Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Summary:
From the much-buzzed-about author of THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB (already blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, and Jen Calonita), a prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.

 After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

 Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles's friend, Will Darcy, who's snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn't sem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk - so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway? (from GoodReads)

Review:
I thought that Elizabeth Eulberg's first novel, The Lonely Hearts Club, was adorable and loved that it was Beatles' themed. Now Eulberg tackles another favorite subject of mine, Pride and Prejudice. Prom and Prejudice was highly readable and did justice to the Jane Austen classic.

I was a little leery of reading Prom and Prejudice because I thought it would be too light and fluffy and I was more in the mood for a substantial book. But I actually enjoyed it a lot! Like I said earlier, it's extremely readable and I seriously couldn't put it down. I think I read it in one day or so (it helps that it's pretty short).

It's been a few years since I've read Pride and Prejudice, but everything came back to me once I started this book. I think Eulberg did a great job translating the original into the modern retelling. There were a few changes, but the important elements remained intact.

So, overall, I really enjoyed Prom and Prejudice and think any fans of the original will enjoy this as well!

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2011/Scholastic/231 pages.

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Summary:
Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: no more. She's had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many bad boys.

It's a personal choice... and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny's not the only girl who's tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worse) in order to get their guys... or the their guys don't really care.

Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club, and Penny finds herself near legendary for her nondating ways - which is too bad, since the leader of The Lonely Hearts Club has found a certain boy she can't help but like...

In The Lonely Hearts Club, debut author Elizabeth Eulberg tells a very funny, very relatable romantic story for anyone who's ever sworn off love and then found it anyway. (from the inside flap)

Review:
I thought this book was really really cute! I've been wanting to read it for so long, mainly because I am a huge Beatles fan (honestly, though, who isn't). But even though everyone loves the Beatles, not that many books are Beatles themed, so that just made The Lonely Hearts Club ten times better. Besides the cute Beatles references, the book is really well-written and adorable. Some of the things Penny and her friends said I rolled my eyes at but it seemed pretty realistic as far as teenagers go. I loved that Penny started a club swearing off boys - I thought the book was really empowering for girls. At first, the club is about not dating boys, but then it turns into a club where girls don't forget about their friends even if they have boyfriends, which I thought was a really positive message. And of course, no book is complete without a little romance, and of course the girl who swears off boys finds one she likes. It was interesting watching Penny trying to work through her feelings of loyalty to the club and then the ones she had for a certain cute boy, but in the end everything works out perfectly.

This review is pretty short and sweet, which is fitting for The Lonely Hearts Club. It was such a cute novel (I know I keep saying that!) and had a really good message for girls. I would recommend it to girls of all ages and especially if you're a Beatles fan. How can you not love a character named Penny Lane?

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: I borrowed this from my library.

2009/Point/285 pages