Prom and Prejudice

Joining the many authors using Jane Austen as a springboard, Eulberg (The Lonely Hearts Club) updates characters and plot details from Pride and Prejudice to create a clever, modern romance. Tormented since her first day at the elite Longbourn Academy, scholarship student Lizzie, a gifted pianist, dislikes most of her wealthier peers. She particularly loathes smug Will Darcy, but tolerates his presence to appease roommate Jane, who has affection for his best friend, Charles. Blinded by prejudice against the upper crust, Lizzie turns a cold shoulder to Will's friendly overtures, realizing almost too late that his intentions are commendable and the one boy she trusts—a townie named Wick—is a scoundrel. Readers won't doubt that Will and Lizzie will end up a couple, but will still enjoy the merry chase as the Longbourn girls try to find suitable partners before the prom. Although Lizzie's Austenian narration feels rather prim beside the more contemporary dialogue, this parody of 21st-century social mannerisms shows that things haven't changed much in the romance department during the past 200 years. Ages 13–up. (Jan.)