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guylou's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, look at that cover!!! It is gorgeous! I love the design and all the vibrant colours. This beautiful book is marketed as a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I read Pride and Prejudice and have seen several movie versions of the book and thought I knew the story well. I was not able recognise the plot in THE BENNET WOMEN. The story was cute and entertaining but did not reach me as I hope. I could not relate to the characters. I did however enjoy the multiculturalism aspect offered in the story and the strong female characters. This book will probably be more appreciate by a younger generation. It has good morale and insight on how to make good life choices.
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bookdragonamy's review against another edition
3.0
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review.
I love how diverse these characters are. It’s really refreshing. The characters were well rounded to me. I didn’t like was the switching of narratives but that is something I personally don’t like.
I think it does have the vibe of a Pride and prejudice story telling but at times while I was reading the book I’d forgotten that. Which in my opinion is good because when I look for a modern anything Jane Austen I’m not looking for an exact copy of her original stories, as some retellings turn out to be.
I can’t wait to recommend this to some of my friends who love modern retellings like this.
I love how diverse these characters are. It’s really refreshing. The characters were well rounded to me. I didn’t like was the switching of narratives but that is something I personally don’t like.
I think it does have the vibe of a Pride and prejudice story telling but at times while I was reading the book I’d forgotten that. Which in my opinion is good because when I look for a modern anything Jane Austen I’m not looking for an exact copy of her original stories, as some retellings turn out to be.
I can’t wait to recommend this to some of my friends who love modern retellings like this.
ljesica's review against another edition
4.0
This one is a VERY modern take on Pride and Prejudice. From the Amazon Blurb:
Welcome to Bennet House, the only all-women’s dorm at prestigious Longbourn University, home to three close friends who are about to have an eventful year. EJ is an ambitious Black engineering student. Her best friend, Jamie, is a newly out trans woman studying French and theatre. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with guy trouble. For them, Bennet House is more than a residence―it’s an oasis of feminism, femininity, and enlightenment. But as great as Longbourn is for academics, EJ knows it can be a wretched place to find love.
I thought this was a very interesting interpretation. And a lovely one. I'd like to think we're moving towards a world where women of all shapes, sizes and colors can find both love and success in their careers. I sadly don't think we're quite there yet. I loved the sisterhood in this book. The chosen family was lovely. And I did like having my Elizabeth as a strong, intelligent and capable Black Woman. I have mixed feelings on my Mr. Darcy being an actor but it makes sense in the context. Overall, I liked it!
Welcome to Bennet House, the only all-women’s dorm at prestigious Longbourn University, home to three close friends who are about to have an eventful year. EJ is an ambitious Black engineering student. Her best friend, Jamie, is a newly out trans woman studying French and theatre. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with guy trouble. For them, Bennet House is more than a residence―it’s an oasis of feminism, femininity, and enlightenment. But as great as Longbourn is for academics, EJ knows it can be a wretched place to find love.
I thought this was a very interesting interpretation. And a lovely one. I'd like to think we're moving towards a world where women of all shapes, sizes and colors can find both love and success in their careers. I sadly don't think we're quite there yet. I loved the sisterhood in this book. The chosen family was lovely. And I did like having my Elizabeth as a strong, intelligent and capable Black Woman. I have mixed feelings on my Mr. Darcy being an actor but it makes sense in the context. Overall, I liked it!
finnthehuman217's review against another edition
5.0
This book is one of the cutest adaptations of pride I’ve read in a while. It has a trans girl in the Jane role which I could not be more happy about because of how iconic Jane Bennett is. And Jamie is just as iconic as Jane just has that little bit of cute that I can relate to. EJ and Will (the Darcy character) have a romance that is slow on the uptake and then fall for each other hard and fast and I love it!! I’m so happy we have some good representation in this book. Even if the addition of an ex girlfriend and a manipulative former hookup make it frustrating, our heroes lived happily ever after. I love their story!
jordana_dear's review against another edition
2.0
Two stars for the diversity, some good writing moments, and being a somewhat enjoyable read. While I appreciated the diversity, this one was missing a lot for me in regards to handling of the characters, plot, follow through, etc. I was so hopeful and ended up underwhelmed. I think if the author tried to give more time and space for the story it could have really been wonderful.
