I absolutely adored everything about this book. The genre I probably read the most outside of contemporary romance is ya. Add the fact that Ms. Pittman did a Jane Austen retelling and I was hooked!

Pride & Prejudice is my favorite Austen book and Pudge & Prejudice did it justice! I loved seeing the nods to Jane Austen, but more than that, I just plain loved this book. It’s a retelling but very much its own book.

Being in high school is difficult but add on top of it weight issues, a beautiful older sister, a hormonal younger sister, and a guy you can’t decide if you like or hate and you have a page turner. I had to know how this book would end and how Elyse would reconcile her feelings for Billy Fitz.

I hope Ms. Pittman will write more ya books and even better if she can tie in Jane Austen.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. My review was not required nor influenced.

At 33 years old, I must admit that I am far from the target young adult audience for which this book was intended. Still, the name and cover drew me in, and I've always believed that a good story knows no age so I was excited to check it out anyway.

As the name suggests, Pudge and Prejudice is a young adult retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Set in the 1984, we meet Elyse as she and her family have moved to a new town. Being the new kid in high school is hard enough, but being the new kid who is not exactly a size 2? Well that presents it's own set of challenges... with lots of 80s references, some teen romance and a message on accepting one's self, this came together as a cute retelling of a beloved Classic.

Though the story was quite cute and enjoyable for the most part, I must admit I was a bit torn on it. First, let's talk the 80s theme, shall we? Though as a 90s kid I don't actually have any memory of life in the 80s, I appreciated many of the throwbacks throughout anyway. Sure, some went over my head, but many hit their mark as well, being not that far removed from my own childhood. Many of the books I read myself as a kid/teen took place around this same time (Sweet Valley Twins/High, Baby-sitter's Club, etc...) As such, I really enjoyed the nostalgia aspect of it personally. While the intended audience might not catch all those references, I wouldn't think it would affect their enjoyment anyway.

I must admit however that the teen romance drama in places did seem rather immature to me. But again, this is likely due more to my own age than anything else. While there are many books that are in the Young Adult genre that don't necessarily read as such, I couldn't help but feel like the romance here really would appeal more to that age group.

Regardless, it was a pleasant read anyway. If you're an adult reader looking for a cute 80s throwback, this could be a cute read but otherwise I'd likely recommend it more to it's intended reader!


** I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

Sometimes, for me, the true test is how the Wickham/Lydia portion of a Pride and Prejudice retelling is handled. Somehow, I always worry about Lydia. Happily, in this version, she is smarrter than we think. Enjoyable.

Set in fictitious Northfield, Texas during 1984, this story takes readers on a journey similar to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice!

Elyse Nebbitt and her family have just moved to Northfield, Texas and she is faced with finding her place in a new school. Elyse has always had trouble fitting in, being overweight hasn’t helped either. Her beautiful older sister Jayne quickly fits in and starts dating Charlie Bingley, one of the stars of the football team. While Elyse can’t help but being attracted to Charlie’s best friend, Billy Fitz, Elyse is too insecure in her own body to believe anything could develop in that relationship. Her new friend, Lottie, helps Elyse to accept herself for who she is and what she can become.

Pudge and Prejudice was just a fun read. I enjoyed the way the characters were laid out with different personalities. There is someone in this book for everyone to relate to in one way or the other. Pudge is bigger, a little insecure at times, but overall a fun character to read about. The rest of her family and friends she meets in her new town make for a well-rounded cast of characters that will leave readers smiling and nodding their heads at the different antics they get into. Her sisters are very different than her in size and attitude at times and the romance aspects of the book progress at a rate that is very relatable for teen angst and drama, although I will say that the end relationships did make me wonder if it was something that would really happen or just playing out well for the sake of the story.

Charlie and Billy are brought into the story to meet the girls by helping the family move in and one thing leads to another as our story progresses. The pace of the story was perfect for teens and anyone wanting a quick read that doesn’t require a lot of deep thought. Overall, this was a fun enjoyable read that I recommend to young readers, probably more suited for girls than boys, but the sports aspect of the story would appeal to male readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Pudge and Prejudice – A K Pittman
Pudge and Prejudice is an homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, transported to the fictitious Northfield Texas High School in the year 1984. After moving to Northfield with her family, Elyse Nebbit faces the challenge of finding her place in a new school, one dominated by social status and Friday night football. When Elyse’s effortlessly beautiful older sister Jayne starts dating Charlie Bingley, the captain of the school football team, Elyse finds herself curious about Charlie’s popular and brooding best friend, Billy Fitz. Elyse’s body insecurities eventually complicate her relationship with Billy, leaving Jayne and Elyse’s exceedingly blunt friend, Lottie, to step in and help Elyse accept herself for who she is, pant size and all.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice is one of the few classics that really deserves the genre of classic. It’s one of the only classics that I genuinely love, which is why I enjoy all and every reiteration of it and this retelling, set in 80s Texas is no exception.

