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Eulberg retells Jane Austen’s still popular tale of class, love, and danger both emotional and physical. Setting this version in a contemporary Connecticut school for the socially elite, and casting Lizzie Bennett as a scholarship student and musical prodigy, Eulberg’s story unfolds along lines predictable both from the original plot and the spate of recent “mean rich girls” novels. That said, this version does justice to Austen and shows up the utter silliness of kids rich in material—and designer brand name—goods, the moodiness of some males (not often mined in YA literature), and the ways truth can be hidden by both outright lying (on the part of Wick, the villain of the piece) and shyness (both Lizzie’s and Darcy’s). This makes, in all, a fairly delightful blend of past and present value systems and social expectations. For those who haven’t read the original, that will be the obvious next stop; for those who have, there’s fun to be had in forecasting how Eulberg will rescript each upcoming scene. Grades 7-10. --Francisca Goldsmith
Review
Praise for The Lonely Hearts Club: "A must-read for anyone who's ever fallen in love-or sworn it off completely. A funny, fantastic debut." -Stephenie Meyer, author of The Twilight Saga "The Lonely Hearts Club turns the world of teen dating upside-down, proving that a girl can ignore 'the rules' and still land squarely, happily, and hilariously on her feet."-Lauren Myracle, author of ttyl "Very enjoyable and extremely cute.... A great debut!"-www.TeensReadToo.com "It's hard not to get caught up in this good natured revenge fantasy."-The New York Times Book Review "A delightful coming-of-age story about learning to define yourself without shutting the door on love." -Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games trilogy