Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Finally a review! I caught a cold on top of my shingles but am plugging away to finish my reviews that I have been sitting on. Its sad that things actually calm down when I am at work during the school year with the exception of December and May. Between swimming and acting this summer for my son I haven’t taken a breath. Anyway, I picked up Prom and Prejudice through the Vine program with Amazon. I have yet to read Pride and Prejudice but it has been in my TBR stack for awhile. I have been slowly making it through the classics as I go. I’m not a huge fan of a lot of them so it takes me a while to pick a new one up. However, many books I have read recently are referencing this one. Thus, when I saw Prom & Prejudice I decided it would be something fun to read to get a general feel for the original. Here’s the description from Amazon:

“Eulberg retells Jane Austen’s still popular tale of class, love, and danger both emotional and physical. Setting this version in a contemporary Connecticut school for the socially elite, and casting Lizzie Bennett as a scholarship student and musical prodigy, Eulberg’s story unfolds along lines predictable both from the original plot and the spate of recent “mean rich girls” novels. That said, this version does justice to Austen and shows up the utter silliness of kids rich in material—and designer brand name—goods, the moodiness of some males (not often mined in YA literature), and the ways truth can be hidden by both outright lying (on the part of Wick, the villain of the piece) and shyness (both Lizzie’s and Darcy’s). This makes, in all, a fairly delightful blend of past and present value systems and social expectations. For those who haven’t read the original, that will be the obvious next stop; for those who have, there’s fun to be had in forecasting how Eulberg will rescript each upcoming scene.”

I was a little concerned about this book as it seems to be for a younger crowd. However, I absolutely loved it. I read it in one sitting and found it to be a quick enjoyable read. The plot is fairly predictable since I know enough about Pride and Prejudice but it didn’t take away from the story being told. It was a little like watching a movie if you have read the book. It can still be very enjoyable.

I think Eulberg did a great job with character development for Lizzie and Will. Even though it is narrated from Lizzie’s point of view you still get to see a lot of complexity in Will. Lizzie makes a great lead as she is stubborn and has quite a dry sense of humor. Watching her make her way in a difficult world makes you cringe with her and laugh and the dry wit she employs to stay sane at times. Will is your typical male strong hero. He is the type of guy that we find in the end we would all want to sweep us off our feet.

Eulberg also did an excellent job bringing the story into the modern world. It doesn’t seem forced or out of place in the modern retelling. I think she did a great job maintaining the original plotline of the story while updating it.

At times I did find Will’s character to seem a little too old for his actual age but I believe that goes with being Darcy. The other girls in the story add to the drama and remind me of some of the new series like Clique and Pretty Little Liars that my younger sister reads. I think this book will has a wide audience and is perfect for anyone that enjoys a love story. I always enjoy it when there is adversity between the leading characters that eventually evolves into something else. If that is what you enjoy then this is the book for you! Overall I give the book a 4/5.