Being Mary Bennet

A high school senior at an elite boarding school, Marnie realizes she's living the life of Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. Determined to break out of that mold, she lets her fashion designer roommate make her over. Then, she meets cute-boy Whit at the animal shelter where she's conducting her senior project. Will he help her see she's worthy of being the protagonist in her own life? This is a cute coming-of-age story with lots of family drama. It's a must-read for P&P fans, but you don't have to be a P&P fan to enjoy it. It's heartwarming, romantic, and funny. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Marnie Barnes is a high school student in modern-day San Francisco who is obsessed with winning a prestigious prize and proving to her family that she's just as good as her perfect older sisters. When her friend points out that she's becoming like Mary Bennet, the laughingstock sister from Pride & Prejudice, Marnie decides she's going to change. Just not too much. Or too fast. Or in ways she doesn't like. In fact, it turns out that this whole "changing" business is much harder than she anticipated, but her new friends just won't let her go back to how she used to be. This is a super charming coming-of-age novel with a vibrant setting and distinct side characters, and a heroine who actually grows over the course of the book. There is also a kids-reading-to-adoptable-animals storyline that can't fail to give you all the squishy feels. Speaking of squishy feels, the love interest is a major cutie and the enemies-to-lovers plotline really makes you root for them to figure out how to be together. I read this whole book in two sittings and totally got my happy cry on. It should be noted that this isn't a P&P adaptation, but more a book about a modern girl who sees herself in the characters of that book, as so many people do. I'd recommend it to YA fans who are looking for something light and fun with enough literary allusions to make you harken back to your high school English class.