Librarian's Pick of the Week: Prom and Prejudice

Title: Prom and Prejudice
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Genre: High School, Dating
Published: 2011
Age: 13+

Synopsis: From the much-buzzed-about author of THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB (already blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, and Jen Calonita), a prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions. 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: 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. - Booklist

If you're intrigued, don't forget to check our library's catalog for this book!