Language: R (77 swears, 4 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (implied sex); Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Marnie Barnes is obsessed with winning the coveted Hunt Prize, a yearly prize given for a start-up at her exclusive prepatory academy. Her amazing older sister won it, and if Marnie can, maybe she can get her family’s attention. Sandwiched between four other sisters, this is not easy. With the help of her very enthusiastic roommate (she asked for a single room!), her project, having kids read to animals to the animal shelter, is accepted. But then her roomie compares Marnie to the very annoying and also very forgettable Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. It can’t be true! Marnie is driven, she is precise, she demands excellence from herself and others. Oh – maybe Marnie is. Well, if she is now, maybe she can make changes for the future.
While Marnie’s attempt to transform herself and to also pursue the prize are the main focus, she also has a really bad crush on a family friend, a rivalry with the daughter of a prominent member of the prize committee, and a possible real romance with a volunteer at the animal shelter she is partnering with. Marnie’s early personality is so repellent that I had a hard time forcing myself to keep reading – so good job author. However, I am not sure that readers who are not fans of Pride and Prejudice will care enough to get through those horrifying early chapters. Perhaps in paperback? Seems like this is really meant for adult readers who understand the source material on a different level.
Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
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