Emily May's Reviews > Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

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.

3½ stars.

This was so much better than I was expecting, honestly. Pride and Prejudice is full of Austen's trademark wit and social criticism, but most "retellings" I encounter seem to reduce the story to "girl meets guy; guy is a dick; they get together anyway", which I guess is a very oversimplified way of looking at P&P. I probably wouldn't have taken a chance on this if it wasn't by the author of American Street.

As it turns out, though, Pride is a very clever retelling, rich in culture and snark. Haitian-Dominican Zuri Benitez lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn. She witnesses the gentrification of her much-loved neighbourhood, as more and more rich people move in and drive up property taxes. The arrival of the moody but gorgeous Darius, and his rich family, triggers an exploration of race and class, and especially how the latter can cause divisions within race.

Zoboi has really taken the Austen tale and made it her own here. She uses it as a guideline, but never hesitates to move outside the box. This is not merely the same old story being told yet again. Haitian and Dominican food and culture play a huge part in the telling of this story, instantly setting it apart from other P&P retellings.

Zuri is a poet, inspired to attend Howard University by her reading of Coates' Between the World and Me. Like everyone, she longs for better and more, but this should not be mistaken for a lack of pride in who she is and where she comes from. She is fiercely-protective of her family, her background and her hood. The inclusion of her poetry in the novel is a highlight, and, unlike in some YA novels about artists, it is surprisingly very good on its own.

I am glad that it was so much more than a romance because, truth be told, I could have done without the romance altogether. Zuri has such a strong voice, her poetry is so raw and beautiful, and her sisters are so charming, that I felt a little disappointed whenever Darius was on page. He was the only main character who didn't really interest me, though I do appreciate the important discussions he fostered.

Zoboi's exploration of race and class among young black women living in America is not only important, but a wonderful reading experience too. She should not be overlooked.

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