Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

Unfortunately, this book really didn’t do it for me. I was very close to DNF-ing a few times, but pushed through since it was pretty short. This is not to say that it is at all a bad book; rather, I think it just hit too many of my pet peeves with both historical and trans-themed fiction. The historical anachronisms particularly frustrated me: e.g., historically inaccurate language, a tight-lacing scene (despite stays of the era being relatively unrestrictive), and, notably, a rather modern interpretation of transgender identity transposed over a historical narrative. While this is certainly a matter of personal preference (nor do I think authors should be expected to include period-accurate depictions of homophobia or transphobia), I felt that the narrative suffered as a result of this choice.

Everyone around Oliver seemed to, for the most part, immediately accept and understand his identity, which resulted in a general lack of narrative tension while simultaneously feeling unrealistic even from a contemporary trans lens. The language used in his various coming-out scenes felt extremely cookie-cutter (e.g., “I love and support you”) and was delivered with little hesitation; there were no hiccups, no fumbles, no awkwardness, no lapses in understanding. While I could maybe see this as some kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy coming out scenario, it honestly felt kind of alienating to read as a trans person myself. I would have found it far more compelling if we were able to see Oliver truly struggle to understand where he fits (or does not fit) into conventional narratives of gender, familial expectation, and high society (this is, after all, what makes Lizzy Bennet so lovable in the original Pride & Prejudice). It also would have been interesting to see him come to terms with his identity without necessarily having language to easily voice it—as was the case for many queer historical figures.

Oliver does obviously suffer myriad sexist and transphobic remarks, though these often felt painfully on-the-nose (the “beautiful birthing hips” comment comes to mind). Most of his struggle as a trans person seemed to be rooted in heavy-handed sexism, without ever really addressing the more nuanced crossover between his dysphoria as a trans person and his experience living as a “woman” in Edwardian society.

In addition, the short length of the book makes the romance between Oliver and Darcy feel very insta-lovey, again hindering the potential for narrative tension and making the ending much less satisfying than that of Austen’s original novel. Neither of their characters felt very fleshed-out by the end, which left me feeling rather apathetic when it came to their ultimate confessions of love. At the end of the day, I can imagine many people loving this book, but as a trans Pride & Prejudice fan, I came out of it feeling disappointed.

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nimeneth's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

This was a good retelling of Pride & Prejudice, and an enjoyable read. The feel of Austen's story wasn't changed, even if the specific details were, and Novoa was very respectful in translating the original into this work. That said, I have some conflicted feelings on the choices on how some of the characters were presented, and I think my biggest complaints are mostly based on my ardent love for the original. I didn't enjoy that:

-Lydia and Kitty were essentially left out except as tittering fools in the background. They're both minor characters in the original, true, but Lydia's arc in Pride & Prejudice was important in fleshing out Darcy's character, and leads to an opening towards the end where Kitty can become her own person rather than being an extension of Lydia.
-Wickham is so utterly evil in this retelling. He's no peach in Austen but boiling him down to bring driven by money alone (instead of status and jealousy in addition) feels like a disservice to what he was.
-Mrs. Bennett and Lady Catherine weren't annoying enough lol

Despite my complaints above, this does still feel like a properly modernized retelling, and it's definitely an approachable way to present something that is dense and hard to read, even without factoring in the heteronormative lens it Austen was understandably writing through. The writing was good, the pace was excellent, and Novoa has a way of evoking emotions that had my cis self feeling Oliver's emotions, particularly his panic over the dysphoria and misgendering, in a very gut-wrenching way. The nightmare scene about 2/3 of the way made me deeply uncomfortable, poor Oliver!

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barometz's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? No

5.0

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rhi_'s review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.5

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melist6's review

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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peroxide_princes's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was a really great book! I grew up absolutely ADORING Pride and prejudice, so to have a trans retelling out there is just fantastic. I think the end moves a little quickly and feels slightly forced, but that could definitely be my own personal taste. The characters do feel a bit flat,

with the most character development happening in Darcy’s character in my opinion. Though I think Oliver’s parents being supportive of him in the end is a very nice and healing touch out there for many trans kids picking up this book

. Overall, I think perhaps my personal tastes have moved away from young adult fiction, hence my rating, but this book fits itself well in that category. I would certainly recommend it for any trans youth out there who are in need of a book to speak to their souls and give them a heartwarming and hopeful end.

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