I am embarrassed to say that though I am just posting this now, these two lovely books from Bonnie arrived in the mail the Monday after Thanksgiving. I did a quick happy dance and then dove back into the giant pile of essays, research portfolios, and other writing assignments needing to be graded/responded to (yes, I am a community college writing teacher.) I am just now climbing my way out of that pile and posting this long overdue thank you. First of all, I […]
Better than most
Pride by Ibi Zoboi
3.5 stars. At this point, my expectations for Jane Austen retellings are so very very low. There are about 2 that I can think of that I would recommend to anyone and considering I’ve read plenty? That’s not a great batting average. It’s like authors/publishers know fans will pick them up so they don’t feel like they have to try very hard. People LOVE Lizzie & Darcy so of course they’ll read. But in truth, you’re getting compared to one of the best writers of […]
“It’s a truth universally acknowledged that when rich people move into the hood, where it’s a little bit broken and a little bit forgotten, the first thing they want to do is clean it up.”
I like that Ibi Zoboi didn’t call this a “retelling” of Pride and Prejudice. She’s going with the term “remix.” That seems to fit a little better, because while the main plot is pretty similar, there are lots of little things that don’t quite fit into a strict retelling. What Zoboi did instead was take a story that most of us already know, flip parts of it around, and make it her own. And it really worked for me. Zuri Benitez was born and raised […]
Every book is a different hood, a different country, a different world.
Ibi Zoboi’s Pride is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in Brooklyn. The best adaptations take a familiar story and use it to explore contemporary issues. Once we identify each new character with it’s P&P counterpart, we understand where they fit in the story and then we can move on to the meat of it. We know class is going to be a part of the conflict, and since this is a modernization, we know getting the 5 Benitez sisters married off isn’t a motivation.
Protest yourself into a good read
This is more of a 4.5 than a 4. I like it. The art is really “nifty” and cool. The story has been done before. However, it is done slightly different than usual as well. I am not sure it is really meant for kids (or if it is, at least 5 and up). It really is a more adult take on the subject. The book itself is basic: With very simple text it talks about how instead of doing some of the violent […]
The Rainbow Flag
I know I need a longer review then saying, “Book good. Read!” But that is what it boils down to. Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Steven Salerno, is just that: a good book that you should read. The description from Amazon about this book says, “deeply moving and empowering true story.” However, I am not sure those are the words I would have used. While it is those things, it is also just a […]