Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Published: January 1^st, 2011

Publisher: Scholastic

Pages: 231

Rating: 4/5

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles's friend, Will Darcy, who's snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk - so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Review:

            Lizzie Bennet is different than the rest of the girls at her school. She doesn’t care about $800 dresses or Jimmy Choos or Gucci bags. And she has zippo interest in prom. In fact, after only one semester at Longbourn, she’s sick of hearing about prom. Of course, this is beyond appalling to the other Longbourn girls. So appalling that she’s become the object of taunts and pranks. If she can just get through without too much physical or emotional harm coming to her, and soak up as much as she can from her music lessons, then everything will work out fine. But that was before that arrogant cod Will Darcy entered the scene…

            I usually try to avoid Pride and Prejudice spin-offs (or all Austen spin-offs, rather). Why? Well, long story short, if the spin-off turns out bad, it kind of sours the original book for me. But I gave Prom and Prejudice a go, and was surprised when it turned out alright. In fact, it was delightful and charming and kept me entertained the whole time through. I read it in record time- less than 24 hours (well, record time for me). It was a sweet, easy read and didn’t deface the original Austen work in the least.

            The story line follows along pretty closely with that of Pride and Prejudice, but is much more modernized, of course. I actually liked the modernized style, and wouldn’t mind trying another updated version of the Austen classic. Elizabeth was obviously very careful in not tainting the original story in her effort to recreate her version, and I applaud her for that, because many authors have absolutely mutilated many Austen titles in their efforts to design new versions. (let’s leave Austen and vampires separated, please). I was pleasantly delighted that Elizabeth didn’t stain the classic romance with her own awful version- no, quite the opposite.

            One thing I wished I saw more of was romance between Darcy and Elizabeth. It was very tame, and that’s perfectly alright, but kind of wish there was a least a kiss or two. This is my only complaint, and a bad one at that, since I’m usually complaining about an issue that’s the exact opposite- the content not being tame enough. I am thankful Elizabeth didn’t sexualize it overmuch, though, because that would have ruined it completely.

All in all, Prom and Prejudice was a delightful summer read that was both short and sweet. I highly suggest you add it to your pile of fanciful romances to read over the summer.

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None- Mild (one or two words, if I remember correctly)

Violence: None

Sexual: Mild (“Wick,” aka George Wickham, previously tried to take advantage of Darcy’s younger sister. The handsome devil also attempts to take advantage of Lydia, Jane’s wild younger sister. He’s stopped both times before anything come of it. Nothing described.)

Belles by Jen Calonita

Published: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Poppy

Pages: 356

Rating: 4/5

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she’s ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn’t go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn’t thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates’ Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls’ lives forever. [Book Description from Goodreads]

Review:

            Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe couldn’t be more different. While Izzie grew up in sketchy Harborside with responsibility laid on her shoulders at a young age, Mira grew up in the lap of luxury in refined Emerald Cove. Both are happy and satisfied with their lives; that is, until the Izzie’s grandmother takes a turn for the worse and Mira’s family adopts their long lost cousin, who happens to be Izzie. Izzie struggles with the glamor and prep of Emerald Cove while Mira is divided between welcoming her less-than-trendy cousin and keeping her snotty friends pleased. As the tension builds, the mean girls at Emerald Cove put everything they’ve got into patronizing Izzie, who must learn to not be ashamed of her upbringing, but Mira must also make a decision- between her backstabbing friends and her homesick cousin.  

            Belles was a fun summer read. Very light and fluffy. Written simply. Full of drama, but not gut-wrenching intensity. I have to say, the plot was pretty good. Better than I expected. Well, at some parts. At points it was cliché (as were a lot of things in this book) and predictable, but other parts were pretty good. I wasn’t completely thrilled throughout, and I found myself rolling my eyes at some things, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, it was really enjoyable and fun.

I think your final perspective on the book depends on what you expect out of it. I’d heard of the author and her other series (Secrets of My Hollywood Life) so I knew I wasn’t signing up for something amazingly fantastic, because my opinion of her other books (from what I’d heard about them) was that they didn’t seem incredible. I knew Belles wasn’t going to be as dramatic as Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liers and I was hoping it wasn’t going to be as middle-school as, say, The Clique series (yes, I had to do a Google search on middle-school books because I couldn’t think of a ridiculous juvenile series off the top of my head). Nonetheless, Belles was fun and charming, and honest made me thankful I don’t go to a preppy private school with a bunch of snubs.

            As a side note, to anyone who’s wondering what specifically annoyed me about Belles: first off, the names. This wasn’t a big issue, of course, but the author could have gotten more creative. Isabelle and Mirabelle? Hayden and Brayden? What’s with the rhyming names? Second, the cliché prep act. And the whole money-growing-on-trees mentality in Emerald Cove. I felt like it was a big overdone. Yes, there are people who live like that, but countless books and movies have used this kind of thing before, and it’s gotten old. Really old. Also, the characters are hard to connect with, but for a light book like this one, it’s not too much of an issue.

In conclusion, Belles isn’t extremely fabulous, mainly because it has some slightly irksome issues, but for a light summer read, it’s great. I think anyone can enjoy it if they get past the predictability and clichés.

*And now for my favorite part: the cover! Oh my word, this has to be one of the most gorgeous covers I’ve ever seen. Very eye-catching and girly. I absolutely adore it. It’s just what this book needs to draw people in.*

Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*

Language: None

Violence: None

Sexual: None-Mild (a kiss or two- very very tame)