Featuring a plus-sized protagonist, excellent 80s music references and my absolute favourite – an amazing family dynamic. Much like how Clueless is the best movie adaptation of Austen’s work, this is the best literary adaption I’ve read so far. It’s my first 4 star read of the year!

This is the epitome of what a Pride and Prejudice retelling should be – it captures all the snark of Austen’s original and flawlessly combines the nostalgia and epic music of the eighties. Somehow AK Pittman manages to take characters from the 1880s and make them feel right at home in 1980. I loved it and it publishes today!

Last year, I read quite a few Pride & Prejudice takes, including Unmarriagable and Eligible. But this book is not your average take. Pudge & Prejudice takes place in a small football obsessed Texas town in 1984. The Nebbitt family moves in mid-school year and quickly they are pulled into the world of of the haves and have nots. Elyse Nibbett is smart, but struggles with body issues. She doesn't belive there is any chance that the town star, Billy Fitz, would ever like her. Elyse's sister, Jayne, is pretty and quickly catches the attention of Charlie Bingley, however their quick love at first sight romance crashes and burns quickly, thanks to outside encouragement.

Pudge & Prejudice felt fresh, energetic and unique. I loved how quickly the book moved. It kept to Austen's story line, but was super original with its 1984 take. The 80s references were divine and spot on; they took me back to being an 80s kid - song and lyric references, waiting by the kitchen phone for a nightly phone call, Swatches, and passing notes in class. My only fear is these references will be lost on younger readers, as this is a YA book.

“I felt like that mountain, somehow seeing myself in his words. His voice held me there like a shore.”

Ahhh, Billy Fitz...the most annoying, most handsome, most frustrating, and of course most swoon worthy boy in high school who drove Elyse Nebbit “Pudge” nuts. Why is her nickname Pudge? You’ll have to read more to find out, but I think you’ll find her endearing. I know I did. As the middle Nebbit sister, she is learning to fit in as a new student, while balancing her seemingly quirky family. She will capture your heart, as will all the sisters. I loved all their distinct personalities.

“We got spirit. Yes we do! We got spirit, how ‘bout you? JUNIORS”

An enchanting foray into the 80s, this “Pride and Prejudice” retelling with an updated storyline was a delightful read. Pittman will draw Jane Austen readers into a fun adaptation into the 80’s life and high school . I love the sisters interactions and the struggles with moving into a new town made for a good read. There was a lot of heart, laugh out loud moments, and teenage angst. It was so much fun and took me back to my high school years in the South. Homecoming, prom, and sports are such a key part of East Texas “society” for high school. I felt like I stepped back into time.

Though it was not an exact representation that true Austenites may desire, it was a delightful book. Pittman dealt with many of the struggles teenagers have had throughout the high school years. She handled it in a beautiful way, showing the importance of true friendships and family. I really enjoyed this story. I’m looking forward to more from this author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Reading Austen adaptations, it is always a game for me to note the way names have been changed to fit the new setting. Mostly everyone gets a name beginning with the same letter as the original character’s first name (for women). Male characters’ names do the same, but may choose between first and surnames. The towns’ names tend either not to matter, or to be turned into shop names or school names. I have seen a lot of variations, some better than others. I have never seen Bennet turned into Nebbitt before. I couldn’t help laughing. And then I snorted my soda when I read the name Billy Fitz and I died. The rest of this review is written by a ghost.

The year is 1984. High school sophomore Elyse wears a double-digit jeans size at age 15 and her mother is not okay with that, though Elyse herself seems to find it a nonissue, preferring books and other activities to dieting and exercising. She has a social life and friends, even after moving to a new town, and is genuinely not bothered by being fat. At least until a boy who society declares is out of her league tells that he likes her despite her size.

Because of the way the eARC is formatted, I was made aware before beginning to read that this would be a young adult fictional romance that was “clean & wholesome,” so I did not expect there to be any sex, nor much description of any physical intimacy (I was correct). I suppose this is an important thing for readers to know going in, as young adult romances have become increasingly sex-positive and readers who really just don’t want to encounter anything of the sort will have an increasingly difficult time avoiding it in recent publications. I do wonder if this is a staple of the publishing company, though, or an authorial preference, or a result of the book being set in the 80s and, presumably, given the same sensibilities as a John Hughes movie.

