Cover Image: Accomplished

Accomplished

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was quick and the characters well developed. I would enjoy reading other works by this author in the future.

Was this review helpful?

I first want to mention that I’ve never read or seen any of the movies of Pride and Prejudice so I’m really not sure how the retelling aspect of this book is. Second, I want to mention that all views and opinions stated in this review are all my own. It was really hard for me to get into this book and took me a lot longer to read then it usually takes me. I couldn’t really connect with the main character and didn’t really care about what happened to her. The only character I kind of liked out of the whole thing was Avery. The writing was really repetitive in this as well. I don’t even know how many times “like a Darcy” was used and how many times we had to go back over the same flashback over and over. White privilege just seemed like it was thrown in as an after thought so we could learn something in this book. I’m sure others will enjoy the book especially if you are a die hard Pride and Prejudice fan, but it just wasn’t for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

this was such a fun read! i really enjoyed this one. the characters were flawless and it was just such an amazing book to read during this time. thank you so much netgalley!!!!!!

Was this review helpful?

This modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice is perfect for fans of Perfect on Paper and Anna and the French Kiss. This book deals beautifully with the modernisation of the classic novel of Jane Austen. It is funny, authentic and sweet.

I flew through this gem. Honestly, recently, I am quite in a rush with my final exams and just life in general is really busy. But honestly, I tore through this one as if there was no tomorrow. I quickly fell in love with Avery, and generally loved to hate Georgie. They had a great chemistry and seeing it evolve during the novel was just so pure.

I have to say the book felt youngish at times, more like middle grade than young adult. Towards the ending, though, it picked up a more mature turn and I was satisfied with the developments and the characters' growth. Fitz sometimes felt a bit like a flat character to me and I was a bit disappointed that Darcy and Lizzie were not the main attraction of the story. Otherwise, this was really enjoyable and I would recommend it to fans of Pride and Prejudice that want to read a bit of something new and fresh.

Was this review helpful?

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press or an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the synopsis we learn something bad happened with Wickham at Pemberly academy which caused Georgie Darcy to nearly be expelled had it not been for her family name, let down her brother, and become the scorn of her school. She is now back for her junior year and now she has a goal and that is to become the perfect Darcy. She need to prove herself to Wickham, her brother Fitz, hr school, and herself.

I am always a sucker for Jane Austen retelling. However, when you take on such a well loved author and her work you will be under a lot of pressure to deliver and unfortunately this book didn’t quite do that for me.

I really struggle with rating this book between 2-3 stars. I’ll talk about what I liked first before I go into what didn’t work.

I really liked the character of Georgie. I cared what happened to her, I was invested in her goals and growth. Georgie Darcy writes fan fiction for her favorite tv show Sage Hall. She’s in the marching band, and overall has a well defined personality.

The book moved a pretty good pace and I did appreciate the small homages to Pride and Prejudice. Fitz was an okay Mr Darcy, it not my favorite.

Things I did not like, The main reason Georgie is trying to prove herself rests on a reason I just didn’t find believable. I am able to suspend reality, especially when it comes to YA or romance books. However this incident does not work for me.

Georgie feels bad and mops a lot.some of it is reasonable, however, it does cross the line to just a bit too much.

Fitz felt like a character trying to be Mr. Darcy, but not actually succeeding. I didn’t care for him.

Language. There’s a lot of swearing, and while I’m not opposed to it in books and don’t always notice it. I did notice it in this book because it just felt out of place and weird for me.

I didn’t like the love interest. I kept hoping for a different one. Then I started to like him, however, at the end I found I really didn’t like him again. He is not an Austen man. He’s slightly pathetic and doesn’t really do a whole lot except be nice to Georgie.

The ending was rushed. We get a speech about privilege and race that felt like a text book. It was not done in a nuanced way, rather it came of as preachy and could have been done better. The last 25% of the book lost me.

