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watsong's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katemck1's review
5.0
Since I’ve never read Austen but love Val’s work I romped through this and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very different to her usual work.
dovesfalling's review
2.0
I love Jane Austen and I love Val McDermid but these two things just didn't marry well.
justinereads's review
1.0
Don't read this if you liked the original and especially if you remember Cat Morland as so much more than an empty headed Facebook obsessed teen. Only Henry remained true to his character. Loved a small part of it - Eleanor and Cat wrote and illustrated children's books:D
ep_reads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ljm57's review
1.0
Crime author Val McDermid took part in the Austen Project where popular authors of today, embarked on modern retellings of some of Jane Austen’s classics. Her effort commenced with a great opening sentence and it all went downhill from there. This book must surely be aimed at the chick-lit, teenage audience. It reminded me of the most shallow of trashy television soap operas. On the plus side, it was an easy (mindless) read and the plot certainly paralleled Austen’s original which provided a modicum of interest. There are far too many great books out there to waste time on this. I haven’t read a “real” McDermid crime story for many years so I now intend to revisit one in the hope that my faith will be restored.
lesleysbooks's review
3.0
Oh dear. Having read the gentle, subtle and cleverly satirical original, this version falls woefully short. Transporting a story 200 years into the future doesn’t really work due to the changes in society and relationships. The first half reads more like a teen novel, and with the ridiculous ‘teen speech’ is very much a bull in a china shop compared to Austen’s book. It did improve in the second half where the story is set at Northanger Abbey, but Cat imagining that the family are vampires was just silly.
jeanreeee's review against another edition
Flat characters, out of touch dialogue ("totes amazeballs" used unsarcastically? Yeah right) even for 2014, and just boring unfortunately. I also do not care to read about men behaving like misogynistic pigs, even if it is necessary for the plot.