Unmarriageable is Pride and Prejudice retelling set in modern day Pakistan. I found the updated setting interesting but overall I was mostly bored while reading this book. I thought that beyond an interesting new setting, modern-day Pakistan instead of Regency England, there was nothing new or surprising about this retelling. I enjoyed the first and last few chapters but found the big chunk in the middle very boring and humorless. Where was the wry wit I was promised? Unmarriageable was not a bad book by any means but it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Pride and Prejudice, but with sassy contemporary Pakistani women and lots of chai and samosas!

This was great fun, the type of book I thought about when not reading and hurried back to. I have read P&P a few times over the years and I think that was perfect in coming to this retelling: I know the broad strokes of the story and had lots of aha moments about characters and plot points, but I'm not a purist and wasn't distressed by discrepancies or other authorial choices.

Light reading but with interesting themes of contemporary career and marital norms in a traditional religious society.

It's a tricky thing to write a retelling of a book as beloved as Pride and Prejudice, and while this wasn't the worst I've read of the sort, it also wasn't the best. It wasn't bad, just not as satisfying as I had hoped. I did think the author wrote the characters well, though, and enjoyed that aspect of the book.

I am a huge Pride and Prejudice fan, and I SO wanted to like this book, but it was just too much like the original. It didn't have enough newness in it for me to enjoy it. I did not finish the entire book because it was just not worth the time. Sorry :(

Really wanted to like this book. The setting in Pakistan was interesting, the girls' school was interesting, the Pakistani retelling of Pride and Prejudice was different, but the whole was disappointing.

I enjoyed this version on Pride & Prejudice set in Pakistan. I enjoyed learning more about the culture of that country. I did feel it followed the plot of the original a little too closely. Especially after reading Pride, which is another retelling of P & P, but set in modern day Brooklyn. Unmarriageable is definitely worth your time if you are a fan of Jane Austen.

I can’t decide how I feel about this book. A Pakistani Pride and Prejudice... how could I NOT read it? The problem is in some instances it’s an almost exact copy of Pride and Prejudice. It get kind of weird that the main character Alys loved Jane Austen so much and kept bringing up Pride and Prejudice but didn’t notice the similarities her life had to the book. Also, why does everyone need to have a nickname? I think it would have been fine for a couple people to have nicknames, but every single person had one. Some of the conversations seemed weird especially Darsee’s. People just don’t speak like that.

As a Muslim (full disclosure, not Pakistani), I found some of the situations unrealistic. Would Mrs.Binat have allowed Jena to go out with Bungles and his sisters so many times alone? Maybe not. I liked the character of Sherry, and understood her motives. I liked her as a friend to Alys and that her husband and her were happy and got along. However, the author wanted to give her a rebellious side, so she had her smoke. I think she could have done without that cliche.

I did love the idea that a Muslim Pakistani family was at the center of this novel. I think it actually is a perfect fit for a story like this. I didn’t know much about the food, clothing and culture, so I had to look up a lot of stuff but I enjoyed it.

All in all, I would give the book a 3.5 stars.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Soniah Kamal writes great young female heroes. I liked the characters and the urgency of the story, and I felt Kamal built up her writing style a lot in this book. I think I'd recommend to teens who like love, romance, self-sufficiency, and great writing.

A modern day tale of Pride and Prejudice. What's not to love? I went into this book honestly not knowing what to expect at all. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classics, so I was afraid this would disappoint. This book is full of parallels, and the author does such an excellent job weaving the intricacies of Pakistani life and customs. It's definitely a must-read if you are a fan of Jane Austin.

Wow, this one blew me away! If you are a Pride and Prejudice fan, don’t miss this one. If you aren’t, don’t miss this one. If you are a fan of diverse, multi-cultural reads, don’t miss this one. Moreover, if you are a fan of impeccable storytelling, Unmarriageable is a book not to be missed!

Unmarriageable is set in modern day Pakistan. The Binat family consists of five sisters and their parents. A scandal erupts that causes the family to lose their fortune and any chance at desirable marriages for their daughters.

Alys is the second sister in line, and she’s a pragmatist. She teaches English literature to school-aged girls who are unlikely to further their educations and will likely marry young. Of import to her teaching is Jane Austen because she believes this will inspire her students to dream.

One day an invitation arrives for a fancy wedding, one the likes of which the village has never seen before. Mrs. Binat is hard at work getting her daughters in shape for possible bachelors attending the wedding

The oldest sister, Jena, has attracted an eligible bachelor, but his friend, none other than Valentine Darsee, is not a fan of the family, and Alys overhears him saying so. As the wedding continues, Jena awaits a proposal while Alys becomes more interested in Darsee...

Unmarriageable is steeped in the culture of a Pakistani family. I especially loved the dialog between the sisters and with their mother. The sayings really added to the authenticity of the story. The characters are so well-developed and I loved the comparisons to Pride and Prejudice; so many connections and Easter eggs of commonalities to discover.

Unmarriageable is a smart, evocative retelling of a classic that reads just like a modern classic. Everything about the story is perfection, intriguing, and completely enthralling. It was enjoyable and engaging from start to finish and receives my highest recommendation.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

*Since it’s early, I will add my review links to my blog and Goodreads closer to publication date, once the links are live.

The library is chock full of Pride and Prejudice inspired stories. This is one of the best and should appeal to readers/viewers who enjoyed recent ethnic rom-coms such as Crazy Rich Asians. Soniah Kamal hews remarkably closely to the outlines of Jane Austen's original story while translating the tale to contemporary Pakistan where demands of traditional family marriage customs clash with the aspirations of modern young adults living in a milieu full of cell phones, social media and new ideas about relationships.

There are FAR TOO MANY retold versions of this story. This is one of the rare ones that is worthy and fun.

