyable story.

4.5 stars

Aimee introduces some wonderful characters whom bring the story to life, including that of Quigley, the story's down to earth main character. Quigley and her best friend Anne are working various jobs to earn money for their upcoming prom. Despite a few failed attempts with some previous jobs, Quigley is now working with Anne for Anne's mother, a character I really liked getting to know. During this time Quigley meets the charming, good looking, charismatic Zander. Can I just say, I adore Zander! I love the chemistry the two have and I adore that he's a "real" guy and someone who I totally fell in love with. He and Quigley have a relationship that wasn't rushed, and one I felt was really normal with how it developed. Though Quigley and Zander are brought together for their love & talent of art, the secrets (no matter how little they are) that they keep from each other threaten to keep them apart.

From the pitiful jobs Quigley and Anne take, to Quigley and Zander's relationship, it wasn't hard to relate to the feelings that Quigley is having and sympathizing with her as she's in the phase where you're getting ready to leave high school behind and wondering, "now what". I found it very easy to relate to her when she doesn't get into the colleges she dreamed she would be going to. I feel like Quigley is a character that readers will be able to relate to on some level and she's someone I truly enjoyed getting to know.

Aimee's writing is fantastic. It's engaging as there are moments I was laughing out loud and other moments I was sighing. I felt an emotional connection not just with Quigley, but with the Zander, Anne and Anne's mom. I liked that there's a whole cast of fabulous in-depth characters, who are from various walks of life that bring the story to life. I enjoyed the little plot twists and being surprised by some of the characters' choices. Growing up is all about choices, enjoying the here and now, making plans for the future, falling in love, making mistakes, picking yourself up & dusting yourself off when you fall and lessons learned, all of which I think Aimee conveyed perfectly in her story.

I'm really looking forward to reading more of Aimee's books. I think Will Work For Prom Dress has a little bit of something in there for YA readers of all ages. The cover is just as wonderful as the story and I highly recommend picking up this delightful read.(less)

like · see review

Mar 01, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cute.fun.fluffy.

Well, wait, there’s a touch of angst. Not the uber crazymaking angst that some books have but rather a touch of drama to mix things up. We don’t want to be *too* happy do we?

The premise behind Will Work For Prom Dress is quite simple. Girl wants to get pretty dress for prom, girl takes on job to pay for said dress, various high-jinx are had, girl finds herself in romantic situations, angst occurs, and then finally resolution to it all is found. See? Pretty straight-forward right?...more Cute.fun.fluffy.

Well, wait, there’s a touch of angst. Not the uber crazymaking angst that some books have but rather a touch of drama to mix things up. We don’t want to be *too* happy do we?

The premise behind Will Work For Prom Dress is quite simple. Girl wants to get pretty dress for prom, girl takes on job to pay for said dress, various high-jinx are had, girl finds herself in romantic situations, angst occurs, and then finally resolution to it all is found. See? Pretty straight-forward right?

What makes this story a fun read is that even though the situations in aren’t entirely unique to the genre the characters are fun to love and hate. Quigley is the every girl, she’s not some super rich fashionista mean girl. She’s a girl who struggles with her weight, isn’t the strongest student and hasn’t been the object of affection with very many boys. This endeared her to me and with out a doubt made her more accessible and relatable. Quigley isn’t traveling the high school halls alone she’s got the companionship of her typically flighty BFF Anna. This is a girl who loves to flit from boy to boy, isn’t a stranger to causing trouble, and has plenty of selfish attitude to go around. But underneath it all she’s a scared and emotional girl who’s acting out as she struggles with personal issues at home. Together the girls are, pardon the cliche, sugar and spice.

Now, let’s talk boys! David, the self-proclaimed “Art King”, is the obnoxiously selfish jerk who likes to push everyone’s buttons. Particularly Quigleys. Though she attempts to keep a wide berth when he shows short-lived glimpses of humanity she falls for some of his charms. Have no fear, he is still, for all intents and purposes, the ultimate foe. On the other hand there is Zander, the sweet-natured generous boy who likes Quigley for who she is. He takes an instant liking to her and stands by her through most anything in the hopes of making her his. He’s dependable, romantic (but not schmoopy) and is just an all around great guy.

