Mini-Reviews: Ask Again Later and Don't Even Think About It

Today's Mini-Reviews will compare and contrast two YA comic paranormal books scheduled to release on March 11:

Don't Even Think About It

by Sarah Mlynowski

To be published on March 11, 2014

by Random House

Synopsis (adapted from Goodreads:) We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same. So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

AND

Ask Again Later

by Liz Czukas

To be published on March 11, 2014

by Harper Teen

Synopsis (adapted from 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...

So first I must spend a second proclaiming my love for the comic paranormal category. When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite books ever:

Freaky Friday

Originally published in 1972 by Harper

This was the cover of my original book (which my mom has thrown away!) with drawings by Edward Gorey.  This book was so ahead of the trends -- the body swapping trope has been huge from the 1980s through the present in films like The Change Up, Big, or 13 Going on 30. It also provides a hilarious take on the parent-child relationship. And if you haven't seen the 2003 movie of Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, it's a must-watch.

Neither Don't Even Think About It nor Ask Again Later involves body swapping. But they both do what Freaky Friday did so well: use paranormal elements to explore different aspects of the teen experience. Here's my take on each.

As the synopsis suggests, Don't Even Think About It follows a group of kids who get flu shots at school, and suddenly develop mind-reading capabilites. Being able to read minds would be cool, right? Well, not so much. Secrets are inadvertently spilled, loyalties strained, and ethics tested.

I liked the fact that Don't Even Think About It had an unusual narrative style, though I see on Goodreads that some readers took issue with it. The book is told in a sort of multiple first person, from a "we" POV instead of an "I." Yes, it took a little while to get used to, but I thought it was a creative risk that really paid off. I also really appreciated the fact that the paranormal stuff had an explanation. Every time I had a question about how the whole mind-reading thing worked, the book was right there to answer it. However, since there were a lot of characters, there wasn't as much time for character development, and the romance tended toward the high school drama sort.

Book Report Card for Don't Even Think About It

Paranormal Effects: A 

Narrative Style: A-

Character Development: B+

Plotting: A

Romance: B

Total GPA: 3.6

Ask Again Later is parallel universe lite. Heart La Cour planned to go to prom with a group of friends who've made a No Drama Prom-a (their phrase, not mine) pact. No dates, no drama. But before she knows it, Heart has been asked to prom by not one but two guys. What to do? Well, she doesn't really like either guy, so the answer is obvious. But Heart is sort of softhearted, so she can't say no to either one. When a third guy (he annoys her, she calls him Schroeder, but they are clearly crazy about each other) suggests she flip a coin to decide, she does. Well, she flips a Chuck E. Cheese token, and then is mysteriously able to see the outcome of each date.

After that, each chapter flips back and forth between heads and tails, giving updates on the status of each equally disastrous prom date, which include things like duct tape, a goody bag with condoms, kidnapping, and more. Though some of this was comical, I did get pretty impatient in the middle part of the book. Clearly Heart belonged with Schroeder, and I just wanted them to get together already. Her ability to see forward into the future was just sort of there. Was she imagining things? Was the C.E.C. token magical? I'm not really sure. But in the end, the romance I was waiting for came through.

Book Report Card for Ask Again Later

Paranormal Effects: B

Narrative Style: A

Character Development: A-

Plotting: B+

Romance: A

Total GPA: 3.6

I enjoyed both of these, and think that each is a welcome addition to the comic paranormal genre. If you're a scientific type who expects explanations for paranormal phenomena, you might be happier with Don't Even Think About It. If it's romance you're after, then I'd recommend Ask Again Later. If you love this genre, then why not read both?