This charming young adult retelling of Pride and Prejudice in set in 1980s Texas. The author did an excellent job converting the story from the Regency-era to modern day high school life for its heroine Elyse Nebbit, her sisters, friends, and love interests, Charlie Bingley and Billy Fitz. It is a light, humorous, and rewarding read for those new to Jane Austen's original story, and to those who can never have enough chances to re-read it in whatever variation is available.

What an amazing modern tribute to the queen of literature! Pittman managed to take the necessary elements and themes of Pride and prejudice, transport them into Friday Night Lights and add a modern and relatable twist to this timeless tale. I loved the voice for a YA audience! Highly recommended!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Cute 80's take on Pride and Prejudice! I loved all the ways Pitman paid homage to Pride and Prejudice and all the fun tweaks she made. I enjoyed the full cast of characters who each made this book memorable. Religion was a minor theme in this book and fit well within the story.
This was a sweet and clean read, I'd rate it PG for kissing, and some slight references to sex.

Although I was born in the 1980's, I was raised in a small town that was years behind the "current" trends. I felt transported back to my days of youth as I listened to the audio version of this book. Currently, I live in a small town, much like the setting for this book and laughed numerous times at how accurate the depiction of the life in one is (even if it's Texas and I'm in Tennessee). If you're a fan of nostalgia and complicated relationships (minus all the vulgarity of a lot of books today), this is a read that you'll want to read over and over.

A delightful rom-com retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in America during the 1980's.

Nostalgic and full of heart, this is the Pride and Prejudice retelling that I didn't know that I needed. Engaging and original, paying homage to one of literature's most beloved romances. I loved Elyse from the start, the middle of the elder set of Nesbitt sisters she is used to being overlooked in favor of her beautiful sister Jayne or her attention-seeking younger sister, Lydia. As she tries to find her place in a new town and new school, she is intrigued by Billy Fitz, the enigmatic star of the football team and best friend to Jayne's new boyfriend Charlie.

Told from Elyse's perspective, this was a heartwarming, hilarious coming of age story, filled with swoon-worthy moments, as well as faith. Such a fun read from beginning to end, yet I didn't want it to end and savored every sentence. Easily one of my favorite reads of this year! I'm really hoping for a sequel!

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

This is a lovely coming of age body positive story of change, new romance, first loves, and friendships. I am so here for Jane Austin retellings so I love this.

The '80s nostalgia of Pudge and Prejudice endeared this story to me all the more. In 1984-85, when the story is set, I, like Lydia, was an 8th grader. So much of this story brought back not just the fashion and music touchstones of the era, but a way of living and being that is even harder to recapture more than three decades into the future.

My love for the '80s aside, A.K. Pittman did a great job with this retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed seeing the parallels between the stories and the character traits that rang true. It's been a while since I've read Jane Austen, but I suspect I was more invested in Elyse and Billy's relationship (and Jayne and Charlie's) than I ever was in Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's. (This reading has made me want to revisit Austen's original, however.)

The "pudge" aspect of the story - Elyse's weight - seemed a little contrived, like it had been tacked on as an additional obstacle, seemingly necessary in a setting less concerned with class and status. Despite the snide remarks doled out by minor characters, it never seemed to me to be integral to Elyse. Her character also seemed a bit older than 15, though any older would mean she could drive, which would have some ripple effects on the plot.

4.5 stars

I thought that this story was a clever re-telling of Pride and Prejudice! I was born during the 80's, so I didn't fully appreciate the references to that time period, but I still loved the lessons that the characters learned and how it came together! I loved the ways it was different from the original.

A modern and big Texas spin on Pride and Prejudice that delivers on accurate teen feelings. There is humor, angst and the divide between the haves and have-nots that ups the tension. Likeable heroines, relatable family drama and the romance we crave from any Austen retelling make this a great read and introduction to the genre.

Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

There was a lot I wanted to like about this book but it really struggled to keep me hooked. It was hard to relate to the characters and believe they were actual high schoolers. Pudge seemed to always be talking down to others in her mind but had 0 confidence, a total contradiction. I missed the classic romantic tension I expect from a Pride and Prejudice novel.

A fresh retelling of "Pride and Prejudice' Modern. Sweet. Interesting. A throw back to the 1980s. Five stars.

I love Austen and this book did not disappoint. There are so many P&P retellings out there, but this one set in 1984 was excellent. Loved the throwback to the 80's and this retelling was simply excellent.

#BookReview: PUDGE AND PREJUDICE by A.K. Pittman

This is a nice retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. The characters are in their teens and set in the 80s. It’s different from my usual read but it’s interesting enough. It took me a while to read this book but I’m glad I did. I enjoyed Elyse’s family and their new town. The romance is fun and sweet. 3.5 stars

Thank you to netgalley for the complimentary copy.

This was an interesting retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but I found it lacking in substance like the original. Elyse is a tad overweight, so of course, the good-looking guy won't fall for her (insert eye roll here). I'm tired of this storyline. Elyse was the one most concerned about her size, and it became tiresome. Besides that, the story was entertaining, and I enjoyed that the setting was based in the eighties.

You'd think trying to shoe horn all the events, emotions and personalities of Pride and Prejudice into a 1980's Texas retelling might not work but you'd be wrong!

I love that Darcy has been re-imagined as a highschool American Football star called Billy Fitz, Elizabeth is now Elyse, a plus-sized new girl who is glued to her cassette player and Caroline Bingley is an unbearably bratty 8 year old in need of babysitting. All the 80s culture references, teen angst and highschool drama blend seamlessly to create an almost perfect twist on the classic, soundtrack included.

I say "almost" because there was a couple of things that didn't quite hit the mark for me...Elyse and her Dad don't enjoy the same special relationship as their original counterparts which is a bit of a shame, in fact her dad is rather bland in comparison to the witty, long suffering Mr Bennet of old. And the body positivity element could have been more, well...positive, for want of a better word.

Despite these two minor issues (which are just my own personal opinion) I really enjoyed it overall and would absolutely recommend it. And that last sentence...are we in for a sequel? Fingers crossed! 

Thank you Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Super-adorable and almost faithful adaptation of Pride and Prejudice set in 1984 with copious references to pop culture and attitudes of the day.
As adaptations go it was adorable and managed to get the plot of P and P without it feeling like it was shoehorned or forced. I genuinely liked all of the characters (Wickham notwithstanding) and when I closed the book it gave me a happy little sigh in my heart. Well worth the read and a wonderful addition to the scores of P&P pantheon.
Highly recommend.

This is a fun version of Pride and Prejudice. I especially love the the 80s version and the many memories this brought back of my growing up years in the 80s. Swatches, no cell phones, time limits on the landline.

This is about teens but I enjoyed it even though I am, obviously, not a teen, again that could be because it took place in the 80s.


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A fun, Austen-inspired read, this sweet romance will be a crowd pleader. I really enjoyed that it was set in the 1980s!

This is a fun book. It hews closely enough to Austen to be pleasantly predictable, but takes its own path just enough to be fresh. The Elyse/Jayne relationship is sweet, but a bit saccharine at times.

The message is lovely and it would pair nicely with an add-on for an Austen unit in the classroom. I won't be assigning this to students, but I will heartily recommend it for students to read for independent reading.