Pride

Pride
Ibi Zoboi
Harper Collins, 2018 289 pages
Grades 8-Up
Realistic Fiction/Romance

Coming off of a National Book Award finalist honor and much critical acclaim for 2017's American Street, Zoboi uncovers her lighter side with a reboot of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Zuri has lived in her Bushwick/Brooklyn neighborhood in a small apartment with her four sisters her entire life. Bushwick is changing; Hipsters are moving in, traditional businesses are vanishing, and prices are rising. The house across the street undergoes a swank remodel and in moves two hot and rich Darcy boys. From here the plot points follow the classic story with Zuri following the basic trajectory of Elizabeth and all of her sisters playing their respective roles. Time passes, romance blooms, fizzles, and is mourned. When Zuri's landlord and mentor dies leaving the apartment building to her nephew Colin (Mr. Collins), who has predictably started dating Zuri's best friend. Colin sells the building to developers and Zuri's family are priced out of their beloved neighborhood. What is the next step for this family? Will Zuri and older sister Janae land their Darcy boys? Most of all, will Zuri follow her dreams of breaking out of poverty and going to college?

I loved American Street so much. In fact, it was my favorite teen book of 2017 and I am still thinking about it. Zoboi leaves the intensity of her inaugural novel to write a homage to the beloved classic novel Pride and Prejudice. Expecting the high quality of both story and writing found in American Street, I was a bit disappointed, yet teen readers will probably enjoy this lighter story better. The title is a bit confusing. I was expecting a LGBTQ story, maybe from having acquired the ARC during Pride Month, which couldn't be farther from what it turned out to be. I liked the Bushwick setting and found it to be fully realized and integral to the story. I also liked that Zoboi went beyond a simple romance to add a message about displacement brought on by gentrification. I found the romance to be a bit lacking. I didn't believe it for either couple and actually found the two main characters unlikable. Then again, I am not the target audience and teenagers may buy it hook, line, and sinker. I saw the sequel to Mama Mia last week and found it super cheesy and funny for all the wrong reasons. My teenage daughter and her friends were brought to tears over the film (from emotion not agony), which goes to show that I'm becoming cynical and crotchety in my old age. I will say this, like Mama Mia the action in Pride doesn't stop, it is a lot of fun, and I never got bored. Pride is a perfect choice for reluctant readers, especially girls and especially during the summer, and no prior knowledge of the original book is required.