And this book does read a good deal like a John Hughes movie. It has a very cinematic feel. For instance, the introduction of the Darcy and Bingley characters was really easy to visualize, and Elyse’s attention to musical and sartorial detail fits into the era neatly. Truly, the book is peppered with era-appropriate references, too-smart and too-mean younger siblings, and bon mots worthy of any 80s teen movie. There is a much more positive message about finding a date to the prom than many of those movies had, though, and it is refreshing to see that Elyse’s size is largely a nonissure throughout the book.

The footnotes in Chapter 5 are an odd choice on the author’s part. I thought they were typos at first, but no. There are actual footnotes, although they only appear in Chapter 5.

This is an easy book to recommend. It has a great story (thanks, Austen!), the characters are well-adapted to the era, and the setting is beautifully conveyed. Possibly it will find a wider audience with the parents of YA readers than the readers themselves, but I could be mistaken about that. Apparently the 1980s are very big in pop culture right now.

I love Pride and Prejudice reworkings, and Pudge and Prejudice is a modernized version set in the 1980's that attempts to tackle the complicated relationship of Elyse Nebbit (Elizabeth Bennet), new to town, and Billy Fitz (Darcy), the star quarterback. The author, A.K. Pittman does an incredible job of nailing the high school, teenage personalities. However, there were a few things that I did not necessarily think fit with the story.

I'm sure it wasn't the author's intention of making this story follow the original scene for scene, but the personalities were off a little. Elyse is portrayed as overweight and insecure, a total 180 from Elizabeth Bennett's character. I really didn't like this too much. Billy Fitz, while still rich and adored by all the females, didn't come off as prideful as the original Darcy. He was a very likeable character, just not so much Darcy. Lottie (Charlotte), was more outspoken than I remember. She ruled over Collin (Mr. Collins), who himself was almost as bumbling as the original but too sweet. Jayne and Charlie were the perfect lovesick teenagers. Lydia could have gotten in more trouble, but she was close to perfect. And we weren't given much of Mary and Kitty as they were portrayed as "The Littles." And Mrs. Bennett wasn't as obnoxious as her namesake. Caroline, while only 10, was still the same mean spirited sister to Charlie.

These differences, however, made for an entertaining read. Being from Texas, I appreciated the nods to football and sports. I felt like I was at that championship game (taking me back to senior year in East Texas). I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to friends. I am grateful to the author and Tyndale House for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

A retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in the 1980s starring Elyse, a fat bookworm, and Billy Fitz, the star quarterback of the football team. The story loosely follows the story arc and major plot points of Austen's classic with mixed success.

I adore Pride and Prejudce and I'm a sucker for retellings, but despite all the promise of the premise, this was missing something for me. I wish the main characters had more chemistry--Jayne and Charlie were just as adorably in love as in the main retelling, but it didn't feel like there was a lot of tension between Elyse and Billy. Instead of hate at first sight, Elyse instantly crushes on Billy, and that never really goes away. I wish that this story had adhered a bit more faithfully to the text in that respect--Elyse was embarrassed that Billy didn't want to dance with her in public, but she goes back to crushing on him right away, which takes away from the romantic tension. It's hard to describe, but there's something that's not quite as effective about Billy just shaking his head (albeit vigorously) when encouraged to dance with Elyse as opposed to the original where Elizabeth overhears Darcy saying cruel things about her family. I just think there needed to be a greater inciting incident for this to have been a successful retelling.

Pride and prejudice, set in the 80s, in a high school, with a plus size middle class girl, and a star quarterback who is far above said girl?! Count me in!!! It was so adorable! Pride and prejudice is one of my all time favorite stories, and this did it justice. This book was just so cute. I loved Elyse (Elizabeth) and Jayne (Jane), Charlie and Billy (Mr. Darcy) were also great characters. It got a little meh in the middle for me and I felt like I had to push through it. I also thought the end was just slightly anticlimactic, but it really following the main story in a more modern, 1980s way and it was done just so well. I loved all the Easter eggs of the characters and scenes. Super cute!

