Epic Fail

June 20, 2011
In this latest contemporary update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the four Benton sisters are uprooted from their life in Massachusetts to sunny Los Angeles, where everyone they meet at Coral Tree Prep has rich and famous parents. The oldest girls, high school junior and senior Elise and Juliana, are appropriately spunky and sweet-natured stand-ins for Elizabeth and Jane, appearing along with the rest of Austen's cast in adult author LaZebnik's (If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home by Now) YA debut. Darcy becomes Derek, the handsome but prickly son of Brangelina-level celebrities; Wickam is Webster, who charms his way into the middle of Elise and Derek's budding romance; and Bingley becomes Chase, who is immediately taken with Juliana and destined to end up with her, too. LaZebnik's story has the feel of a summery teen rom-com, and although the author's adherence to Austen's original narrative makes her contemporary twists (misunderstandings via text messages instead of letters, for example) less twisty, Elise's first-person narration has ample wit. For Austen devotees, this adaptation will be reassuringly familiar and charming enough. Ages 12âup.

December 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-Elise Benton is not starting her junior year off on the right foot. On her first day at elite Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, she walks right into one of the most popular girls at school. From there, things seem to spiral downward: she's told that she isn't wearing the right clothes; her mother is the much-disliked principal; and the son of town royalty, Derek Edwards, catches her staring at him, much to his chagrin. As if that weren't humiliating enough, she soon learns that her sister is dating Derek's best friend, which forces Elise and Derek to be together frequently-and unwillingly. Elise makes it her mission to resist his occasional charms and instead fall for Derek's enemy, Webster Grant. But first impressions can be deceiving, and people aren't always as they seem. LaZebnik takes her inspiration for this novel from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Teen girls will identify with Elise, who is likable enough, but with a sharp tongue to match her Regency counterpart, Elizabeth Bennet. The many near-miss romantic moments between Elise and Derek create excitement and help further the plot. The themes are universal and interesting enough to grab even reluctant readers. Epic Fail is a fun, romantic read.-Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.