Oh, and there’s a guy called T-Shirt. I won’t try to explain….you should experience it for yourself!

At any rate, all of these characters (along with assorted parents and teachers) come together as part of the grand plan for Quigley and Anna to not only get to the prom with awesome dates but awesome dresses.

Plot-wise there is a pretty decent love triangle between David/Quigley/Zander that had me wondering at times who she would ultimately choose. There was also a good sub-plot with Anna and her family that facilitated progression of Quigley’s story quite well. Finally there was a portion of the story that focused on taking responsibility for your actions and learning to live with the consequences of actions (both your own and those of others).

If you’re into romantic contemporary reads that have a dose of conflict and fun characters than Will Work For Prom Dress should certainly make it’s way on to your list. It was a good book, I liked it, you should check it out!(less)

like · see review

Feb 18, 2011 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews, 2011-100-book-challenge

4.5 stars

Will Work for Prom Dress is a charming, delightful, fun read that brings to light real life lessons and situations presented in a light hearted, enjoyable story.

Aimee introduces some wonderful characters whom bring the story to life, including that of Quigley, the story's down to earth main character. Quigley and her best friend Anne are working various jobs to earn money for their upcoming prom. Despite a few failed attempts with some previous jobs, Quigley is now working with Anne for...more 4.5 stars

Will Work for Prom Dress is a charming, delightful, fun read that brings to light real life lessons and situations presented in a light hearted, enjoyable story.

Aimee introduces some wonderful characters whom bring the story to life, including that of Quigley, the story's down to earth main character. Quigley and her best friend Anne are working various jobs to earn money for their upcoming prom. Despite a few failed attempts with some previous jobs, Quigley is now working with Anne for Anne's mother, a character I really liked getting to know. During this time Quigley meets the charming, good looking, charismatic Zander. Can I just say, I adore Zander! I love the chemistry the two have and I adore that he's a "real" guy and someone who I totally fell in love with. He and Quigley have a relationship that wasn't rushed, and one I felt was really normal with how it developed. Though Quigley and Zander are brought together for their love & talent of art, the secrets (no matter how little they are) that they keep from each other threaten to keep them apart.

From the pitiful jobs Quigley and Anne take, to Quigley and Zander's relationship, it wasn't hard to relate to the feelings that Quigley is having and sympathizing with her as she's in the phase where you're getting ready to leave high school behind and wondering, "now what". I found it very easy to relate to her when she doesn't get into the colleges she dreamed she would be going to. I feel like Quigley is a character that readers will be able to relate to on some level and she's someone I truly enjoyed getting to know.

Aimee's writing is fantastic. It's engaging as there are moments I was laughing out loud and other moments I was sighing. I felt an emotional connection not just with Quigley, but with the Zander, Anne and Anne's mom. I liked that there's a whole cast of fabulous in-depth characters, who are from various walks of life that bring the story to life. I enjoyed the little plot twists and being surprised by some of the characters' choices. Growing up is all about choices, enjoying the here and now, making plans for the future, falling in love, making mistakes, picking yourself up & dusting yourself off when you fall and lessons learned, all of which I think Aimee conveyed perfectly in her story.

I'm really looking forward to reading more of Aimee's books. I think Will Work For Prom Dress has a little bit of something in there for YA readers of all ages. The cover is just as wonderful as the story and I highly recommend picking up this delightful read.(less)

like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Jazmin Perez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-quarter-reviews

I chose this book because I wanted to try reading something new, and this book was different. This book is about Quigley who wants to follow her friend's dream to buy a gorgeous prom dress. As they are doing so,Quigley has to decide with which boy she wants to go to prom with: the most popular boy in school or her dress designer."I nodded terrified for a moment,until the answer came from my heart.A sense of calm passed over me as I realized what I really wanted." This was my favorite quote becau...more

like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Chick-lit readers

I just have to say, this book by far exceeded any expectations I had. I thought it was going to be just a fluffy light book about a girl finding her perfect prom date. It wasn't, it was much more than that! It had depth to it and a lot of creativity.