I think this was a fairly good remake of Pride and Prejudice. The culture and environment of Pakistan is a great setting to recreate the story. It would be very hard to set the book in modern day England or the U.S. or most other first world countries.

I loved Alys and Jena. Mrs. Binat and Lady and Mari were suitably appalling, as was Wickaam. Hammy and Sammy were pretty awful, too, but they do run their own company, which is an interesting update. Nona and Nisar are lovely, which is true to the original. And Annie is surprisingly much more charming in this update. Sherry is annoying in this version, but her husband Kaleen is less obsequious.

However, I was not as enamored of Darsee as I was of the original character. He seemed more crass and less understated. And the book takes more of a direct approach by explaining outright the character's motivations and actions, instead of just implying them subtly and sarcastically as Jane Austen does in the original. I also hated that his house is called Buckingham Palace. That is really tacky.

I did like that the update involved educated women and that men who were truly enlightened and kind were men who would allow them to work or do good works. So overall I liked the themes and I enjoyed learning about the culture. I just didn't like some of the ways that the characters were drawn.

Also, as far as I could tell, no one ever tells Alys that Darsee is engaged to Annie. She just suddenly starts talking about it. I know this is a plotline in the original book, but there needs to be a mention of it in this version.

Thank you to NetGalley, Soniah Kamal, and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books for the ARC of this novel.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, so I knew I'd love "Unmarriageable". It's a fantastic story that keeps your interest throughout the whole book. I'd definitely read this again on publication day!

This was an interesting read with a fascinating setting that ultimately fell too short for me to recommend. While Soniah Kamal is definitely a talented writer there was a glaring issue I had with her retelling of "Pride and Prejudice." Her book exists in a world where "Pride and Prejudice" not only already exists but is frequently brought up by its Elizabeth Bennett English literature teacher Alys Binat. I could never get away from the bizarre fact that none of the characters, all of whom are dopplegangers for P & P characters down to their nearly identical names, ever once notice that their lives perfectly mirror the events in P&P.

Had Kamal simply pretended this was the first time this story was being told I might have been better able to suspend disbelief. Unfortunately there's also the problem of the plot and characters adhering so closely to the original story that there's simply nothing new here. The setting is certainly beautiful, different and well described but its just not enough to say anything new with an already very frequently rebooted story.

I can't help but recall Curtis Settenfield's infinitely more fun "Eligible" which updated the story to modern times but also embraced the idea that these characters would behave differently, appear differently and make very different choices were they to find themselves in our world but still managed to stay wonderfully true to the spirit of Ms. Austen.

Sadly I just didn't like this one.

I’m a sucker for a good Pride & Prejuduce retelling. This one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters, setting and updated story were fun and interesting. I also enjoyed the many references to the original and Jane Austen. Very well done!

Why do we need another retelling of Pride and Prejudice? Yes, a third P is added, Pakistan, but it still lacks originality and the reader just makes the parallels and comparisons as it is read. I am uncertain that it even reflects all of Pakistani culture, rather strains to fit into the mold of P and P.

Better to reread the original and watch the A&E version and read original books about real life in East Asia. There are so many that are beautifully written and authentic, I wouldn’t waste my time on a copy.

It's Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice but with a Pakistani twist and it is delightful!

Alys Binat and her four sisters (Jena, Qitty, Mari, and Lady) live in Dilipabad with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Binat. Alys and Jena are teachers at the local school where Alys frequently gets reprimanded for encouraging her female students to pursue their studies and delay marriage.

After a family scandal that cause them to lose their fortune and stature in society, the Binats are surprised and excited to receive an invitation to the social event of the season-the NadirFiede wedding. It is at this wedding that they meet Fahad "Bungles" BIngla, an eligible (and wealthy bachelor) and his friend Valentine Darsee. Mrs. Binat immediately makes it her mission to see Bungles and Jena married.

Anyone who's read Pride and Prejudice knows the rest of this story. I absolutely loved the modern takes on the classic. Pride and Prejudice is part of Alys' reading curriculum for her students, so the book is referred to quite frequently (getting close to breaking that fourth wall), sometimes in a comical way.

I think my only almost-but-not-really-criticism of the book would be the constant descriptions of the outfits and the meals. There were full paragraphs devoted to each, but I had no idea what any of the words meant and could not picture what the characters were wearing or what they were eating. Not really a complaint, because I could have just looked up what the words meant.

This was such a fun retelling and I would highly recommend for anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice!

Soniah did an admirable job of portraying Pakistani culture circa 2000 CE and honoring the original work. She bravely exposes and challenges many uncomfortable aspects of our Muslim culture that too many others shy away from as awkward and uncomfortable. Her characterizations are fresh and yet familiar. She preserved the feel of Austen in an updated era while delivering fresh lines for uniquely familiar players.

I have two nits to pick. First, I had hoped that a modern reinterpretation would adopt modern conventions of deep point of view rather than the quasi-omniscient head-hopping more common in bygone years. That said, Soniah executed her Austenian style well and I was never lost in POV, only annoyed from time to time. Second, I think there were some missed metastory opportunities because the characters (many of who have read "Pride & Prejudice") never really discuss or reflect upon their own similarities in roles to the original. The only meta references felt tossed off and lacking in self-awareness by otherwise mature characters. Both lacks did not detract from the story, but it could have been more powerful (for me).

This book was particularly special for my family. My wife (from Karachi) played the part of Alysba to my Darsee in our own rendition of "Unmarriageable" a decade earlier than the setting of this work. Nevertheless, we enjoyed sharing many of Soniah's entertaining scenes with one another, and our children. The book rings uncomfortably but entertainingly true.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Soniah's work.

Pride and Prejudice set in Pakistan. Sweet and interesting retelling.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.