Overall this book didn’t quite hold the charm or wit of an Austen book. It wasn’t terrible reading and I did enjoy parts of it. If you love Jane Austen I would still recommend reading it. We don’t get very many Georgie Darcy retellings.

Was this review helpful?

Georgie Darcy is a fantastic example of a character who makes mistakes, but ultimately grows from them. Her life of privilege certainly helps, but also hinders, her personal growth throughout her life, but at the end of the day she is able to take responsibility and learn to communicate and live life as her own person. The characters are well-written and showcase individual personalities, so much so that you can't help but want to be friends with them in real life. Overall an enjoyable read with a good message and lesson for teens.

Was this review helpful?

I love a good Pride and Prejudice inspired novel. It was realistic and fun, but not my cup of tea. I found the main character (Georgie) so out of character compared to her classic likeness, and I'm sorry to say, annoying. It ruined the novel for me a bit. It was entertaining, and worth a read. Just go in with lower expectations.

Was this review helpful?

I have read MANY Jane Austen adaptations... and I really, really loved this one!!! Georgie has had a scandalous year dating her brother’s former best friend, Wickham... and she wants to be the best Darcy Pemberly High has ever seen. I loved Georgie’s redemption ARC (even though she shouldn’t have needed to be redeemed at ALL) and I loved how we got to see our Pride and Prejudice main characters on the fringes. Bingley as a frat boy? CLASSIC. Thank you so much to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC!!

Was this review helpful?

I love modern day Jane Austen adaptations, but they can be so hard to do well. So much of the plot points don't translate well to modern times. But a modern day re-telling of Pride and Prejudice focusing on Georgiana instead of Darcy and Elizabeth? I had to check this out. And boy, am I glad I did.

The story picks up as Georgie Darcy is returning to her boarding school after her Wickham scandal- the family outcast, a social pariah, and suffering from some major self-esteem issues. When Wickham reappears in her life, she makes a bet with him. If she is able to get her brother to admit that she is a perfect Darcy, Wickham will leave her alone for good. If she fails, Georgie has to work with Wickham on whatever illegal scheme he is plotting. So Georgie sets up to become the perfectly accomplished Darcy. Of course, her brother is being meddling so she also decides to try and get him off her back by pushing him towards the girl he won't stop talking about (but refuses to admit he likes)- one Lizzie Bennet.

The story was slow to get into at first, but after about a third of the way in, I was hooked. Georgie is such a sweet character. My heart broke for her at points. At other times, the book had me literally laughing out loud. In all, a wonderful and different retelling that is sure to delight any Jane Austen fan.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

So, if you know me, you know I love my cheesy little contemporary YA romcoms. It’s my not-so-guilty pleasure. I am, incidentally, also obsessed with Pride and Prejudice. It’s one of my favourite books of all time. So, when this lovely title showed up in my inbox one day, I just knew I had to pick it up. It fits under all of my categories of a good book!

Accomplished follows modern Georgie Darcy (her Austen counterpart being one of my all-time fav characters), fanfic writer extraordinaire, student less extraordinaire, as she navigates her junior year after being caught up in a huge scandal with the sleaze Wickham (who I can assure is just as awful here as he is in the original book). She desperately tries to piece her life back together, and it...sometimes works? But hey, at least she has the help of her cold but well-meaning brother, Fitz, and her (only?) friend (more than friend?) Avery.

Georgie as a character was a delight to read. She’s funny, insightful, and acted like a real teenage girl (I should know, I am one). Her fanfiction escapades were integrated into her character in such a way that it didn’t feel unrealistic, nor did it appear to be a bigger deal than what it was — after all, it’s just another hobby. Avery is super nice too! He’s kind of just this sweet guy who supports Georgie all the time — which is exactly the type of relationship I like, so no complaints there. They’re sweet together.

The plot of this book was also very fun, standard teenage stuff done well. The humour of this novel is spot-on, in my opinion, which is always nice, because I can’t stand reading a dry book. I like a plot that takes itself just the right amount of seriously. The silliness is silly, but there are moments that are more profound as well.

