Review: Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Release date: January 1, 2011

Publisher: Point/ 231 Pages/ Young Adult

Source: Publisher and Big Honcho Media (ARC and Hardcover)

Other books by this author: The Lonely Hearts Club

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.

Review:

I read and loved Elizabeth’s debut, The Lonely Hearts Club, earlier this year and have been dying to read her next release ever since. Prom and Prejudice was a fantastic novel that further proved just how great an author Elizabeth Eulberg truly is!

For starters, I loved how the characters in Prom and Prejudice had the same names as the original characters in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The main character, Lizzie Bennet, was one of my favorites in any YA novel. She was sweet and a great friend, but also head strong and dedicated to what she was believed in. Lizzie was a character anyone could relate to and I loved reading about her different experiences. It must have been tough being a scholarship student because the other “rich” girls at Longbourn Academy were so cruel to her. Not all of them though. Her best friend Jane was a fabulous character that proved being nice and friendly is the best way to be. Jane and Lizzie were always there for each other and never let a guy come between them.

There were two amazing guys in this book- Charles (Jane’s boyfriend) and Will Darcy. Charles was the perfect match for the fun loving Jane and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. In addition, I adored Will Darcy. Of course who hasn’t fallen in love with the original Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice? Watching Darcy and Lizzie’s relationship grow from bickering enemies to friends to something more was my favorite aspect of the book. I loved that the pair didn’t immediately fall in love and start dating, but rather got to know each other over the course of the novel and learn that their first impressions of each other may not have been right at all.

Each character introduced in this novel was layered and well developed. There were those that were easy to dislike and those that you couldn’t help but love from the start. The plot was fun and fast paced, although some serious things did occur.

This was a scrumptious and original sophomore novel that I highly recommend reading this winter. It’s a perfect distraction from school stress and the cold weather and will make you long to reread the original classic.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars