Book Description 

Nolan Grant is sixteen, gay, and very, very single.

He’s never had a boyfriend, or even been kissed. It’s not like Penn Valley is exactly brimming with prospects. Nolan plans to ride out the rest of his junior year drawing narwhals, working at the greenhouse, and avoiding anything that involves an ounce of school spirit.

Unfortunately for him, his adoptive big sister has other ideas. Ideas that involve too-tight pants, a baggie full of purple glitter, and worst of all: a Junior-Senior prom ticket.

My Review 

This book was a bit confusing because it felt like a sequel based on the exposition that referred to events that happened before this book started. It was the sort of light exposition that usually catches readers up to events in an earlier book rather than the “this is what you need to know about me” exposition with a standalone book. 

As the blurb mentions, Nolan is adopted, and it’s a fairly recent adoption. He doesn’t really talk about his life before being adopted, but the way in which the situation presents itself  makes it seem like there’s a backstory out there. 

In any event, Nolan wants nothing more than to go to prom with the school’s golden boy. In order to attract the object of his affection, he enters into a fake dating scenario with a grumpy brooding boy who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. Cue the misunderstandings and Big Feelings. It’s like Shakespeare or a teen drama. Or why not both? 

I would recommend How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom. This is a delightful queer YA story about a boy with a big heart. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from MacMillan/NetGalley.