Gabe Cole Novoa

Easy and pleasant read that includes a refreshing progressive spin on Pride and Prejudice. The romance is heartwarming and amusing and the time period accentuates the romantics of it all very nicely. The behavior towards trans/queer identities did feel a bit naively optimistic at times, but I don't think the author was going for realism so much as trying to provide representation that feels good and isn't overwhelmingly focused on the struggle of being different/not being accepted that a lot of queer novels fall into (which is true, but can be exhausting and sometimes all you want is happy escapism WITH representation). That being said, nothing spectacular jumped from the pages at me. It is a rather static book, but not necessarily in a bad way. I just typically prefer books with more suspense and/or a more multifaceted plot. Still was a pleasant read though.… (meer)

I went in expecting a Pride and Prejudice remix where ‘Elizabeth’ was a transman and the story would change from there, but would retain its Regency era details, sans any anti-trans attitudes. I knew the book was YA and I have enjoyed YA in the past.

‘Elizabeth’ was a transboy, not a man, unfortunately, with all of the other characters aged down. The regency aspect of the original story was also quite glossed over. The characters didn’t speak in a way that made sense for the era and their social habits were not historically accurate. For example, in the book, Oliver (‘Elizabeth’’s name in the book) says he never learned how to play card games because Mrs. Bennet didn't want her children to learn because cards are not ‘ladylike.' However, playing cards was a regular social thing at the time for all genders, including gambling on cards. In addition, the Bingleys and the Darcys had apparently let Netherfield together? At the recommendation of Darcy's aunt? It's certainly a unique take on regency era behaviors.

Additionally, the language used in the story felt very modern. There were a lot of contractions. Many characters spoke very directly, rather than indirectly, which seemed like it should have caused more problems for the characters, though there never seemed to be any immediate consequences.

I went into this book expecting the book to be written for a YA audience and I was excited to see how the author wove a trans experience into the Pride & Prejudice framework. If you can set aside the modern language and artistic license in regard to regency social habits, I think this book could be a great experience for you. It was, unfortunately, not a book that could keep my interest.… (meer)