First off, everything stated in the biography happened less than 50 pages into the books. So I was like 'ohhkayy. .' and prepared myself for a lot of chapters full of prom-related stuff. I didn't know what to expect. I got a really great story out of...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Lisa Nguyen rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://shatterbooks.blogspot.com/2012...

It's about two girls. Quigley Johnson and Ana who wants to go to prom. You might know that it cost a lot of money. They were working at this pizza place but then they got fired. So now they work for Ana's mom. They just need to try on Ana's mom's students dresses that they worked on. So the only person who picked Quigley was Zander.

Ana thinks Quigley and David would be a cute couple. They have a lot in common. Quigley will always think he's a jerk (which...more

like · see review

Feb 02, 2011 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, young-adult

This may be the craziest premise I’ve ever read. Quigley and her best friend Anne set out to raise money for the perfect prom dress by getting bad job after bad job. That isn’t what’s crazy. What’s crazy is that Anne’s mom is a famous fashion designer and will make their prom dresses for FREE. Only they don’t want her to. Cause they are insane! Well apparently Anne is loose and her mom never makes a zipper. That means magic never happens on her magical night.

The girls end up getting quite fabul...more

like · see review

Feb 03, 2011 Val rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Will Work for Prom Dress was so far one of the easiest, cleanest, and cutest books I’ve read this month. I really enjoyed how laid back the book was.

The characters in this book were likeable. Quigley, the main character, is kind of your average girl. Quigley doesn’t have a model thin body and she doesn’t seem to be all too interested in guys, not like her best friend Anne. Now Anne was also fun to read about, but on another level. Anne has her own issues in this book, her constant boy drama, and...more Will Work for Prom Dress was so far one of the easiest, cleanest, and cutest books I’ve read this month. I really enjoyed how laid back the book was.

The characters in this book were likeable. Quigley, the main character, is kind of your average girl. Quigley doesn’t have a model thin body and she doesn’t seem to be all too interested in guys, not like her best friend Anne. Now Anne was also fun to read about, but on another level. Anne has her own issues in this book, her constant boy drama, and her issues with her biological father. I could appreciate the way Aimee Ferris was able to make this novel so well rounded. Not only do we see the issues in Quigley’s life but we get to see more into Anne’s and Zander’s as well. Each character has their own bit of history, and information. It almost seemed as if the book was written about the group as a whole no only Quigley’s.

I love the references to Art in this book. Even in the first few chapters of the book, Quigley is making art on the frozen pizzas at her first job. The art mentions at the end seem much more serious and in depth, such as the photography details.

This book had some humor to it as well. There is a whole fiasco that erupts in the first few chapters of the book; it involves Elvis’ face on a pizza.

The one thing I really noticed about Will Work for Prom Dress in the writing was how put together the story turned out to be. It’s hard to describe, but Aimee Ferris, the author, created a story that doesn’t really happened, and is kind of hard to follow, however, the way she told the story made you think it happens every day. The history of the characters and their overall actions made it easy to follow and believe.

Overall, I give Will Work for Prom Dress a 4 lantern rating. I really enjoyed the story and in the last half of the book I really couldn’t put it down. I did feel that end was cut a bit short, but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this cute story.

http://www.truthbetoldblog.com/2011/0...(less)

like · see review

Nov 24, 2012 Vanessa Nogueira rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Had my doubts at first but it ended up being a very entertaining read.

Usually when a girl is torn between two guys you can usually tell from the start which one she's going to end up with, but in this, even though you're rooting for one, sometimes you can see why she might think of going for the other and it confuses you for a moment.

There's also a deeper, but not completely dramatic second story that may be relatable to some people.

Also, being a Fashion Design student myself, I can say I wish I...more

like · see review

Apr 06, 2011 Desiree reilly rated it 5 of 5 stars

i in joyed the book a lot it about 2 girls who go form on job to another to get a prom dress
and then who make the dress of the dream come true of the girls
Quigley and Anne are 2 girls who go and take any kind of work for the prom dress from one adventure to
another they get fired form one job and another except when Quigley mom give them a job to try
on stuff student make and then they found the way to get the dress they want but do they go to the
prom well you will have to read the book ir is a g...more

like · see review

Mar 24, 2013 Oksana *Bookaholic* rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Uhmmm

Shelves: barf, dont-judge-a-book-by-its-cover, fail, fake, hard-to-believe, i-hate-the-guy, kinda-cute, lacking, lame, oh-hell-no, oh-my-gosh, psycho, slap-the-mc, um, what-was-the-point, wtf

I'm reading all these reviews about how it was a "fun read" and "cute" and I'm just sitting here thinking,

P.S. Of course, no offense if you really liked this book. P. P. S. If you REALLY liked this book, just stop reading now so there are no hard feelings. Well, either way, here goes.

