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thebookpaiges's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Medical content
Minor: Toxic relationship and Fatphobia
readingthroughinfinity's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Thanks to Harper360 for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Epically Earnest follows Jane, Algie, Cecil and Gwen, who are about to mark the end of their high school lives with their senior prom.
Jane, our main character (comparable to Jack Worthing in the original story) is a romantic at heart, and found unintentional early internet fame as 'bag baby', an abandoned baby found in a Gucci bag at Poughkeepsie train station.
Algie (Algernon in the play) is Jane's best friend and an enthusiastic theatre lover and thespian. He's also a bit of a heart-breaker, calling time on all of his previous romances within a few days.
Cecil (Cecily), Jane's cousin, is sweet, pretty innocent, and slightly younger than the rest of the group, so Jane is more than a little concerned when Algie shows an interest in him and starts asking him on dates. Much to Jane's chagrin, Cecil has what can only be described as heart-eyes for Algie and doesn't listen to Jane's warnings about him.
The final member of the quartet, Gwen (Gwendolen) seems distant and unreachable at first, but that's only because we're seeing her through Jane's eyes. As Jane and Gwen grow closer, we realise that Gwen is fun, kind, and possibly a little smitten with Jane.
The novella is short and entertaining, with a few notable and apt modernisations (use of social media and DNA testing) that bring it into the 21st century.
There are times when it feels like we're waiting for something to happen, but because the book is just over 200 pages the various small events that happen to Jane and co. are enough to keep the plot moving steadily to its conclusion.
The book diverges from the original play in that it's canonically queer. Although Oscar Wilde was gay, The Importance of Being Earnest is a story of two straight romances. But Epically Earnest brings queer love to the fore with both sapphic and achillean romances and bisexual and gay rep.
If you're looking for a book that epitomises queer joy, this is a good one to pick up. Although Jane is working through decisions about her biological family, for the majority of the book, she and her friends are happy. They're falling in love, getting ready for prom, and just getting to live life as their authentic selves without fear or judgement.
Epically Earnest follows Jane, Algie, Cecil and Gwen, who are about to mark the end of their high school lives with their senior prom.
Jane, our main character (comparable to Jack Worthing in the original story) is a romantic at heart, and found unintentional early internet fame as 'bag baby', an abandoned baby found in a Gucci bag at Poughkeepsie train station.
Algie (Algernon in the play) is Jane's best friend and an enthusiastic theatre lover and thespian. He's also a bit of a heart-breaker, calling time on all of his previous romances within a few days.
Cecil (Cecily), Jane's cousin, is sweet, pretty innocent, and slightly younger than the rest of the group, so Jane is more than a little concerned when Algie shows an interest in him and starts asking him on dates. Much to Jane's chagrin, Cecil has what can only be described as heart-eyes for Algie and doesn't listen to Jane's warnings about him.
The final member of the quartet, Gwen (Gwendolen) seems distant and unreachable at first, but that's only because we're seeing her through Jane's eyes. As Jane and Gwen grow closer, we realise that Gwen is fun, kind, and possibly a little smitten with Jane.
The novella is short and entertaining, with a few notable and apt modernisations (use of social media and DNA testing) that bring it into the 21st century.
There are times when it feels like we're waiting for something to happen, but because the book is just over 200 pages the various small events that happen to Jane and co. are enough to keep the plot moving steadily to its conclusion.
The book diverges from the original play in that it's canonically queer. Although Oscar Wilde was gay, The Importance of Being Earnest is a story of two straight romances. But Epically Earnest brings queer love to the fore with both sapphic and achillean romances and bisexual and gay rep.
If you're looking for a book that epitomises queer joy, this is a good one to pick up. Although Jane is working through decisions about her biological family, for the majority of the book, she and her friends are happy. They're falling in love, getting ready for prom, and just getting to live life as their authentic selves without fear or judgement.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment
bingo_banjo's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Toxic relationship
books_r_cool's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
felt a little rushed and i was slightly underwhelmed
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
ninjamuse's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Medical content
melaniereadsbooks's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Clarion Books for the arc of this book!
In this queer retelling of The Importance of Being Earnest, Jane searches for the family she's never known, while keeping the one she has...and maybe getting the girl while she's at it. Don't forget the added element of her best friend dating her cousin! The drama.
This is lighthearted and sweet. It's very cute and doesn't take itself too seriously. I really like Jane and her cousin but am less sold on Algie and Gwen....probably because of the wild amounts of monetary privilege they have that aren't really addressed much. I don't have a ton of memory about the source material--The Importance of Being Earnest--as I read it a long time ago, but it seems to be kind of a loose retelling from what I remember.
I do think that this was cute and it is nice to have some queer stories where the characters can just be messy and happy and not have to go through anything too traumatizing. Also no queerphobia even though all the major characters are queer! So that is definitely a plus.
