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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I’m a fan of a good, imaginative re-telling! This is loosely based on Pride & Prejudice - which is apparent in some of the names used and relationship dynamics - especially the original Darcy-Elizabeth-Wickham triangle.
I appreciate the overall focus on self-discovery, following your passions - knowing what you want in life and finding ways to make it happen. Those themes were the focus of the stories, above and beyond the different romances that were unfolding.
In some places, the story felt a little unfocused - cycling through a lot of different character view points very quickly - which gave me a little bit of reader whiplash. But overall, a very enjoyable read!
I appreciate the overall focus on self-discovery, following your passions - knowing what you want in life and finding ways to make it happen. Those themes were the focus of the stories, above and beyond the different romances that were unfolding.
In some places, the story felt a little unfocused - cycling through a lot of different character view points very quickly - which gave me a little bit of reader whiplash. But overall, a very enjoyable read!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
An excellent read. An effortlessly diverse and fun group of characters.
I have a lot of conflicting opinions about this, on different fronts.
First, dear to my heart: As a modern P&P retelling, this is lovely in terms of setting and characters and the changes in conflicts that just don't work outside the Regecy. Each of the character counterparts is really nicely done.
Second, intersectionality. I don't think I've read another book as consciously aware of privilege as this one. On the one hand, that's lovely: it IS exhausting to deal with microaggressions, and it's WONDERFUL to read characters who think so critically about it from so many angles.
On the other, occasionally feels like an explainer addressed to rich white cishets.
Third, stuff that made me go ???: For a novel that acknowledges the utility of therapy in so many instances, it's surprisingly unsympathetic about mental health issues and illnesses. All of the characters are neurotypical and able-bodied, and while one does have a very severe depressive episode in the backstory, it's treated as a one-off. Other characters with substance issues - verbatim - are categorically The Bad Ones, and their substance use is part of their Badness. That seems messed-up to me. It's reasonable for the main narrator to have neglected unpacking ableism - she's only 21-22 and she's been BUSY her whole life. However, every perspective character as well as the third-person omniscient that shows up occasionally shares this blindness. I was having a really good time in this diverse, thoughtful novel until I got ambushed by glosses on "by the way addiction is morally wrong."
Last and silliest: None of the buildings at MIT in which Fields scholarship interviews could conceivably be held could be realistically described as "brutalist." That's the other side of campus, or somewhere in the 30s, or the east buildings. Main group where all the prestigious stuff goes down is mid-19th-century limestone.
I'm glad I read this but I'd also like to pick at it in my brain a little longer.
I picked at it some more and reviewed my own highlights - because of my brain problems, these just slip straight out of my memory banks as soon as I've made a note - and. The narration and attitudes are so much less consistent than I remembered of the gestalt; the author establishes the importance of therapy and almost immediately classifies the behavior of someone binge-drinking in a restaurant as a personal weakness. EJ spends the first third of the novel talking about how wonderful Longbourn is and then says she never feels at home there. The characters spend 80% of the novel discussing misogyny in academia and then categorize the antagonist as a particularly toxic misogynistic stereotype And By The Way A Drunk. I don't get it.
I'm a skinny white gay. I cannot and will not discount the value of this novel as a progressive and positive depiction of the lives of POC. I also can't ... say I liked it.
First, dear to my heart: As a modern P&P retelling, this is lovely in terms of setting and characters and the changes in conflicts that just don't work outside the Regecy. Each of the character counterparts is really nicely done.
Second, intersectionality. I don't think I've read another book as consciously aware of privilege as this one. On the one hand, that's lovely: it IS exhausting to deal with microaggressions, and it's WONDERFUL to read characters who think so critically about it from so many angles.
On the other, occasionally feels like an explainer addressed to rich white cishets.