The main guy in the story is huge. So you better make him good and nice. Well, this guy made me want to start owning sledgehammers. And I seriously didn't have a problem with him, until that fated night when he di...more

like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Serli rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is just another typical high school drama story. It is about two best friends, Anne and Quigley, who are getting jobs to raise money to buy prom dresses. After many failed jobs they go and work for Anne’s mom’s designing class. Mrs. Parisi is a beautiful and famous designer. When Anne and Quigley begin working, they already fall into relationship problems. Anne falls for a gothic designer which she and Quigley name Spikester. Also Quigley falls for a boy named Zander. Finally, at this...more

like · see review

Aug 18, 2011 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindled-it, leading-men, favorites, contemporary, favorite-couples-and-otps, leading-ladies, re-read-worthy

Loved this book. I was so pleasantly surprised. I thought this would just be a mindless fluff book but it was so much more than that. It was fluffy but in a fun Rom Com type way. I loved the main character Quigley, she had such a good voice and was super relatable. Quigley's best friend Anne was funny too. Anne and Quigley got into some crazy situations. Next are the boys in the story. Quigley meets Zander, a talented emerging designer at one of the jobs she and Anne go to make money for their p...more

like · see review

Oct 23, 2011 Liza Wiemer added it

I really enjoyed Will Work For Prom Dress. The friendship between the main character Quigley and her best friend Anne is wonderful. Anne's mom is a famous fashion designer, but for prom Anne doesn't want her mom to make their dresses. So, they find odd jobs to earn money. They work in a frozen pizza pie factory, sub for actors in a murder mystery dinner theater, and become models in Anne's mother's fashion design course for students at the Rhode Island School of Design. Trouble happens when two...more

like · see review

Dec 20, 2010 Lizzy rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first picked up this book I expected some fun fluff. Even the blurb made it seem like a light read without much substance. I was delighted that Will Work for Prom Dress exceeded my expectations in numerous different ways. The first was that it had more substance than I was expecting. It's hard to explain this without giving away a major plot point, but it deals with the ramifications of acting without considering consequences. The story also looked at Ann's mother, and the father who isn'...more

like · see review

Feb 10, 2011 Princess Bookie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2011

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Quigley and Ann who are best friends but couldn't be more different. Ann has a celebrity mom while Quigley is pretty ordinary. Ann's had a boyfriend or more like tons, Quigley hasn't. Ann and Quigley end up being models for Ann's moms class. They want to earn a little extra money for their prom dresses. What better way to do it than become a model for a class? They have to be models for a designer class where people in the class will fit their designs on them. P...more My Thoughts: We are introduced to Quigley and Ann who are best friends but couldn't be more different. Ann has a celebrity mom while Quigley is pretty ordinary. Ann's had a boyfriend or more like tons, Quigley hasn't. Ann and Quigley end up being models for Ann's moms class. They want to earn a little extra money for their prom dresses. What better way to do it than become a model for a class? They have to be models for a designer class where people in the class will fit their designs on them. Pretty simple right? Both girls end up with two guys tailing them and than the drama begins. I won't tell too much of Ann's story besides the fact that I really enjoyed her daddy drama. The rest you'll have to find out when you read the book.. I will focus on Quigley since she was my favorite girl. Her arch-rival David from school starts taking a liking to her and Quigley just doesn't understand him. Why would he even like her when all he has done is be mean to her? They have competed and competed in art competitions and Ann finds him annoying and a bit of a jerk. He always seemed to be looking out for himself more than anything.

Than there is Zander who is the only person in the whole class who wanted to use her as his model. Him being a designer, Quigley thought maybe he was gay. They become friends and really hit it off. Quigley is trying to decide which guy is for her throughout the book while juggling plans with Ann on how to get both girls a prom date.