Despite the fact that I’m not a big Jane Austen fan (please don’t send hate mail) I tend to be easily sucked into Austen retellings. So when I heard good things about this one I decided to give it a try! I loved that it was set in the 80’s, there’s not a lot of new releases set in that decade so I found it refreshingly entertaining. I also liked that it was obnoxiously over the top, trying to shove everything 80’s into every scene but it had an authentic feel with an appropriate amount of references. I also think the author did a great job of transforming the classic plot to fit the high school setting while still keeping a lot of the main points the same(the petty side of me liked that Caroline Bingley was a bratty 10 year old-lol). There were some changes that I didn’t overly love (I was not a fan of the Charlotte character) but overall it was great the way she made it work. I liked that there was a lot of great humor sprinkled in, Elyse had some great witty bits! And I appreciated the way the author highlighted learning to find and appreciate your true self and be confident in that.
Since everyone knows the story there weren’t really any surprises but I didn’t mind and I really enjoyed this retelling. If I was to have any real complaint it would be that it felt a little longer than I expect from YA so the middle dragged a little for me but it wasn’t enough to truly bother me or affect my enjoyment of reading!
So if you’re looking for a fun twist on the beloved story I definitely think you should check this one out!

Oh my giddy 80s teenage heart - this was just perfection!! This is a beautifully written YA sweet romance that had me hooked from the first page. This one’s a 2020 Top Read for me!

I absolutely ADORED Elyse (Pudge from the title). She’s one of the funniest and wittiest characters ever written. And Billy, oh Billy... you’re definitely more than meets the eye.

This is a super sweet story about a smart, chubby girl who ultimately learns to own who she is (and the fact she’s awesome just like she is) and the hottie quarterback who takes a hot minute to see what’s right in front of him.

The supporting characters - in particular her sisters reminded me so much of my own youth I found myself getting teary at the same time I was laughing up head off. Such an honest picture of family - the good, the bad and the embarrassing.

This was my first read from this author but definitely won’t be my last.

An interesting read that is written to YA and yet many adults who grew up in the 80's are going to want to read this book. Pittman has a way of writing that brings out emotions that some of us are not quite ready to deal with.
High school is tough enough without being the new kid in town. Along with that, not being the pretty sister or the popular sister makes it even harder.
Elyse is that middle child that worries about everyone. She becomes interested in Billy, but must deal with her own insecurities first. Thank goodness for real friends who help her see who she really is, pant size and all.

I wish I could say that I loved this story. But that is not the case, in fact I did not even finish it. I tried several times, but it was not really interesting to me. I guess maybe preteens would love it but there was just too much angst and the whole body image thing with Elyse didn’t feel genuine.
I think that if you’re really into Pride and Prejudice you might love this book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

This is a great book for high school readers and above. This book was a retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice set in 1984-1985. I loved seeing the story through the main character, Elyse's eyes. It was fun to read a book set during this time period. I hope the author will write similar books I'll n the future.

80s Pop culture references brought lots of smiles to my face

An 80’s take on Pride and Prejudice with an overweight protagonist, Pudge and Prejudice is double fun for us GenX Austen fans. (Although the book would be just as enjoyable to a YA reader.) Austen’s original P and P is easily recognized in this book, which I loved. Pudge and Prejudice features the 5 Nebbitts sisters, focusing on the 3 oldest: Jayne, Elyse (aka Pudge),and Lydia as they first experience life in Northfield. The characters are well developed and include Elyse’s all-to-honest friend Lottie, as well as Charlie Bingley, Billy Fitz, and Gage Wickham. I loved some, I loved to dislike some, and I empathized with many at different times. The abundance of 80’s pop culture references kept a smile on my face to the finish. Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Intended for the Young Adult reader, this retelling of Pride & Prejudice with a 1980’s twist was clever and unique.

This has been done a million times. I’ve read so many of them, and usually take these things with a pinch of salt. However, this one had that little something extra that you might enjoy, if you are a fan of the YA style of writing. The characters are also high school kids.

I would say, even though I’m probably not the intended audience, I could appreciate the 80’s theme, fashion, tech and music that plays a pivotal part in this story, because it was my childhood too.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC. This is my honest review.

This was hilarious, fun, and cute all at the same time. Imagine the characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice growing up in the 80s as a bunch of teenagers... If that doesn’t spark your interest to read this book, I’m not sure what will!

First off, I began this book by laughing and I didn’t stop.

All of these characters were so similar to the Pride and Prejudice characters, it was ironic!! How do you take classic 1800s characters and turn them into teens from the 1980s? I don’t know but the author did just that.
The Nebbit family was soo much like the Bennett’s, it was perfect.
Our main character, Elyse Nebbit, is really funny. She’s extremely sarcastic and has a sense of humor for sure. She’s practical, matter-of-fact, and smart. Shes also pretty fun. She’s a lot like Elizabeth Bennett yet she has her own uniqueness as a character too. Like her insecurities, especially about her body. Which, I understood because people just wouldn’t let her forget. She was a very interesting, relatable character unlike any I’ve read before besides her Elizabeth qualities.
There’s Jayne who was so sweet! I loved her character a lot. Her and Elyse sister relationship was wonderful! I loved seeing their closeness.
Lydia was everything you would expect for Lydia. Lol. Her similarities to Lydia Bennet was perfect.
And then the two others, Kitty and Mary... they’re just kinda... there. Just like Elyse said. (I laughed really hard at that, by the way. That’s exactly how I felt about them in P&P.)
The Nebbit parents were pretty funny. Again, a lot like the Bennett’s. It was amusing to say the least.