One of the issues I ran into here was the portrayal of Fitz, and how that reflects on the original text. The Darcy of Pride and Prejudice is aloof, and not immediately likable, but ultimately, he always puts his loved ones first, and would do anything to protect them. That is the case here, but the way he dealt with Georgie, at times, felt less like doting, and more like some imagined responsibility where he has to be overly disappointed in her at all times. This is indeed an adaptation of the book, and not the original thing, so I suppose I shouldn’t be judging it based on that, but I will say that it made Fitz a much less compelling character to me than he normally is.

Ultimately, comparisons to the original book aside, this was still a fun read!

Was this review helpful?

First off thank you NetGally for an ARC of Accomplished by Amanda Quain.

I was super excited when I read that Accomplished was from Pride and Prejudice. I feel like Amanda did really well with Accomplished. I was drawn to the characters and couldn’t put the book down. I was super nervous at first it being a YA but it. I recommend reading it.

Was this review helpful?

What a fun and creative perspective around the characters of Pride and Prejudice. This story follows young Darcys sister Georgiana on her journey to re-acclimate to high school in her junior year after being almost expelled last year when Wickham her ex had been using her room to sell drugs. All the important characters are there but in different roles and you see nods to the original story throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this new YA adaptation and seeing how it varied from what I would expect.
Georgie spends most of the book dealing with her emotional baggage left behind by Wickham who had convinced her that she would only be successful with him in her life and only him. She had separated herself from all of her friends, family and connections for him and for what she thought was love. Now, coming back, she has to find out who she, if she wants Wickham to continue to be a part of her life, how her overbearing older brother fits in, can she regain those valuable friendships back and all the while going through a "normal" junior year of high school with all the rigorous school work and life planning.
I highly recommend reading this for any Pride and Prejudice fan and all young adults who are just trying to figure things out - as most are. There were laugh out loud funny moments, self discovery teachings, friendships rebuilt and some wholesome YA romance.
Thank you t0 St Martins Press and Amanda Quain for allowing me to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

I'll admit, I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! It was such a clever and heartwarming YA, and I am always interested in anything even remotely Pride and Prejudice related. It definitely hit home at some points and I really admire the fact that the novel was more of an homage to Jane Austen than a simple retelling. Georgie and Avery are characters that feel so REAL, and it makes you want to root for them even more. I'm not usually one for books where the MC is constantly dealing with the fallout of their actions, but somehow this book made it work. I could not recommend this book more.

Special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honesty review.

Was this review helpful?

Loved, loved, loved this book. I'm a huge Jane Austen fan and a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I am all for it. But this book was so much more than that. While it wasn't the P&P story, it was Georgianna's story. I just wanted to hug Georgie. I cringed when she tried, but failed at getting back her friends. And I cheered for her and Avery. I hope there will be more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 ⭐️

I will never say no to a Pride & Prejudice retelling, but I was particularly excited to hear a story from Georgiana’s perspective. I found myself most drawn to some of this book’s charming modern spins on these beloved characters, from Georgie’s Downton Abbey-esque fanfic world to frat-bro Bingley to Darcy’s love of Google Calendar invites.

As a P&P lover, I had trouble at times reconciling some of the changes in the retelling—for instance, the unnecessarily tiny age gap between Darcy and Georgiana meaning that he became her legal guardian at 16 years old, or differences in how Darcy’s and Lizzie’s love story played out in the background of this story. And, while I appreciated the sketchy, gaslighting, boarding-school prepster version of Wickham (and continue to enjoy that he’s just the worst in every P&P retelling), the “inciting incident” and the premise of Georgie’s story—beginning with a bargain with Wickham to prove she can be the perfect Darcy—just didn’t resonate with me.