A big fat minus for the totally unnecessary and worthless HP reference though.
In this queer retelling of The Importance of Being Earnest, Jane searches for the family she's never known, while keeping the one she has...and maybe getting the girl while she's at it. Don't forget the added element of her best friend dating her cousin! The drama.
This is lighthearted and sweet. It's very cute and doesn't take itself too seriously. I really like Jane and her cousin but am less sold on Algie and Gwen....probably because of the wild amounts of monetary privilege they have that aren't really addressed much. I don't have a ton of memory about the source material--The Importance of Being Earnest--as I read it a long time ago, but it seems to be kind of a loose retelling from what I remember.
I do think that this was cute and it is nice to have some queer stories where the characters can just be messy and happy and not have to go through anything too traumatizing. Also no queerphobia even though all the major characters are queer! So that is definitely a plus.
A big fat minus for the totally unnecessary and worthless HP reference though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Blood
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Jane Grady gained notoriety as a baby when she was found on the subway in a Gucci bag at just a year old. Considered one of the first viral internet sensations, she’s now in her senior year of high school. And her best friend, Algie, just gave her a piece of information about her biological family. Now, she has to decide if it’s something she wants to pursue.
While trying to make that decision, she’s also dealing with a crush on Algie’s cousin, Gwen. In order to set herself on the right path, Jane has to be honest with herself, her friends, and her family. But that’s all easier said than done. Especially if she wants her life to be truly epic.
Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for an advanced copy of Epically Earnest to review! Even though I know very little about the Oscar Wilde play it’s based on, there was still a lot to enjoy about this story. It’s about family, about finding yourself, and making your own epic story.
What this book has going for it is its characters. There are great family and friend relationships, and they are just hilarious. There were so many moments humor, making this an overall lighthearted read. Out of all the characters, I think Algie was my favorite. He put things just over the top, and made every situation all the more humorous.
While you don’t need to know The Importance of Being Earnest to understand what’s going on in the book, I think knowing a bit about would help with some of the references. Lookign at other reviews, I know there were a lot of nods to the source material, and I would have enjoyed that. Maybe someday I’ll get to The Importance of Being Earnest and come back to this book!
All in all, if you’re looking for a lighthearted book to read this summer, definitely check this one out!
------
For the most part, I enjoyed this. There was just something about the voice that felt a little off. Stay tuned for a full review to come this week!
While trying to make that decision, she’s also dealing with a crush on Algie’s cousin, Gwen. In order to set herself on the right path, Jane has to be honest with herself, her friends, and her family. But that’s all easier said than done. Especially if she wants her life to be truly epic.
Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for an advanced copy of Epically Earnest to review! Even though I know very little about the Oscar Wilde play it’s based on, there was still a lot to enjoy about this story. It’s about family, about finding yourself, and making your own epic story.
What this book has going for it is its characters. There are great family and friend relationships, and they are just hilarious. There were so many moments humor, making this an overall lighthearted read. Out of all the characters, I think Algie was my favorite. He put things just over the top, and made every situation all the more humorous.
While you don’t need to know The Importance of Being Earnest to understand what’s going on in the book, I think knowing a bit about would help with some of the references. Lookign at other reviews, I know there were a lot of nods to the source material, and I would have enjoyed that. Maybe someday I’ll get to The Importance of Being Earnest and come back to this book!
All in all, if you’re looking for a lighthearted book to read this summer, definitely check this one out!
------
For the most part, I enjoyed this. There was just something about the voice that felt a little off. Stay tuned for a full review to come this week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit
bookstarbri's review against another edition
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I don't have a ton to say for this one! It was a quick, easy story! The writing was fine (though I'm not the biggest fan of first person, past tense but that's a personal thing that I didn't factor in to this review).
I think I just didn't vibe with any of the characters. Algie was borderline a walking stereotype and I felt like there wasn't a ton of depth to him. I also didn't fully get the chemistry of his friendship with Janey. His relationship with Cecil wasn't great and sort of uncomfy at times. Idk. This one wasn't it for me. There were a lot of funny moments which was why I gave it 2 stars and it really wasn't *that* bad, but definitely not a favorite. I can see some people loving this a lot, though! It wasn't the perfect 5 for me, but I have no doubt it will resonate more with others!
I think I just didn't vibe with any of the characters. Algie was borderline a walking stereotype and I felt like there wasn't a ton of depth to him. I also didn't fully get the chemistry of his friendship with Janey. His relationship with Cecil wasn't great and sort of uncomfy at times. Idk. This one wasn't it for me. There were a lot of funny moments which was why I gave it 2 stars and it really wasn't *that* bad, but definitely not a favorite. I can see some people loving this a lot, though! It wasn't the perfect 5 for me, but I have no doubt it will resonate more with others!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
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