The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet

July 15, 2016
Farrant bravely takes on Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of the youngest Bennet sister.This tale offers a peek into the life of 15-year-old Lydia Bennet, the youngest of the infamous Bennet sisters who grace the romantic stage of Pride and Prejudice. Farrant's Lydia Bennet is a flighty, boisterous tomboy who likes to ride horses and shoot guns by day, easily switching gears to wear her finest dresses at any prestigious ball that she can attend. In the spirit of the time, like every eligible young British teenager of privilege, Lydia lets her eyes roam every public event, hoping to find the perfect suitor, one who will take her on worldly adventures and rescue her from life with her dull family--which, readers will note, is characterized by servants, glamorous balls, and no chores. This story is a whimsical introduction for teen readers who have yet to taste the waters of the world of Mr. Darcy, and yes, readers get a few glimpses of the dark brooding aristocrat because, as with all things Bennet, Darcy is always lurking nearby. Despite the title, the novel offers little in the way of secrets, as this tale is necessarily predictable, and Lydia's voice and interpolated scenes don't do enough to give it real originality. Yet at the same time, there is a charming humor that Farrant does manage to capture for readers who want to take another romp in the Bennet household. Readers wanting a real taste of Austen won't find it, but it's a pleasant enough sojourn in her world regardless. (Historical fiction. 13-17)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

Gr 7 Up-Everyone knows Pride and Prejudice is Elizabeth Bennet's story. Sister Lydia wants to change that. Farrant's enticing book, written to evoke Austen's style without attempting to replicate it, gives readers "the rest of the story." Lydia might have been portrayed as a flibbertigibbet in the source material, memorable for eloping with the charming scoundrel Mr. Wickham, but here she presents her take. Readers are introduced to the youngest Bennet's wonderfully snarky personality as she, naively at times, lays open English society in 1811. The 15-year-old may be flighty and immature, but her diary entries illustrate that societal structure and mores can be held responsible. Women had well-defined roles, and society did not look kindly on those who defied them. Adventurous Lydia longs to ride fast, learn to shoot, and see the world beyond Hertfordshire. Instead, she is viewed as a marriage commodity by a mother desperate to ensure her family's financial security. Lydia is aware that she was denied an education because her family considers her looks and disposition her chief assets. When she sneaks into a library in search of reading material to impress a young man, readers sense that although her motives are shallow, this encounter with literature may not be her last. In the despicable Wickham, Lydia finds a kindred spirit, someone who has the potential to open worlds to her. VERDICT A delight to read. A familiarity with Pride and Prejudice will enhance enjoyment but is not necessary, and those who haven't read Austen will be sent in search of her work.-Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor School District, Lancaster, PA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Sarah - Have you ever kept a diary? Has anyone ever read it without permission? Lydia got her diary as a gift from one of her older sisters, that is where the book got its name The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennett, by: Natasha Farrant. Her family thinks that she is dumb because she doesn’t always think before she speaks. She is one out of four children in the Bennett family. Her and her sisters are obsessed with rich men and officers. The main characters in the book is Lydia and a officer named Wickham. Lydia is the antagonist and Wickham is the protagonist.Wickham likes her older sister and her older sister likes him as well but Lydia also likes him and tries to spend time with him like making him teach her how to horseback ride even though back then it was un lady like to do so. If you like reading books that take place in the older time in England then you would like this book. It has drama, cliffhangers and last but not least a little romance.

September 15, 2016
Grades 8-11 As any ardent Austen fan knows, Lydia, the flirtatious baby Bennet sister of Pride and Prejudice fame, scandalously runs off with notorious Lieutenant George Wickham. Here Farrant offers a firsthand account of the spunky 15-year-old's plight, using a secret journal to document the fated duo's first encounter, flourishing friendship (complete with horseback-riding lessons), and momentous jaunt from quaint Longbourn to the Brighton seaside. Thoroughly mindful of her predecessor's plot, time line, and character arcs (including an initially chilly, later compassionate Darcy), Farrant, like Lydia, takes some exciting liberties at Brighton. One of them, the arrival of enigmatic French siblings Alaric and Theodorine (also known as the Comte and Comtesse de Fombelle), lobs Lydia into an enchanting world of literature, fashion, and potential economic mobilityallowing her, if only temporarily, to avert her gaze from the ever-scheming Wickham. While a hopelessly practical conclusion may disappoint the more sentimental romantics, Farrant's spirited romp through Regency-era England, flecked with humor, memorable characters, and a healthy dose of realism, is neverthelessas Lydia would say monstrous fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)