Dashed

Quain (Ghosted) focuses on the youngest Dashwood sibling in this freewheeling Sense and Sensibility reimagining. Having watched her older sisters Elinor and Marianne live through contemporary versions of the trials and tribulations Austen’s readers will be familiar with, 18-year- old Margaret has vowed to avoid love entirely, modeling herself after sensible Elinor rather than newly single Marianne. But when Marianne invites herself on the cruise that Margaret, Elinor, and Elinor’s husband are vacationing on, that staunch avoidance starts to change. Wanting to boost impulsive Marianne’s spirits, Margaret enlists charming crew member Gabe to help her find dates for her sister. As the duo set Marianne up for a romantic tropical experience, a series of antics results in Margaret and Gabe fake-dating each other. Disaster ensues amid their schemes, but in the process, Margaret begins questioning who she is when not comparing herself to her sisters and whether love is so bad after all. Lengthy character study surrounding Margaret’s examinations of her sisters’ lives sometimes slows down what is otherwise a smart remix of classic Austenian themes and values depicting one teen girl’s endeavor to develop a more assured sense of self. The Dashwoods read as white; Gabe is Brazilian American. Ages 13–up. Agent: Moe Ferrara, BookEnds Literary. (July)