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A review by creativelifeofliz
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
A delightful modern take on Pride and Prejudice with all the atmosphere of 1800s London.
Oliver Bennet feels trapped by society's expectations. Many of his friends and family think he's a girl named Elizabeth, forcing him to attend balls in pretty dresses and consider suitors. But the best solace for Oliver is when he can sneak out and explore London dressed as a young gentleman. There he gets to know Darcy, a boy who had previously been rude to "Elizabeth" at a social function. Darcy turns out to be much more compelling with Oliver. As they start to spend more time together, and Oliver spends more time as his true self, Oliver is forced to make a choice between safety and security or risking it all for freedom and love.
To start out with, Gabe Cole Novoa's writing is very compelling. It's a great mixture of classic language from the original Jane Austen novel and modern language to make it extremely readable. There are moments of humor and heartbreak and the story really keeps you engaged. The cast of characters are also very fun to read about and overall quite supportive of Oliver (read the content warns though, because that's not the case for everyone). When Oliver explores London dressed as himself, we get a great taste of London in the early 1800s which really added to the atmosphere.
Retellings are always tricky. I think the author did a good job of giving us many of the key moments in the original while also including some new scenes to align with this version of the story. With the additional challenge of making these book interesting and relevant to a modern young adult audience, I think there was overall a good balance between these two competing factors.
Overall, if you enjoy Pride and Prejudice (or Jane Austen more generally) retellings, then I definitely recommend picking up this book. It manages to be a fun, quick read while also letting us understand some of the competing pressures Oliver was feeling from his family and society.
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Oliver Bennet feels trapped by society's expectations. Many of his friends and family think he's a girl named Elizabeth, forcing him to attend balls in pretty dresses and consider suitors. But the best solace for Oliver is when he can sneak out and explore London dressed as a young gentleman. There he gets to know Darcy, a boy who had previously been rude to "Elizabeth" at a social function. Darcy turns out to be much more compelling with Oliver. As they start to spend more time together, and Oliver spends more time as his true self, Oliver is forced to make a choice between safety and security or risking it all for freedom and love.
To start out with, Gabe Cole Novoa's writing is very compelling. It's a great mixture of classic language from the original Jane Austen novel and modern language to make it extremely readable. There are moments of humor and heartbreak and the story really keeps you engaged. The cast of characters are also very fun to read about and overall quite supportive of Oliver (read the content warns though, because that's not the case for everyone). When Oliver explores London dressed as himself, we get a great taste of London in the early 1800s which really added to the atmosphere.
Retellings are always tricky. I think the author did a good job of giving us many of the key moments in the original while also including some new scenes to align with this version of the story. With the additional challenge of making these book interesting and relevant to a modern young adult audience, I think there was overall a good balance between these two competing factors.
Overall, if you enjoy Pride and Prejudice (or Jane Austen more generally) retellings, then I definitely recommend picking up this book. It manages to be a fun, quick read while also letting us understand some of the competing pressures Oliver was feeling from his family and society.
Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
Moderate: Outing