Like many of the best hot-mess-express YA protagonists, I felt a love-hate relationship with Georgie throughout the book. I wanted to root for her, but found myself skipping through several pages’ worth each chapter of her self-pitying and self-loathing complaints about how hard her life is. I thoroughly enjoyed Avery’s adorable character and his chemistry and banter with Georgie, but he felt more like a convenient foil to Wickham’s character than anything more substantial. And I loved the book’s engagement with questions of wealth and privilege, but I finished it still wondering whether Georgie really learned much. Given the title and description, I assumed her story would center around themes of self-acceptance and independence, but I still am unsure as to whether Georgie herself actually grew in those ways. I wanted a bit more depth from her emotional journey and the plot’s ending than either offered, but I still found the book to be an enjoyable read from beginning to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Accomplished is a new fresh view on a familiar story from the viewpoint of Darcy's sister, Georgie. I really enjoyed the modern twist to the classic characters and the way the author created a new and interesting plot. The author did a wonderful job of marrying the two and it really make this story shine. It is a YA story but read like a fun fresh take on a boarding school romance It is nicely paced and has enough humor to make the story bright and fun. I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin's Press and I am leaving an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I'm always in for an Austen retelling, and this one is an interesting perspective, to have a modern Georgiana Darcy who's been taking advantage of by a gaslighting, drug-dealing Wickham. Georgie is still under his spell even though he's wrecked her relationship with her brother Fitz and made her a social outcast at her fancy boarding school (Pemberley), and Quain does a great job of showing how and why Georgie wants to break free of him but can't, especially as he continues to break her down in an emotionally abusive way.

The premise of the story--that Georgie bargains with Wickham to show him that she can be the perfect Darcy--doesn't really make a ton of sense, when opportunistic Wickham can use her right away. Why would he wait? By the end, Georgie hit some breakthroughs but we don't actually see the follow-through on them--and she's shown a tendency to backslide, so can we be sure that she improves. Plus, the villain doesn't really get a good comeuppance. The ending felt a bit rushed and unresolved for these reasons. I wanted to see more of Georgie growing as a person.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for inviting me to read Accomplished! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Accomplished is a retelling/remix on the classic story of Pride and Prejudice. If you know the basics of P&P then you'll be fine, even if you didn't read the story or don't know anything about it - you're still good. Darcy is a huge name/reputation in this book and Georgie is found to be a bit of a disappointment to her family especially her brother Fitz Darcy. While trying to reclaim her dignity, her friend's and family's trust and pride, she tries to make things right by setting up Fitz with the Lizzie Bennett, re-build her reputation as a Darcy, and ignore the lies and terribleness of Wickham Foster.

I adore the retelling/remix of P&P and thought Amanda Quain did a beautiful job with using most of the main cast of characters while adding her own new characters and twists to the classic story. This is definitely set more towards a teenage audience (14-17) and those who love and adore the classic P&P will appreciate the references and new twists on a beloved story.

4 stars

Was this review helpful?

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Georgianna Darcy is arguably one of the most under appreciated characters in Pride and Prejudice (I mean, she had to deal with an angsty Darcy pining over Elizabeth for who knows how long). I have always loved the glimpses of Big Brother Darcy, and I feel like this relationship with his sister really explains his prideful image. Let me just tell you that Accomplished did not disappoint on this front. To quote Georgie, she has, "A fairly excellent big brother."
This book was an absolute delight to read! Accomplished is by far one of the best Pride and Prejudice retellings I’ve come across, not only was the story original and engaging but Georgie was a character I found to be very relatable. There were so many wonderful points in this book, my favorite being the exploration of Georgie and Fitz’s relationship. I'll just say that you will love this book whether you're a fan of Jane Austen or not. And this is the most clever and engaging (but also slightly emotionally devastating) contemporary YA novel I've read in years.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first book to read by this author but I hope to read more soon! The characters and the story stay with you long after you finish it. Good, fast read. Highly recommend!!

Was this review helpful?