A review by finesilkflower
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.0

This is my first time giving a book zero stars! I was already leaning toward giving this book a low star rating because it does all the things I find most cringey and unappealing in a modern Pride & Prejudice retelling - like going for a "Jane Austen type" archaic and pithy narrative voice but just sounding like a pretentious college essay. Then it took an out-of-nowhere hard turn into some truly vile transphobia. The plot of P&P famously hinges on a guy who initially seemed attractive turning out to be a cad; Sittenfeld swaps the heel turn from "ruining a girl's reputation" to "being transgender." That is it. That's the reveal, the guy's big crime, that immediately causes a family emergency and makes the main characters run around trying to "save" the daughter who's dating him. This is one of the most straight-up transantagonist pieces of media I have ever encountered. And I've watched "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." 
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