Pride by Ibi Zoboi

Pride by Ibi Zoboi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a slam poetry remix of Pride and Prejudice, set in Bushwish, a low-income neighborhood in Brooklynn, which is a recipe for success. It's full of fascinating characters, and it sticks closer to the original story than most of the other YA P&P retellings I've read. You'll definitely see the overlaps, and Zuri is a strong MC.

My only complaints are that I would have liked to feel even more invested in the story than I did, especially in the second half, and the relationships fell a bit flat as the story progressed. It was trying so hard to stick to the P&P storyline, that it lost a bit of believability, in terms of the emotion and angst that should have existed. This may have been because of the writing style, which felt it lapsed into too much telling after a time and not enough showing.

Still, it was an interesting read, and a solid attempt at a P&P retelling.

Book 346 read in 2018

Pages: 304

Someone a novel by Alice McDermott

A lovely story by an accomplished author, weaving together an ordinary/extraordinary life from vignettes that influence  the character and choices of a very average girl growing up in 1930's Brooklyn. The portrayal of Marie Commeford's family is intimate and richly detailed, as is that of her friends and neighbors on the street.  The chapters jump around in time, from Marie's as an awkward and stubborn child, through her first heartbreak, her marriage and establishment of her family, and eventual old age.  McDermott is a master at crafting the evocative dialogue of the street, the internal musings of Marie at different ages, and the rich variety of the Brooklyn neighborhood.  A very absorbing read.  232 pages