From the much-buzzed-about author of THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB (already blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, and Jen Calonita), a prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
Released January 4, 2011
Source of my copy: Library
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles's friend, Will Darcy, who's snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk - so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?
-Goodreads-
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The P&P retellings I read first were nice, but I haven’t
found one I like so much as Prom and
Prejudice. It’s a cute, class story that captured the original characters and
plot nicely while still keeping them fresh, and keeping me up way too late
reading.
A big problem I’ve found with P&P modern adaptions
(print and otherwise) is flopped attempt at Pride and Prejudice style speech
and/or direct quotes coming out stilted or out of character for modern teens. Elizabeth
Eulberg nearly fell into this a few times, but overall I didn’t find the
dialogue especially cringe-worthy, even when it directly reflected the original
text.
But on to the most important part: the characters. In a modernization
of a classic novel, the characters are vital. We need to be able to see the
characters we know and already love shine through in a new environment, yet
they need to stand on their own. Eulberg captured a nice balance. The same goes
for the plot, which needed to and did reflect Pride and Prejudice while making
sense within a modern context. I loved guessing and seeing how each character
and plot point would come through.
To finish, Darcy and Lizzie. Obviously, they ought to be
perhaps the most wonderful part of the story, and I think they were. Sometimes I
could be, as I always am, a bit frustrated by the stubborn and blind dislike between
them (or maybe just on Lizzie’s side)—but hey, no one ever claimed they were
perfect. Either way, I could understand where they were coming from; Lizzie had
been required to get by without much extra cash, not to mention was tormented
by the “upper class” and was reasonably mistrustful of money as a fix-it-all
solution or as a no-strings-attached gift. On the other hand, Darcy had been
taken advantage of and burned for his trust and helpfulness to those who had
less than him, and reacted accordingly.
In the end, though, it’ll work out…won’t it?
Overall, Prom and Prejudice was a lovely story that’s great
if you’re looking for a light, mostly happy read that will keep you reading and
caring, whether you’re a P&P fan or not.
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~Mag
