The Season

A modern Pride and Prejudice, set in present day Texas where an athletically inclined teen is forced to make her debut to society? PLUS, A MODERN DAY MR. DARCY? (I’m so beyond sold on this idea, don’t even get me started.) Let me begin by saying that even though Pride and Prejudice is my FAVOURITE CLASSIC OF ALL TIME AND ANYBODY WHO LIKES IT CAN BE MY BEST FRIEND, I didn’t know that this book was a modern take on it but I still wanted to read it. It sounded PERFECT and well, let’s break it down: WRITING: The writing really brought out where the book was set – Texas. Our two debuting sisters, Megan and Julia (Elizabeth and Jane) are twenty, not teens, and live in their own apartment together, and come from a long line of cattle ranchers. They live in Texan High Society and Johan Lisa and Stephen really brought out both the High Society and the Texas through their words, creating the perfect backdrop to a good story. IDEA: Like I said when I started this review, I was SO BEYOND SOLD on this idea that it had been on my radar for over a year before I even requested it from the lovely folks at Penguin Random House International! I loved the storyline before I even knew that it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, especially the fact that this was about an athletic girl being forced to make a debut. This book reminded me a little of Gossip Girl’s Cotillion, a little more of The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett and a little originality sparkling in the middle. PLOT: The way this book started made me laugh. As the book went on, I was able to place all the Pride and Prejudice character personalities to the characters in this book and the placing was a lot of fun! I loved that there were so many different things going on – Megan’s debut, her football, her boy drama, her relationships with her sister and her father and all the petty drama that (undoubtedly) happens when one is making her debut into society. At the same time, I felt like TOO MUCH was happening at the same time, and I felt almost none of it. For starters, apart from Megan’s initial reaction, I didn’t see her resisting to the idea of making her debut at all, as the description promised she would. In fact, she knew as much about gowns and designers and fashion styles and someone who was looking forward to her debut would, which was strange to me. In the span of 300 pages, our protagonist gets swept off her feet twice, scores over thirty goals in her college football matches, updates her wardrobe, learns how to be a Texan lady and make her debut and it was just a LOT of things going on on the page and I felt like it was rushed and crammed. I did really like Megan, her sister Julia, Andrew (Mr. Darcy DUH HOW COULD I NOT) and even her Dad. CONCLUSION: If you were intrigued by the premise like I was, you should definitely pick this book up. It has its flaws, but it’s also the most fun Pride and Prejudice retelling I’ve read in a while! 3.5 stars.