Epic Fail (review)

At Elise and Juliana's new high school, it really matters who your parents are, and with the principal for a mother and a math teacher dad, the sisters have drawn the short straw amidst the sons and daughters of Hollywood celebrities, producers, and agents. Things are not so bad for Jules, as she is immediately coupled with Chase, but Elise has a harder time connecting with Chase's best friend, Derek, a hot guy whose mother is the biggest female star in the movie universe. Derek seems to like Elise, but he's so moody and guarded that she prefers the charming Webster Grant, a boy Derek hates with a seemingly inexplicable intensity. Jane Austen fans will immediately recognize the constellation of characters, and LaZebnik has done a masterful job of reimagining the social caste system and plot twists of Austen's tale into a believable if romanticized modern high-school setting. Most successful is her recreation of Elizabeth as Elise, who is every bit as witty, judgmental, and appealing as her nineteenth-century antecedent. Derek runs a close second and may even be a bit more swoon-worthy than Mr. Darcy, since he manages to evoke empathy for his position as the sensitive, overexposed son of a celebrity who can never trust the motives of those who would befriend him. Whether or not they are fans of the original, readers looking for a light-hearted romance featuring a protagonist who always has a snappy comeback at the ready will happily lose themselves in this one.