Summary: Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. So when the wealthy Darcy family renovates the building across the street and moves in, Zuri sees another sign that change is coming to her Bushwick neighborhood. She wants absolutely nothing to do with the Darcy’s sons, Darius and Ainsley- but not if her four sisters can help it. When Zuri’s sister Jane begins to fall for the charming Ainsley, Zuri is forced to befriend the arrogant and judgmental Darius. As the summer continues, Zuri and Darius’s initial distaste for one another is turning into something neither expected.

 My Rating: 4/5 Stars

 My Thoughts:

 I, Haley of Fangirl Fury, am here to admit today that I have not read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Unless you count reading through its Sparknotes study guide after reading Pride, Ibi Zoboi’s latest release is the closest I’ve gotten to reading P&P. Thankfully, I enjoyed Ibi Zoboi’s remix for its modern day, multicultural twist on the classic tale.

There’s no need to read Pride and Prejudice in order to read Pride. However, from reading P&P’s summary, there are many connections to the classic. Without being too spoilery, Zuri is one of five girls, Ainsley and Darius’s last name is Darcy, and there are other allusions to P&P through characters’ names. Yet, Pride is a story of its own. The book has a multicultural setting within Buschwick, and Zuri often references topics of race, discrimination, economic status, and gentrification.

I think what I loved most about Pride was Zuri’s connection to her family and neighborhood. Her love for her community was really refreshing, especially in contrast to the Darcys’ initial impressions of Bushwick. I also really enjoyed her connection to Madrina, her spiritual landlady, and I liked learning about Zuri’s culture and religion. Zuri’s poetry and freeform writing excerpts were beautiful. They were often more revealing of her feelings tthan her first person perspective. However, there were a few moments where I thought the poetry didn’t flow with the narrative nicely. I think some sort of border or break could’ve fixed this inconsistency. As much as I enjoyed Pride for the above elements, there were also few things I didn’t love as much. While I shipped Darius and Zuri as a couple, the romance was a tad predictable.

Overall, I enjoyed Pride for its diverse story and family focus. Here’s to reading more Ibi Zoboi books and Pride and Prejudice retellings!

 This review is based on an advanced reading copy. By no means did receiving this copy affect my thoughts or opinions. 

Pride comes out on September 18, 2018

Is Pride on your TBR? What are some of your favorite classic retellings? Share in the comments!