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mtyler3707's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Becoming Mary Bennet is a cute modern imagining of Mary Bennet. I did find Marnie insufferable for about 90% of the book. I kept going because it’s Austen in August after all and I was guaranteed a happy ending. I did love Adhira and her determination no befriend Marnie. I also liked Whit and the Bark Books project. I think this is a creative debut but I was longing for the angst and self loathing to be dialed way down and for Marnie to take responsibility for her actions rather than avoiding taking responsibility for them. I felt anxious/embarrassed for her for a good portion of the book.
brendalovesbooks's review
5.0
I ADORED this. It was seriously so much fun to read. The humor in this was just so spot on, with such a fantastic story about finding out who you really are. And if that’s not enough, there was a sweet love story too.
heyitscin's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I very much adored this book.
rusereviews's review
5.0
4.5 rounded up to a 5
I honestly wasn't aware that Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson was a debut novel until I listened to the Acknowledgements section. I really enjoyed the YA rom-com--I flew through it--and the cover is very cute. I'm listing a few CWs at the end of this review, but I think the topics are handled pretty well.
Our heroine is seventeen-year-old Marnie Barnes, who wishes she was Lizzie but wholeheartedly believes she is more like Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. She is a bookworm and feels like the odd child out in her large family, headed by her socialite mother and technology bigwig father in San Francisco. While managing a huge project tying together animal adoption and bookmobiles to vie for the prestigious Hunt Prize, Marnie decides to reinvent herself at the same time. Thankfully, she has the help of her fashion-minded boarding school roommate, Adhira.
Watching Marnie blossom out of her curmudgeonly shell and learn how to develop her various familial, platonic, and romantic relationships felt very true to life for me. I identified with this character a lot; she made quite a few decisions (and/or mistakes) that I probably would have also made in her shoes. I didn't find her completely unlikeable at the start because I've been in her shoes, and she goes through a LOT of personal growth throughout the novel.
The eBook version is 384 pages. Big thanks to NetGalley for providing a voicegalley that was about 9 hours long for review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
Tropes: retelling from other POVs, friends to lovers, boarding school, dysfunctional family
CW: casual body and food shaming, racism, bullying, pregnancy/infant loss, off-page car accident, mention of inappropriate relationships between adults and minors
I honestly wasn't aware that Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson was a debut novel until I listened to the Acknowledgements section. I really enjoyed the YA rom-com--I flew through it--and the cover is very cute. I'm listing a few CWs at the end of this review, but I think the topics are handled pretty well.
Our heroine is seventeen-year-old Marnie Barnes, who wishes she was Lizzie but wholeheartedly believes she is more like Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. She is a bookworm and feels like the odd child out in her large family, headed by her socialite mother and technology bigwig father in San Francisco. While managing a huge project tying together animal adoption and bookmobiles to vie for the prestigious Hunt Prize, Marnie decides to reinvent herself at the same time. Thankfully, she has the help of her fashion-minded boarding school roommate, Adhira.
Watching Marnie blossom out of her curmudgeonly shell and learn how to develop her various familial, platonic, and romantic relationships felt very true to life for me. I identified with this character a lot; she made quite a few decisions (and/or mistakes) that I probably would have also made in her shoes. I didn't find her completely unlikeable at the start because I've been in her shoes, and she goes through a LOT of personal growth throughout the novel.
The eBook version is 384 pages. Big thanks to NetGalley for providing a voicegalley that was about 9 hours long for review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
Tropes: retelling from other POVs, friends to lovers, boarding school, dysfunctional family
CW: casual body and food shaming, racism, bullying, pregnancy/infant loss, off-page car accident, mention of inappropriate relationships between adults and minors
peach_lily's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tylarfrench's review
4.0
Overall I enjoyed, I think really good representation of a teenage coming of age, although she felt a lil younger than 18. Hard beginning, as a character she's cringy and awkward but again realistic. Could have been more expansion on her different relationships (friends/family) but there were a lot of characters so it stayed more surface level for most
jengelmattern's review
5.0
I loved this book! Though I’m an adult, I enjoy reading middle grade and young adult titles, and this book did not disappoint. The main character, Marnie, is charmingly awkward, with an inner dialogue that’s both humorous and realistic. If you’re a fan of Jane Austen (or even if not!), this is a wholly enjoyable read.
tsandifer127's review
3.0
I am not sure I understand why so many people disliked this book. What were they expecting? It was light and entertaining enough - a quick read. Did I love the protagonist? Not all of the time but she wasn't completely unredeemable. The other characters were not developed much but they were interesting and I would have liked to know more about them. Still it wasn't that bad.
westhebookworm's review
4.0
( I listened to the audiobook of this so I will also be talking about to narrator's performance) I'm a slut for classic book retellings so it’s no surprise to me that I loved this book. I can't say much about the connections to pride and prejudice other than the fact that both books start with " it's a truth universally acknowledged" because I haven't read said book. this book was well-written and the characters were well-written and loveable their development was well-written and the plot kept me invested. as someone whose family has a rescue dog the inclusion of an animal rescue made me happy. Sarah Beth Pfeifer brought Marnie and all the other charters to life with her narration she gave each of them a voice that matched their age and personality and all in all made them feel more real.