Review by Booklist Review
Hollywood clashes with suburbia in this modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice in which a resident of an Australian island is swept up into the world of a closed-off movie star. Lily is an 18-year-old embarking on a gap year and trying to find herself when movie stars Casey Brandon and Dorian Khan land in a vacation house on the secluded island of Pippi Beach. While Casey immediately wins over the locals, including Lily's cousin Juliet, Dorian is standoffish and unpleasant, drawing Lily's ire. Interestingly, the main players of this story are a second generation in a family of five sisters, each of whom shares a name and personality with a Bennet sister. The main characters are functional echoes of the originals. The narration skews heavy-handed in its efforts to convince readers of Lily's lack of care for the trappings of fame. Jane Austen fans might appreciate the book for its faithful adherence to the plot of the author's classic hit, with the setting and commentary on Hollywood serving as a clever distinction.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Australian mother-daughter team and debut authors Angourie and Kate Rice approach Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from a glamorous, contemporary Hollywood lens in this star-studded rom-com. Summers spent in secluded Pippi Beach are usually high school graduate Lily's favorite time of year--swimming with her cousin Juliet and friend Nicola, nights strolling on the shore, and attending the annual New Year's Eve talent show. Everything is shaping up to be just as relaxing as previous summers, until famous young movie stars Casey and Dorian move into the rental down the street. The whole island, especially Lily's flirtatious mother Lydia, is smitten with the boys almost immediately, whereas Lily couldn't care less. But then Casey strikes up a flirty relationship with Juliet, forcing Lily into the actors' orbit. Lily feels put off by Dorian's dark, brooding demeanor. Despite Lily's attempts to avoid him, however, the duo continues to cross paths even after the summer ends, as when she and Dorian meet again during a trip to Los Angeles. Upbeat prose injects an air of dreaminess into depictions of the Australian coast setting. Hollywood drama and an enemies-to-lovers romance add a splash of tension to the novel's summery vibes. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14--up. (May)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Pride and Prejudice meets celebrity romance in this contemporary work set in rural Australia and Hollywood. This modern take on Austen's classic centers on Lily, a recent high school graduate living with her younger sister, Rosie, and single mother, Lydia, in the tiny, idyllic community of Pippi Beach, which is tucked away and hidden from Sydney by bushland. The family resides year-round in the expansive beach house of Lily's wealthy aunt Jane. When Casey Brandon, a charming young American actor, and his entourage--his influencer sister, Cecilia, her friend Yumi, and his aloof best friend, Dorian Khan, an even bigger movie star--rent Pippi Beach's most luxurious property, Lily and Juliet, her lovely, shy cousin from the city, encounter the VIP visitors at a local party. Despite overbearing Lydia's meddling, Casey and Juliet quickly become genuinely smitten, while Dorian remains wary of the small resort town's insular, aspirational inhabitants. Lily's gap-year trip to Los Angeles further amplifies the celebrity angle, while the book stays remarkably faithful to Austen's plot beats. The Australian mother-daughter authors cleverly reimagine Mr. Collins as an obsequious production assistant and Lady Catherine de Bourgh as his ruthless producer boss. Lydia and her sisters are based on the Bennet siblings, adding another layer of homage to Austen, although the focus remains squarely on Lily and Juliet's generation. Lily and her family present white, and names cue diversity in the supporting cast. A frothy and fun retelling.(Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
