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1wingedbalrog's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can't remember the last time I finished a whole novel in one weekend. I'm pretty sure it was one of those cheap, "airport thrillers" - the kind that pulls you along relentlessly with intense plotting and suspense but you forget about a minute after reading the final page. But I'll remember this one.
I will confess that I am biased as a fan of Pride & Prejudice, and perhaps I was just so eager to see the next clever way Zoboi would reinterpret the story. But I also think it's undeniable that Zoboi has written an adaptation that stands on its own legs in a suffocating crowd of similar titles. Think Clueless.
The level of charm, cleverness, and surprise in this book off the charts. Zuri Benitez is every bit the fierce and brilliant iconoclast her inspiration was, but suited to a different environment that brings a new dimension to it all. While the love story with the boy is iconic, Zoboi has found a very original take in the material. She's written a love story about a girl and her neighborhood, as Bushwick gentrifies and Zuri struggles to hold on to what she takes pride in (see what I did there).
Unlike other P&P adaptations, which tend to sand down the romance for a new crowd, Zoboi gives us a Mr. Darcy that we can grow to fall for, despite how horribly insufferable he is for most of the book. It's actually enjoyable to hate-read Darius, and the changes in how we feel about him don't come from cheap sympathetic short cuts, but from Zuri's own revelations in how she judges people.
I could go on about the clever ways the book updates early 19th-Century elements for Gen Z, or how it portrays the awkwardness and challenges of solidarity-building between Black people from different economic classes. But this review is too long already. Even if you are not a YA fan or feel like these endless Jane Austen riffs have overstayed their welcome, you owe it to yourself to try this one out.
I will confess that I am biased as a fan of Pride & Prejudice, and perhaps I was just so eager to see the next clever way Zoboi would reinterpret the story. But I also think it's undeniable that Zoboi has written an adaptation that stands on its own legs in a suffocating crowd of similar titles. Think Clueless.
The level of charm, cleverness, and surprise in this book off the charts. Zuri Benitez is every bit the fierce and brilliant iconoclast her inspiration was, but suited to a different environment that brings a new dimension to it all. While the love story with the boy is iconic, Zoboi has found a very original take in the material. She's written a love story about a girl and her neighborhood, as Bushwick gentrifies and Zuri struggles to hold on to what she takes pride in (see what I did there).
Unlike other P&P adaptations, which tend to sand down the romance for a new crowd, Zoboi gives us a Mr. Darcy that we can grow to fall for, despite how horribly insufferable he is for most of the book. It's actually enjoyable to hate-read Darius, and the changes in how we feel about him don't come from cheap sympathetic short cuts, but from Zuri's own revelations in how she judges people.
I could go on about the clever ways the book updates early 19th-Century elements for Gen Z, or how it portrays the awkwardness and challenges of solidarity-building between Black people from different economic classes. But this review is too long already. Even if you are not a YA fan or feel like these endless Jane Austen riffs have overstayed their welcome, you owe it to yourself to try this one out.
Content Warnings
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual violence
unwise_samwise's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual violence and Blood
Minor: Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Adult/minor relationship
lunep's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, and Blood
Minor: Alcohol
serena08's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Death, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cursing
ambi_reads's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
If you love:
1. Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice
2. Enemies to Love
3. Strong Familial Relationships
4. Miscommunication and Misjudgements
5. YA preparing to enter university
6. Trying to find a place in the world
7. Poetry or Spoken Word
Then Pride is the book for you.
This is a really quick, contemporary, romance that also deals with so many topics pertinent to today's society. Some things I learnt from the book are as follows:
1. Just because someone may seem better off than you, does not mean you should disrespect them. They worked really hard for what they have (in most cases anyways).
2. Even people of your own race, can feel displaced by their own people.
3. There's nothing more special than a daddy-daughter relationship.
4. There's more to the world than what you know Go explore it through books or even travelling (once covid is over ofc).
5. The spiritual realm is an amazing plane that once you have experienced it, you can never look at life the same way again.
I don't think I can put in a countable number of words the number of things this book cemented and taught me. If you liked any of the above points, do read this one!
PS. Elizabeth Acevedo helped with the poetry aspects oft his book which made it even more precious for me as I love her works!
1. Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice
2. Enemies to Love
3. Strong Familial Relationships
4. Miscommunication and Misjudgements
5. YA preparing to enter university
6. Trying to find a place in the world
7. Poetry or Spoken Word
Then Pride is the book for you.
This is a really quick, contemporary, romance that also deals with so many topics pertinent to today's society. Some things I learnt from the book are as follows:
1. Just because someone may seem better off than you, does not mean you should disrespect them. They worked really hard for what they have (in most cases anyways).
2. Even people of your own race, can feel displaced by their own people.
3. There's nothing more special than a daddy-daughter relationship.
4. There's more to the world than what you know Go explore it through books or even travelling (once covid is over ofc).
5. The spiritual realm is an amazing plane that once you have experienced it, you can never look at life the same way again.
I don't think I can put in a countable number of words the number of things this book cemented and taught me. If you liked any of the above points, do read this one!
PS. Elizabeth Acevedo helped with the poetry aspects oft his book which made it even more precious for me as I love her works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Racism, and Sexual violence
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