The story and writing were a struggle for me. Everything lacked conflict or obstacles and was so idealistic it made me feel like I was reading a junior high or high school aged girl's fantasy about what being a grown up in their last year of college would be like. Things that would be a day to day conflict anyone might face glanced off and disappeared as if anyone could handle all of dailys life's struggles and even added struggle of celebrity/class/race/etc without anything ever really going wrong or being more than what felt like a passing mention. Maybe that was the intention? Maybe I've just never lived in that world but you can avoid treating things like trauma porn and still have real life struggle... it got soooo close to touching on so many things without really every going there and it was so frustrating. It made it so hard to see the real life that existed in each of these characters and it could have been SO beautiful and such a great retelling with current real world diversity in all of the things it was mixing. Not to mention it bounces around to several POV but nothing ever really flowed together for me. The different views and time jumps really just made the story feel clunky even when the writing had good moments.
I loved that Jamie (our Jane) was Trans and that her story wasn't focused on or seeped in trauma. She was free and clear and living and in the first 20 or so pages she already jumped out to me. I was incredibly worried about where her story could go knowing Jane's PP arc and how a careless author could treat Jamie as a Trans woman with that arc in mind, but Appiah-Kubi did not take that road and I am very grateful for that. That being said, I felt that the author also stayed away from giving Jamie's part of the story any kind of conflict. She and Lee (our Bingley) never really have any issues and when they do everything goes so smoothly because, as explained in the book, they both have been in therapy since they were young so that somehow makes it easy for them to talk and progress with no conflict other than a difference of opinion about their relationship which in my experience, just isn't reality for even the most loving and respectful of relationships. It was also ofd it was so easy for them to slide through that conversation when we were just tood Jamie was straight up avoiding these converstions with Lee... Any other issues Jamie experiences are kind of passed off. A mother who was super supportive when Jamie came out as a child but struggled when she came out as Trans could have created so much more complexity than it did, for Jamie's relationship with Lee, or with her mom or with Lee and her mom meeting without treating the conflict in a traumatic or even overplayed way. Also an advisor who was transphobic (and sexist), was just throw out passively but we never saw Jamie handle this even though its brought up in a way that seems it was a big thing she faced theough the whole year this books takes place. I felt these real life experiences for Trans individuals were kind of tossed out as a means to identity Jamie as Trans more so than to give the reader any understanding or insight of who Jamie is, or what she and many Trans people go through, or even just give Jamie a real storyline. It left Jamie one dimensional. Especially when the story was told from her perspective and was used as a means to continue driving EJ's (our Elizabeth) story, not to really tell her own or add to the dimensions of the overall story. Jane is my favorite character from PP and I was prepared to fall for Jamie just as hard and really just feel like I missed her completely. It did leave me with a hunger for Jamie's story - so I'm going to be looking out for that book. (I'll take recommendations if anyone's got one.)
EJ (Elizabeth) too felt like a bundle of cliches. We never really get too deep into some of the things she's dealing with and again everything is so easy and really lacks detail and obstacles. Every character, moment, etc. is just missing something to take it all the way through to the point. There was a lack of threading or flow through the book and even though the events loosely followed PP, it just ultimately missed the mark.
The story and writing were a struggle for me. Everything lacked conflict or obstacles and was so idealistic it made me feel like I was reading a junior high or high school aged girl's fantasy about what being a grown up in their last year of college would be like. Things that would be a day to day conflict anyone might face glanced off and disappeared as if anyone could handle all of dailys life's struggles and even added struggle of celebrity/class/race/etc without anything ever really going wrong or being more than what felt like a passing mention. Maybe that was the intention? Maybe I've just never lived in that world but you can avoid treating things like trauma porn and still have real life struggle... it got soooo close to touching on so many things without really every going there and it was so frustrating. It made it so hard to see the real life that existed in each of these characters and it could have been SO beautiful and such a great retelling with current real world diversity in all of the things it was mixing. Not to mention it bounces around to several POV but nothing ever really flowed together for me. The different views and time jumps really just made the story feel clunky even when the writing had good moments.
