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A review by andreatypesbraille
Accomplished by Amanda Quain
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Georgie Darcy is beginning her junior year at the prestigious Pemberly Academy, a school which has a history of the Darcy family as alumni. However, Georgie is going into this schoolyear a bit of a social pariah, having spent the past two years isolating herself from making any other friends. Her freshman year she spent entirely with her brother, Fitzwilliam Darcy, a senior who went off to college the next year. Her sophomore year was spent taken up being wooed and deceived by Wickham. She wound up being raveled into a pill dispensing drug ring, organized by Wickham, using her single dorm room as his home base for dealing. Wickham had quite the following, either among the band class, where he excelled at playing trumpet, or among the rest of the school, who missed their dealer. Georgie is able to stay at the school while Wickham is expelled, which leads to Georgie facing some harassment.
This modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice follows the basic personalities established in the original story, the frigid Fitz Darcy, the confident and intelligent Lizzie Bennet, the affable Charlie Bingley, and of course, Wickham. Lydia and Jane Bennet also make brief appearances, and Mr. Collins and Lady/Aunt Catherine are referred to as well. It's what I think any Austen fan, and more specifically a fan of Pride and Prejudice, would want to see in a retelling of the classic, brought into a modern backdrop.
With all that being said, Georgie Darcy is not a sympathetic character. She's so wound up in her own problems, which are significantly eased by her family's wealth and reputation, that Georgie is petulant and whiny. I had a hard time reading through the first third of the book, as Georgie is either whining about how difficult her life has been, or engaging in behavior she acknowledges in the moment before is counterproductive to how she wants to live. The driving force, Wickham threatening to tell Fitz that he is still in contact with Georgie, really has no leg to stand on. Because we as the audience, and Georgie herself, know that Fitz would immediately step in and end the relationship, eliminating the issue.
There are plenty to root for in this story though. The dialogue between characters can be quick and acerbic in a fun way. Georgie has a tendency towards sarcasm or being too biting in her retorts, but that holds with her character. Getting to see the interactions between the characters we know and love, Fitz, Lizzie, Charlie, really does bring joy back into the reading. I think the author did a great job reenvisioning a modern day Charles Bingley, a ripped frat boy hopelessly besotted with the lovely Jane Bennet.
The marching band aspect was also an interesting perspective. Having been a music student myself in high school, I appreciated the clique cultural that orchestra or band classes can have being shown in full light.
As previously mentioned, the first third of the book was difficult for me to get through, but after that point, the story begins progressing and picking up steam. I initially rated a 2.5, but round up to a 3 star because I was truly enjoying how the story progressed, the dialogue, and the addition of more of Lizzie's character near the end.
I would recommend this to students in high school and up. There is some references to drug use, and possible sexual situations, though nothing explicit happens. I think it may be a great introduction to classic-averse readers, allowing them to dip their feet into the Austen world in a modern, relatable setting.
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Georgie Darcy is beginning her junior year at the prestigious Pemberly Academy, a school which has a history of the Darcy family as alumni. However, Georgie is going into this schoolyear a bit of a social pariah, having spent the past two years isolating herself from making any other friends. Her freshman year she spent entirely with her brother, Fitzwilliam Darcy, a senior who went off to college the next year. Her sophomore year was spent taken up being wooed and deceived by Wickham. She wound up being raveled into a pill dispensing drug ring, organized by Wickham, using her single dorm room as his home base for dealing. Wickham had quite the following, either among the band class, where he excelled at playing trumpet, or among the rest of the school, who missed their dealer. Georgie is able to stay at the school while Wickham is expelled, which leads to Georgie facing some harassment.
This modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice follows the basic personalities established in the original story, the frigid Fitz Darcy, the confident and intelligent Lizzie Bennet, the affable Charlie Bingley, and of course, Wickham. Lydia and Jane Bennet also make brief appearances, and Mr. Collins and Lady/Aunt Catherine are referred to as well. It's what I think any Austen fan, and more specifically a fan of Pride and Prejudice, would want to see in a retelling of the classic, brought into a modern backdrop.
With all that being said, Georgie Darcy is not a sympathetic character. She's so wound up in her own problems, which are significantly eased by her family's wealth and reputation, that Georgie is petulant and whiny. I had a hard time reading through the first third of the book, as Georgie is either whining about how difficult her life has been, or engaging in behavior she acknowledges in the moment before is counterproductive to how she wants to live. The driving force, Wickham threatening to tell Fitz that he is still in contact with Georgie, really has no leg to stand on. Because we as the audience, and Georgie herself, know that Fitz would immediately step in and end the relationship, eliminating the issue.
There are plenty to root for in this story though. The dialogue between characters can be quick and acerbic in a fun way. Georgie has a tendency towards sarcasm or being too biting in her retorts, but that holds with her character. Getting to see the interactions between the characters we know and love, Fitz, Lizzie, Charlie, really does bring joy back into the reading. I think the author did a great job reenvisioning a modern day Charles Bingley, a ripped frat boy hopelessly besotted with the lovely Jane Bennet.
The marching band aspect was also an interesting perspective. Having been a music student myself in high school, I appreciated the clique cultural that orchestra or band classes can have being shown in full light.
As previously mentioned, the first third of the book was difficult for me to get through, but after that point, the story begins progressing and picking up steam. I initially rated a 2.5, but round up to a 3 star because I was truly enjoying how the story progressed, the dialogue, and the addition of more of Lizzie's character near the end.
I would recommend this to students in high school and up. There is some references to drug use, and possible sexual situations, though nothing explicit happens. I think it may be a great introduction to classic-averse readers, allowing them to dip their feet into the Austen world in a modern, relatable setting.