Third, stuff that made me go ???: For a novel that acknowledges the utility of therapy in so many instances, it's surprisingly unsympathetic about mental health issues and illnesses. All of the characters are neurotypical and able-bodied, and while one does have a very severe depressive episode in the backstory, it's treated as a one-off. Other characters with substance issues - verbatim - are categorically The Bad Ones, and their substance use is part of their Badness. That seems messed-up to me. It's reasonable for the main narrator to have neglected unpacking ableism - she's only 21-22 and she's been BUSY her whole life. However, every perspective character as well as the third-person omniscient that shows up occasionally shares this blindness. I was having a really good time in this diverse, thoughtful novel until I got ambushed by glosses on "by the way addiction is morally wrong."
Last and silliest: None of the buildings at MIT in which Fields scholarship interviews could conceivably be held could be realistically described as "brutalist." That's the other side of campus, or somewhere in the 30s, or the east buildings. Main group where all the prestigious stuff goes down is mid-19th-century limestone.
I'm glad I read this but I'd also like to pick at it in my brain a little longer.
I picked at it some more and reviewed my own highlights - because of my brain problems, these just slip straight out of my memory banks as soon as I've made a note - and. The narration and attitudes are so much less consistent than I remembered of the gestalt; the author establishes the importance of therapy and almost immediately classifies the behavior of someone binge-drinking in a restaurant as a personal weakness. EJ spends the first third of the novel talking about how wonderful Longbourn is and then says she never feels at home there. The characters spend 80% of the novel discussing misogyny in academia and then categorize the antagonist as a particularly toxic misogynistic stereotype And By The Way A Drunk. I don't get it.
I'm a skinny white gay. I cannot and will not discount the value of this novel as a progressive and positive depiction of the lives of POC. I also can't ... say I liked it.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Enjoyable read. I enjoyed the group of main characters and their friendships. I found their relationships to each other and to their life transitions to be very nostalgic for me. Loved that.
I wasn't particularly invested in the love interest, though. The biggest downside for me was that the ending was really rushed. I like that it was a happy ending and all, just now how quick it wrapped right up.
Enjoyable, though.
I wasn't particularly invested in the love interest, though. The biggest downside for me was that the ending was really rushed. I like that it was a happy ending and all, just now how quick it wrapped right up.
Enjoyable, though.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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:
Complicated
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-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
I don't know if I would've enjoyed this book even more not knowing it was a pride & predjudice retelling. This way the hunt for parallels and the awareness of the plot development shifted my focus a little from this very charming story itself. EJ is a fantastic protagonist, perfectly balanced between confidence and wisdom and the possibility of growth and relatablity. all of the characters felt complex and authentic despite being modeled after quite old prototypes. The modernization of the story felt absolutley natural, be it the diversity or the lovestory, the celebrity status of the love interest and the university setting.
The language was overall very easy to read and was humerous and serious depending on the situation with some very wise words sprinkeled around the life lessons the characters are facing.
The language was overall very easy to read and was humerous and serious depending on the situation with some very wise words sprinkeled around the life lessons the characters are facing.
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Excellent freshman outing for this author! A clever, modernized spin on Pride and Prejudice, with truly diverse and compelling characters. I found myself laughing out loud a few times, and even shed a tear (much to my surprise). I can't wait to read what Appiah-Kubi writes next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Transphobia
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
I enjoyed this contemporary fiction novel with elements that reminded me a little of Pride and Prejudice immensely! The author weaved a beautifully diverse and epic love story. I listened to the audiobook, and it really brought the characters to life for me. I adored these characters and the diversity represented. EJ, Tessa, and Jamie were three best friend trying to find out who they were and how they fit into a world that didn’t always accept them. I loved their friendship, the strong women supporting strong women, and the watching them find themselves. Will and Lee were revelations. They loved so freely and never felt like secondary characters! They made the story so much richer. The plot unfolded perfectly and held my interest. The ending made me feel alllll the feels and wrapped up the story beautifully. This book reminded me of all the possibilities and open endedness in that last year of college before stepping into the adult world. If you love a good romance with enemies to lovers vibes, self discovery, and badass women do not sleep on this book!