What is My Wonderful Disgrace about?
High achiever Amy Middleton is the head of the School Ball Committee and after much before-ball preparation on the actual event, dress, makeup and hair, she is expecting a night she will never forget. This comes true for her and her classmates, for completely the wrong reasons.
Plot summary of My Wonderful Disgrace (No Spoilers)
Amy is ready! She has worked very hard with her Senior Ball Committee and the night is approaching fast. There is only one flaw in her plans. She doesn’t have a date.
Much to her sheer delight, this is soon rectified. Amy and her friends dress, apply makeup, prepare their hair updos and drink champagne while waiting for the event opening.
Soon after arriving on a dream-like high, Amy’s perfect plans begin to crumble, then plummet into impending doom. Others are also caught up in the destruction of her dream, ball experience.
A forbidden tryst, a silent protest action, a bomb exploding on social media and the death of an innocent but borrowed goat, turn Amy’s night to remember into a horror story of epic proportions.
My thoughts
This YA novel began predictably with a girl wanting her Senior School Ball to be a life-changing experience and a doorway to adulthood. Amy achieves the life-changing experience and memories that are seared into her brain forever, but anything beautiful about it is very short-lived.
My Wonderful Disgrace is all of that and more. It made me laugh out loud, gasp in horror, and cringe in anticipation of the shocking, funny (shouldn’t laugh) things that were about to happen.
Intrigue is achieved early as Amy’s diary of excitement is soon followed by her school principal’s reports and police interviews. Suddenly I was thinking…. “Hang on a minute. What happened at the ball!?”
This is a quick read, but mostly because I couldn’t stop reading as things went from bad to worse, to gob smacking to funny.
Loved it.
Main Characters
Amy – Head of the School Ball Committee. Has spent a lot of money on a designer dress, spent hours and hours on preparation and planning, and dreaming of a night of bliss, attention, and romance. After her beautiful bubble is popped beyond repair, she tries to sort out the nightmare of the evening. I couldn’t help but like her as she goes in damage control and finally concedes defeat for the dream.
Leo – Completely unaware of Amy’s feelings for him. He’s happy to go along with her and her friends to the Ball, but is distracted constantly with his phone. He too is a likeable guy as he tries to fix his part in the disaster of the evening. He is trying to keep others out of trouble but must concede he isn’t at fault.
Gabby – Amy’s best friend, who inadvertently does the most embarrassing damage. Not once but twice. She also means well, which makes the mistakes she makes even more cringe worthy.
Many other characters add to the comedy of errors.
Writing Style
Told in many formats from different points of view.
There are:
- Amy’s Journal entries
- The School Principal Community Newsletters
- Police Interview Transcripts
- Mobile Texts between students
- Emails
- Police Statements
- Letters
- Incident Reports
- and Group Chats
These are clearly set out in different styles and fonts – suited to the source.
They all connect brilliantly to give readers a complete picture of the mayhem. There are also two maps included in the novel to help readers view where the action happens.
FAQs
What age is it for?
Age – 14-18 years
Where & When is it set?
Mainly in a fictional city event venue (The Pacific Crest Hotel) and surrounding area / The present
What is the Point of View / Tense of the novel?
Mostly 1st person / Present Tense
Is there Violence?
Minor (except for the unfortunate, accidental fate of a goat)
What genre is My Wonderful Disgrace?
Young Adult Humour
Is there any sex in the novel?
Actual? No
Themes
Humour / School / Social Media / Friendship / Expectations
Is it part of a series?
No
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Authors
Angourie Rice & Kate Rice
Publisher
Walker Books Australia
(2026, Walker Books Australia, School, Senior Ball, Dreams, Social Media, Disasters, Plans go Awry, Humour, Funny, Crushes, Friendship, Goat, Mishaps, Inappropriate Relationship, Real Life, Secret)