Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas Published by HarperTeen on March 11th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, YA, Young Adult
Goodreads
Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.
Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?
Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?
Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...
I always start my contemporary reviews stating “you guys know how much I love contemporaries, right? So when I heard about *book title*, I knew I had to get my hands on it.” I guess this calls for a better introduction. Here goes nothing:
Do you guy like books about : Prom? with two dates? How about a cute story? ALTERNATING TIME-LINES, anyone?! Realistic teenage portrayal? A freakin’ awesome ending?
If you answer is: “SHELLY WHAT IS THIS FREAKIN’ AWESOME BOOK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?!” Then you have come to the right place! Ask Again Later has all of those things AND MORE! (Did that sound like a cheesy commercial to anyone else?).
I read all the buzz about this book and I’ll admit, I thought that this book was too good to be true. I’m always looking for awesome contemporary novels with a unique premise and this one was right up my alley. I was bookshopping when I spotted a pretty little paperback of this one and I KNEW that I had to get it. I managed to read it a week later and I am seriously in love with this book. I should probably get to the actual review right now, yes?
As you all know, I love character-driven books. If I can’t connect with the main character, I can’t connect with the story. Luckily, Heart was such an awesome character (yes, her name is Heart) that I was able to enjoy the story. Heart was just a delight to read about. Although I was very annoyed with her. MILD SPOILER ABOUT WHY: View Spoiler »
I loved the prom time-line. Basically, Heart has two dates that she can choose from. To choose, she flips a coin. The readers get to follow what would happen if it landed on ‘heads’ and if it landed on ‘tails’. At the end of the book, the two stories merge PERFECTLY in what I can only call a frickin’ prom miracle.
Since we know it’s a prom story, THERE ARE CUTE GUYS INVOLVED. I am glad to confirm that yes there were cute guys. Yes, I did ship it very hard. No, I will not say who because that ruins the magic. And yes, SWOONING IS TO BE EXPECTED WHEN READING THIS BOOK.
Overall, Ask Again Later was just a delight to read and a super unique story. I loved it and I will recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat if they’re looking for cute romances. Liz Czukas has made it to my ‘automatic-buy’ list and I do not give away that title lightly. I highly recommend this one for people looking for a refreshing cute contemporary that is fairly quick to read.
