Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wacky sitcom tropes vie with ill-thought-out updates to Pride and Prejudice in Appiah-Kubi's disjointed debut. EJ, the Elizabeth Bennet character, is a Black engineering major and the RA of Bennet House, Longbourn College's single-sex dorm--described as "something between a sorority and a benevolent cult." When mixed race Lee Gregory Engel begins dating EJ's best friend, Jamie, a white trans woman, EJ clashes with Lee's best friend, Asian-American Hollywood star Will Pak. Will is a radically divergent and excessively mean take on Mr. Darcy, and many readers will struggle to believe EJ can forgive his behavior; in their first meeting, he says EJ looks like a "lady pimp" and later asks her if the Wickham character "fucked stupid." The commitment to diversifying a very white classic is commendable, and the passages about being a Black woman in majority-white spaces are beautifully and sensitively written, but Austenites will likely take issue with both Will's characterization and the clumsy updates on famous lines and themes from the original. This will be best enjoyed by those looking not for an Austen retelling but for a broadly drawn enemies-to-lovers romance. Agent: Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT EJ is a senior at Longbourn University, where she is a resident assistant at the women-only dorm Bennet House. At the first party of the year, EJ's best friend Jamie meets and instantly clicks with Lee. EJ is ecstatic for her friend, but Lee has one major drawback--his arrogant friend Will. Will is an actor who is constantly horrible to EJ, but EJ is willing to be cordial for Jamie's benefit. After apologizing and repairing a rift caused by a lie, EJ and Will eventually realize that they have a strong connection, but they also sense the approaching deadline of graduation tearing their new bond apart. EJ has to figure out if Will fits into the life she has imagined, and they both need to figure out what they really want. VERDICT Appiah-Kubi's unique retelling of Austen's Pride and Prejudice gives it a modern spin with surprising twists and empowering storylines.--Ashli Wells, Vanderbilt Univ. Law Lib., Nashville
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Pride & Prejudice goes to college. At the prestigious Longbourn College in Massachusetts, best friends EJ, Jamie, and Tessa are members of Bennet House, the first female residence on campus. For them, being Bennet Women isn't just about where they live, it's an ethos adapted from the Bennet House Rules--act with maturity, support your sisters, embrace the adventure of Longbourn. And this year is shaping up to be more adventure-filled than most thanks to fellow student Lee Gregory, son of Hollywood royalty, and the arrival of his arrogant friend Will Pak, a recently disgraced actor. When Jamie finds her match in Lee, EJ agrees to put up with Will's rudeness and insulting behavior for her sake. As they spend more time together, a tentative friendship begins to grow--along with Will's attraction to EJ. That is, until Jordan Walker, an old enemy of Will's, makes EJ's acquaintance and begins wreaking havoc at Longbourn. Now Will and EJ will both have to put their pride aside to prevent the past from repeating itself. The cast of characters is diverse--EJ is Black, Jamie is a recently out trans woman, Tessa is Filipina, and Will has both Chinese and Korean heritage--and hearing EJ, Jamie, Tessa, and the other women who populate Longbourn discuss ambitious career goals, healthy sex lives, and more with unabashed frankness is refreshing. But this tale has been told (and retold) many times, and the plot doesn't offer enough in the way of innovation or excitement to feel wholly necessary. The relationship between EJ and Will, this novel's Elizabeth and Darcy, also lacks the same intense slow-burn spark that has made the original couple a pop-culture mainstay for centuries. A fine but mostly forgettable addition to the large library of Austen-inspired novels. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
