Scan barcode
A review by commiebeatle
The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow
2.0
Ugh.
I was overjoyed when I saw this book at my local bookshop as I loved the idea of Mary’s story put to the page. It seemed so promising. And it was at first.
Then it turned into Pride and Prejudice 2.0 (Mary’s POV), until Part Two where it jolts two years into the future. I remained hopeful it would not be too fanfic-y.
The latter half of Part 3 and onwards saw an intelligent, burdened, lonely story turn into too much a RomCom for me. Mary gets a makeover! Mary falls in love! It was just waaaayyy too cheesy and unoriginal for my tastes. I found the character development jarringly sudden and not much earned, and I was never convinced by the relationship with Mr Hayward. I appreciate the new perspective on Mr Collins, but disliked the rather unnecessary turn of Charlotte Lucas into a vindictive, selfish woman. And with as much page-time as Caroline Bingley gets, I’d hope to get a more rounded view of her rather than to just have her be a Mean Girl.
There are also not one but FIVE very indiscreet nods to Pride and Prejudice (some of these direct citations) that takes you completely out of the story because they’re so obvious (yes, I’m looking at you, Lizzie-complaining-about-the-characters-in-her-book-not-seeing-they’re-a-perfect-match).
Sad to say (because I had such high hopes for this one), but it’s gonna have to be a no from me, fam.
I was overjoyed when I saw this book at my local bookshop as I loved the idea of Mary’s story put to the page. It seemed so promising. And it was at first.
Then it turned into Pride and Prejudice 2.0 (Mary’s POV), until Part Two where it jolts two years into the future. I remained hopeful it would not be too fanfic-y.
The latter half of Part 3 and onwards saw an intelligent, burdened, lonely story turn into too much a RomCom for me. Mary gets a makeover! Mary falls in love! It was just waaaayyy too cheesy and unoriginal for my tastes. I found the character development jarringly sudden and not much earned, and I was never convinced by the relationship with Mr Hayward. I appreciate the new perspective on Mr Collins, but disliked the rather unnecessary turn of Charlotte Lucas into a vindictive, selfish woman. And with as much page-time as Caroline Bingley gets, I’d hope to get a more rounded view of her rather than to just have her be a Mean Girl.
There are also not one but FIVE very indiscreet nods to Pride and Prejudice (some of these direct citations) that takes you completely out of the story because they’re so obvious (yes, I’m looking at you, Lizzie-complaining-about-the-characters-in-her-book-not-seeing-they’re-a-perfect-match).
Sad to say (because I had such high hopes for this one), but it’s gonna have to be a no from me, fam.