Pride by Ibi Zoboi Review

Title: Pride

Author: Ibi Zoboi

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

I’ve never read Ibi Zoboi’s work before, but when I heard that she was writing a contemporary, modern and diverse retelling of one of my favorite Jane Austen classics, Pride and Prejudice, I was so excited that I reserved it at my library that same day. It’s been sitting in my library stack for a while, but I pushed it to the top as soon as I was finished with the beautiful wrecking ball that is Strange the Dreamer. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I have to say that I really loved this book! Full of heart, humor, love, Zoboi gave Pride and Prejudice a long overdue makeover, and I loved every minute of it! Full of parallels of the original but strong enough to stand on its own, it’s easily one of my favorite books of the year, and I can’t wait to read American Street! This is the retelling that I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Yay for diverse books!

Zuri Benitez has a lot of pride: pride for her neighborhood, family, and her Afro-Latina roots. But it may not be enough to stop the rapid wave of gentrification from consuming her beloved Bushwick. Things become even more complicated when the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street. Zuri wants nothing to do with either of the teenager boys, even when her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for Ainsley. She can’t stand the other Darcy brother, Darius. Arrogant, judgmental, and rude, it’s pretty much hate at first sight. But as they begin to find common ground, their mutual dislike gradually shifts into something entirely different. But with her four wild, independent sisters pulling her in all different directions, another cute boy named Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering in her very near future, Zuri must cement her place in the changing landscape of Bushwick, or risk losing everything.

I really, really liked this book! I love retellings, whether they be fairy tales or classics such as this one, and Ibi Zoboi did a fantastic job. Jane Austen is one of those authors that I feel really needs retelling, to make the original easier to understand, and Zoboi did a wonderful job of retelling it, with diverse, biracial characters! This is the Pride and Prejudice I’ve been waiting for since I read it for the first time. The pacing was breakneck, and I loved Zuri’s warm, hilarious and unique voice. I also loved her loving, funny family; especially Janae. The Darcy boys made for an interesting foil against the loud, shameless Benitez women, and I loved the chemistry between Zuri and Darcy! I was laughing, crying, and swooning throughout the book. I loved Carrie and Catherine, and Warren; I could see all of the parallels to the original, retold in a more modern light. It was so exciting and refreshing! And I loved the ending. This book was absolutely amazing, and I can’t wait for more from Ibi Zoboi! With Pride, she has become one of my favorite new authors! An outstanding achievement! The bottom line: A fresh, funny, romantic and modern retelling of one of my favorite classics, I loved Pride! One of my favorite books of the year! Next on deck: Rule by Ellen Goodlett!