Honestly, I can't say much more or else I'll give everything away about the book. I liked Quigley and Ann's relationship even though they both had their problems and quirks. I wanted to see Quigley be a bit more confident but I understood she was the shy one.

I did not see the twists coming with Zander, I wondered what his story was throughout the book but it didn't even dawn on me the reasoning behind his personality. I really liked that it surprised the heck out of me.

Will Work For Prom Dress was a cute and fun read. It would be a neat book to read before going to prom!

Overall: I really enjoyed Will Work For Prom Dress. It was hilarious and adorable. I liked the love triangles and my favorite scene was when they were looking at the stars. Awwww!

Cover: The cover has a lot of nice colors. Even though it doesn't have real people on it, its still a really cute cover.

What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes

Taken from Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com (less)

like 1 like · see review

Jan 17, 2011 Kelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arcs, dac11

Will Work For Prom Dress was a fun and addicting debut novel that will attract a variety of teenage-readers. The main character, Quigley, was just an ordinary girl dealing with a lot of issues normal high school students are. Prom season was fast approaching and she and her best friend, Anne, are determined to get healthy, raise money for dresses, and find dates.

It was tons of fun reading about the different odd jobs Anne roped Quigley into. The pizza factory and acting stints were interesting t...more Will Work For Prom Dress was a fun and addicting debut novel that will attract a variety of teenage-readers. The main character, Quigley, was just an ordinary girl dealing with a lot of issues normal high school students are. Prom season was fast approaching and she and her best friend, Anne, are determined to get healthy, raise money for dresses, and find dates.

It was tons of fun reading about the different odd jobs Anne roped Quigley into. The pizza factory and acting stints were interesting to read about and I really felt for Quigley because she always seemed to be stuck with the worst part of the job while Anne always managed to get the easiest. When Anne’s mother gets the girls jobs as models in her design class Quigley finally finds the one place she loves going. I loved reading about Quigley’s experiences at the design class and about the people she meets there.

Each of the characters introduced in Will Work for Prom Dress was well developed and had more to them then met the eye. There were two main guys in this book- Zander and David. David and Quigley were constantly competing with each other about whose art was better and David wasn’t always the nicest guy, but things change when he admits to liking Quigley. Then Zander enters the picture. He was sweet and respected Quigley. Plus his designs were awesome. Although Zander had some secrets.

Anne’s mother had a large role in the story (even more than Quigley’s parents!) and readers got to learn a lot about her as well. She was always there for Quigley and helped her and Anne out of some tough spots. Will Work for Prom Dress contained quite a few important lessons and I loved reading about Anne and Quigley. They were so different yet so alike and their experiences were lots of fun to read about.

Overall, Will Work for Prom Dress was a light hearted and fun debut with lovable characters and an intriguing premise. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by Aimee Ferris.

Overall: 4.25 out of 5 stars(less)

like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Looking for a cute and adorable prom-related read? Well, look no further because Aimee Ferris' Will Work for Prom Dress is the perfect pick!

When Quigley's best friend Ann first talks about her prom-related plan (which involves the perfect dresses and dates), Quigley reluctantly agrees, figuring it won't to lead to too much trouble, but as it turns out that's a huge understatement. For one, Ann's first matter of business is to find Quigley and her the perfect prom dresses but prom dresses equal m...more Looking for a cute and adorable prom-related read? Well, look no further because Aimee Ferris' Will Work for Prom Dress is the perfect pick!

When Quigley's best friend Ann first talks about her prom-related plan (which involves the perfect dresses and dates), Quigley reluctantly agrees, figuring it won't to lead to too much trouble, but as it turns out that's a huge understatement. For one, Ann's first matter of business is to find Quigley and her the perfect prom dresses but prom dresses equal money and Quigley and Ann don't have that, so soon enough both have jobs at the frozen pizza topping place, which ends in misery. Then, comes the dinner murder victim job for Quigley, which ends horribly. So, when they are asked by Ann's mom (Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world) to model clothes for her fashion design class, Ann jumps at the chance and Quigley follows, not realizing that this choice may change both of their worlds forever. But for the better or for the worse? And will the two get their perfect prom dresses and dates? Only time will tell in this fast-paced tale about the events leading up to one of the biggest social events of the year!

