Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck

Reviewed by Katie Hart

"Whether you’re a teen or decades past one, you’ll be sure to enjoy Daisy’s bumpy path toward the night of her dreams."

Perfectionist Daisy Crispin lives as a social pariah at the Christian high school she attends. Not only is she a geek who tends to spout random facts at the worst possible moments, she’s forced to wear dowdy homemade outfits that give popular students more reasons to make fun of her. Her parents insist that it builds character.

As her senior year starts, Daisy determines that things will change. There is one item she can look back at for years to come to prove she wasn’t a loser in high school: the perfect prom photo. She just has a few small obstacles to overcome...

Her parents. They believe in courtship, to the point where they don’t even allow her to talk to boys on the phone. Or go on a mixed-gender youth mission trip. They want her to go to a Bible college and marry a pastor. Persuading them to let her go to prom will be a more than a challenge.

Finding the right guy and getting him to ask her to prom is obstacle number two. Daisy starts the year with a list of five possibilities in her unabashedly feminine prom journal. As the days progress and her choices dwindle, she has to wonder if the perfect prom is just a dream.

Growing up with conservative parents and homemade clothes myself, I jumped into this book ready to fully sympathize with Daisy’s struggles. I found myself not only rooting for her but also wishing I could have her as a friend. Don’t worry; this isn’t a book about a whiny teenager who doesn’t realize how good she has it. Daisy is a strong Christian who wants to do what’s right, and though she’d really appreciate if her parents relaxed their rules a bit, she can see some of the motivation behind their restrictions. And her parents aren’t perfect either.

Like Kristin Billerbeck’s other novels, Perfectly Dateless takes you on a hilarious emotional rollercoaster ride. In many ways, it’s similar to the movie Princess Diaries, complete with misunderstandings, two guys vying for affections, a party creating a very public disaster, a zany best friend, and a minor character with unexpected wisdom. Whether you’re a teen or decades past one, you’ll be sure to enjoy Daisy’s bumpy path toward the night of her dreams.

Katie Hart loves the written word. She's published several articles, poems, and nearly 200 reviews in magazines and websites such as Christian Communicator, Church Libraries, Infuze Magazine, Christian Library Journal, and ChristianBookPreviews.com. She's written two novels and is working on her third, a fantasy. Also a Christian music fan, she helps out regularly with concerts at her church and strives to promote the artists and bands she enjoys. Visit her online at her blog.