I loved that Jamie (our Jane) was Trans and that her story wasn't focused on or seeped in trauma. She was free and clear and living and in the first 20 or so pages she already jumped out to me. I was incredibly worried about where her story could go knowing Jane's PP arc and how a careless author could treat Jamie as a Trans woman with that arc in mind, but Appiah-Kubi did not take that road and I am very grateful for that. That being said, I felt that the author also stayed away from giving Jamie's part of the story any kind of conflict. She and Lee (our Bingley) never really have any issues and when they do everything goes so smoothly because, as explained in the book, they both have been in therapy since they were young so that somehow makes it easy for them to talk and progress with no conflict other than a difference of opinion about their relationship which in my experience, just isn't reality for even the most loving and respectful of relationships. It was also ofd it was so easy for them to slide through that conversation when we were just tood Jamie was straight up avoiding these converstions with Lee... Any other issues Jamie experiences are kind of passed off. A mother who was super supportive when Jamie came out as a child but struggled when she came out as Trans could have created so much more complexity than it did, for Jamie's relationship with Lee, or with her mom or with Lee and her mom meeting without treating the conflict in a traumatic or even overplayed way. Also an advisor who was transphobic (and sexist), was just throw out passively but we never saw Jamie handle this even though its brought up in a way that seems it was a big thing she faced theough the whole year this books takes place. I felt these real life experiences for Trans individuals were kind of tossed out as a means to identity Jamie as Trans more so than to give the reader any understanding or insight of who Jamie is, or what she and many Trans people go through, or even just give Jamie a real storyline. It left Jamie one dimensional. Especially when the story was told from her perspective and was used as a means to continue driving EJ's (our Elizabeth) story, not to really tell her own or add to the dimensions of the overall story. Jane is my favorite character from PP and I was prepared to fall for Jamie just as hard and really just feel like I missed her completely. It did leave me with a hunger for Jamie's story - so I'm going to be looking out for that book. (I'll take recommendations if anyone's got one.)
EJ (Elizabeth) too felt like a bundle of cliches. We never really get too deep into some of the things she's dealing with and again everything is so easy and really lacks detail and obstacles. Every character, moment, etc. is just missing something to take it all the way through to the point. There was a lack of threading or flow through the book and even though the events loosely followed PP, it just ultimately missed the mark.
ashleighaddams's review against another edition
4.0
Pride and Prejudice retelling - do I need to say more?
No seriously, this was a fantastic array of point of views, fresh POV style with multiple characters in all facets of personalities.
Apart from some small things that got me a little lost in the story, everything was sewn in nicely, whilst bringing the spirit of the original classic it’s based on.
And god I’m thankful for the lack of major breakups that tend to happen with these sort of plot lines, so much better for my anxiety seeing other obstacles and issues actually being a factor instead.
I definitely will have this as a re-read in the future.
No seriously, this was a fantastic array of point of views, fresh POV style with multiple characters in all facets of personalities.
Apart from some small things that got me a little lost in the story, everything was sewn in nicely, whilst bringing the spirit of the original classic it’s based on.
And god I’m thankful for the lack of major breakups that tend to happen with these sort of plot lines, so much better for my anxiety seeing other obstacles and issues actually being a factor instead.
I definitely will have this as a re-read in the future.
readabookbraun's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
debyik's review against another edition
4.0
The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice. We follow three best friends that live in an all-women’s dorm called The Bennet House. We follow EJ, an RA and engineering student that has big plans for success in the real world, Jamie, a trans woman who has recently come out, and Tessa, an astronomy major. These best friends go through the stress and struggles of school, love, and the surprises of life, all while having each other's backs.
The diversity representation in this book, which is amazing, and the social commentary hitting some tough topics make this book a must-read. You don’t need to know anything about Pride & Prejudice to enjoy this book.
The Bennet Women had me laughing out loud, hurting with them, and feeling inspired by their friendship and drive for life. I think the bond of friendship is where this book really shone. The writing style was easy to read and the plot was enjoyable. I highly recommend.
4.5 stars
The diversity representation in this book, which is amazing, and the social commentary hitting some tough topics make this book a must-read. You don’t need to know anything about Pride & Prejudice to enjoy this book.
The Bennet Women had me laughing out loud, hurting with them, and feeling inspired by their friendship and drive for life. I think the bond of friendship is where this book really shone. The writing style was easy to read and the plot was enjoyable. I highly recommend.
4.5 stars
lala001's review against another edition
3.0
My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice and I love reading retellings but this was not my favorite. Don’t get me wrong jr was a good book and I enjoyed the characters and the story line but it wasn’t the best. Still a good book just not for me.