Quigley and Ann were hilarious main characters, which lead to them being one of my favorite parts of Will Work For Prom Dress. I loved how both of them played so well of each other because it lead to several laugh out load moments, as well as some serious ones. Adding to this, I adored the love interests Aimee chose for each, especially Quigley's because I never could figure out who she was going to end up with (Xander or David?) for most of the book.

The plot of this was also great. I liked how one of the big focuses of the book were the mostly horrible jobs Ann and Quigley ended up with, because who hasn't had a terrible job before? I also liked how who Ann's farther was played a big role, as well as Quigley's future plans, because they created some tension for this mostly light book.

Aimee's writing was also up to par. She did a great job of developing the characters and plot lines!

In all, Will Work for Prom Dress is a fun, semi-light hearted/semi-serious read I adored! I can't wait to see what Ms. Ferris comes up with next!

Grade: B+ (less)

like · see review

May 11, 2011 Yan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love watching reality/competition shows like Project Runway. Will Work for Prom Dress was a dream come true for me because it corporate an easy fun, fashion inspired work of fiction to help make time pass more enjoyable. However, that was not the case. Will Work for Prom Dress was more than that.

Girls dream of their perfect dress may it be for their wedding or prom just like Quigley. But the perfect dress does not come cheap, which is why Quigley needs a job (after being fired from her old one...more I love watching reality/competition shows like Project Runway. Will Work for Prom Dress was a dream come true for me because it corporate an easy fun, fashion inspired work of fiction to help make time pass more enjoyable. However, that was not the case. Will Work for Prom Dress was more than that.

Girls dream of their perfect dress may it be for their wedding or prom just like Quigley. But the perfect dress does not come cheap, which is why Quigley needs a job (after being fired from her old one because of an incident). She and best friend, Ann, are hired to be…models! It may sound glamorous if you had the figure like Ann who immediately attracts the attention of all the fashion designers, but when you’re just a regular teen like Quigley it’s mortifying. Luckily there’s Zander who’s willing to take a chance on Quigley and it might just be a win-win situation for the both of them.

Will Work for Prom Dress takes a simple narrative that evokes a sense of fun and nostalgia. When I read Will Work for Prom Dress I remember the frustration of being a reasonably price prom dress that still looked fun and flirty. Readers’ like me can connect to Quigley through the ups and downs. However what Quigley does have what I never had was working with a designer (a student) and if you think all male designers are gay, you are so wrong. Zander appreciates Quigley’s beauty and crafted molds clothes that fit her body. Quigley and Zander collaborate and find a balance where it embraced both of their talents.

I would advise that readers of Will Work for Prom Dress have some vague notion of dress materials or things related to fashion designing. While there were not many instances that could confuse readers, a little outside knowledge definitely would not hurt.

As I mentioned before Will Work for Prom Dress offers a “more” than what is face value.

There’s a rivalry between Quigley and another art student. The rivalry becomes confusing when the student shows a romantic interest in Quigley and rejection meant more than hurt feelings. Won’t spoil anything huge, but love triangles can always be fun when the main character doesn’t even realize it. The ending, however, was just a bit too much. It offered too much of a happily ever after that borders on the impossible.

With Zander there’s an allure of mystery behind him. He has a past that tucks itself nicely into the story without being an overpowering focal point.

The friendship between Ann and Quigley was nicely done and one of better, equal, friendships I’ve read.

In all Will Work for Prom Dress a fun first time read and fills the craving I have for fashion and sweet crushes. While I do not plan on reading it again seeing as how it misses that spark that pulls you in and a climax that made the novel so worth it, I found Will Work for Prom Dress to be enjoyable.(less)

like · see review

title link	preview: Will Work for Prom Dress
avg rating	preview: Will Work for Prom Dress Goodreads rating: 3.63 (528 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8214490-will-work-for-prom-dress?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320547818l/8214490.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8214490-will-work-for-prom-dress?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris[/url]

Will Work for Prom Dress

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Aimee Ferris

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Will Work for Pro...