Review: Prom & Prejudice

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Pages: 288
Publisher: Point
Source: Library
Synopsis (from Amazon): 
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?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.
Prom and prejudice is a cute story of love, friendship, and jumping to conclusions. It's a retelling of the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice. To be honest, I haven't read Pride and Prejudice (or pretty much any literary classic) yet so I was looking at the story through relatively new eyes since I watched a retelling called Bride and Prejudice.

Anyway, the story is narrated by Lizzie. I like Lizzie. She has her faults, but she's a good friend. She's determined and strong, plus is focusing on the future. Except that's her problem, she doesn't focus enough on what's happening in the moment. The changes people are making, because in her mind, she already has made up who they are. She soon realizes that there are some serious misjudgments and such, and she feels terrible about it. This was all written by Elizabeth Eulberg who wrote The Lonely Hearts Club, so I found this an enjoyable read. There wasn't anything too special about it, but it was quick and fun.

There's not much to say. This book isn't a favorite of mine, but it is as good as any book of it's type will be. It reinvents the story of Pride and Prejudice in a clever way, but the story isn't as powerful in modern times. Well, to me at least.

The one thing that bothered me was the way characters spoke. They might slang a bit and sound relatively normal, and them they would sound formal. I don't know why they're written that way. Is it because they're supposed to be private school kids? Or is it a way to tie in the original story? That little part confused me.

Overall, Prom and Prejudice is a nice read, but it's not on my must read list. 3.5 stars,

***& 1/2 *