And then the other characters.
Charlie Bingley was like the Mr.Bingley we know. Sweet but sometimes dumb or clueless? Or lovesick. Lol. I don’t know how you explain it but...
And Caroline Bingley!! Oh my goodness. She’s was ten year old nightmare. *shudders*
Gage Wickam was what I expected exactly. *glares*
So now we come to the one I was very curious to meet... Billy Fitz. And he was pretty much Darcy as a 80s teenager who also happens to be a football star. Can you imagine that?? Before I read this book, I couldn’t. But yep. He was Darcy from the first moment we meet him. It cracked me up soo crazy much.
He’s insulting, speaks his mind, stays to himself, and is completely unpredictable. But he is also surprising, wonderful, admirable, and extremely sweet in his own way. By the end, he totally has your heart in just the Darcy way.

Moving on from the characters, we have the plot. It’s very much like the plot in Pride and Prejudice in a strange way. I found it extremely cool how the author worked the events from that classic into this book. There were times I was grinning, anticipating the event and knowing what was going to happen but now. It was really unique so don’t think you’ll know everything that’s gonna happen. It’s full of surprises and fun.

The time period was fun. The 1980s is 20 years before my time so more my parents time so it was really fun to read about.

As far as content, there isn’t a whole lot to complain about. It’s a book for teens though.
The romance is clean. There are a few not-detailed kisses. The characters themselves don’t do anything bad. But there are insinuations of what other people might be doing at a party and mentions of people “making out.” ( it isn’t detailed. Just mentioned)
Also, some things from Wickam’s parents past were brought up that made me a bit uncomfortable. But it also made the main character uncomfortable. It wasn’t given in full details but again, insinuations.
Also *MINOR SPOILER*, the girls are worried what their sister might have done with a boy when she didn’t show up to school (if you get what I mean). That’s talked about briefly. I was kind of expecting it though.
Nothing actually did happen but it’s still talked about.
I was expecting more faith content. I guess because it was published by Tyndale but there wasn’t very much. A mention of going to church and she says a prayer but there’s not much of her faith in the book. Personally, I would’ve enjoyed it even more had that element been added.

So overall, this was a really fun, interesting, lighthearted read!! Pride and Prejudice set in a 1980s High school which was really cool.
I do wonder if there will be a sequel because of the ending... (which was so sweet by the way!) If there is, I’d totally read it!
I got some good laughs from it and it enjoyed it a lot!
I recommend for if you’re looking for a fun, teen romance. And if you’re a Pride and Prejudice fan, even better.😊

*I received an e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Fun and clever adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that re-frames the classic Austen novel as a 1984-1985 Texas high school romance. Pittman avoids the trap of being slavishly bound to the original text, deftly converting often problematic characters that sometimes bog down other adaptations into figures that make sense within her small Texas town. Martha and Kitty, for example, become 6 and 7 year olds which allows them to be reasonably de-emphasized and Lady Catherine becomes a bossy prom organizer which allows her objections to Billy Fitz's (Darcy) interest in Elyse Nebbit (Lizzie) to occur but not seem wildly out of context in 1980s America (Fitz is the presumed Prom King, who is SUPPOSED to go to Prom with the presumed Prom Queen). Pittman's 1980s knowledge is strong, if a little overly focused on consumer culture, and the occasional theme of born again Christianity is only occasionally jarring (I'm not sure I'll ever fully accept the mental image of 'Mr. Bennett' wandering around town in a 'Jesus Saves' t-shirt). The most radical changes come in the form of Lottie (Charlotte) who is something of a cold blooded (or perhaps just crushingly practical?) small town society maven and her much put upon boyfriend Collin (Mr. Collins). It's rare for a P&P adaptation to render Collins as a sympathetic figure, but I found myself rooting nerdy Collin will graduate high school, move far away for college, and never return to the town of Northfield. The presence of a number of other students in the high school with names cribbed from other Austen novels (particularly Emma) suggest there is a possible future novel set in the same world focusing on other characters.