Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things

October 1, 2019
A bookish musician moves in with wealthy relatives and finds romance and renewed hope in this modern-day take on Mansfield Park. Edie Price spent three years in foster care following her mother's death, until finally her snobbish, WASPy aunt and uncle deigned to take her in. Life in Mansfield, Massachusetts, is both alien and familiar to Edie, since she used to spend summers there before a long-ago family rift--and since the socio-economic divide between herself and her family is now so extreme. Her aunt's performative charity doesn't extend to real kindness, and her cousins, Maria and Julia, at first seem shallow and catty to Edie. Still, she remembers boy-next-door Sebastian Summers with a fondness that quickly reignites into a crush when the two start swapping literary references and longing glances. However, complications arise in the form of Sebastian's glamorous girlfriend, Claire, and Claire's brother, a gorgeous, notorious player named Henry. Edie immediately idealizes Sebastian and dismisses Henry, but as she gets to know more about Mansfield's high society, and about herself, she learns to question almost all her first impressions. Edie's ex-best friend and two background characters are implied people of color; all others are white. The prose is heavier on alliteration than Austen-esque wit, but the author of Mansfield Park would no doubt approve of this retelling's dreamy romance and sly social commentary. A sweet, gentle modernization of Jane Austen that packs a little subversive punch. (Romance. 14-18)

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October 14, 2019
In her first YA novel, Firkins, a playwright, screenwriter, and comics artist, offers a modernized, prudently pared-down retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. Three years after her single mother’s death, 17-year-old Edie leaves foster care in Ithaca, N.Y., to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle and their two spoiled teenage daughters in Mansfield, Mass. Her intent is to “bury her head in her books” and hopefully win a scholarship to college, but her status-conscious cousins have other plans; they want to make her over so that she’ll fit into their upper-crust society. Meanwhile, Edie is sidetracked by attention from two potential love interests: childhood friend and next-door neighbor Sebastian, who unfortunately already has a beautiful girlfriend, and handsome Henry, who has a reputation for being a player. Part steamy romance, part comedy of manners, the story effectively mirrors Austen’s writing style with its sharp-witted dialogue and gentle pokes at society. Trapped in a superficial world, Edie emerges as a noble, genuine heroine, who (usually) remembers to follow her late mother’s advice: “If you let your heart drive, don’t forget to bring your brain.” Ages 14–up.

November 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Edie has lived in foster homes for three years since her single mother died. Her well-off aunt finally and reluctantly steps in and offers to take in Edie "as a charitable act" until she heads off to college in the fall. The family offers a beautiful home, two squabbling cousins around the same age, access to a prestigious private school, and a modicum of support for college. Edie grits her teeth and considers the only real benefit to moving there-handsome, sweet, and smart Sebastian, the next-door neighbor. However, she's sorely disappointed to learn that Sebastian now has a gorgeous, clingy, and jealous girlfriend. So what's a girl to do when sexy, "bad boy" Henry turns his eye toward her and decides to make her into his next conquest? Edie develops as a character during the course of this story, demonstrating her growing maturity as she considers friendships she's hijacked and games she's played that backfired dramatically. She learns to accept help and to give help to others, and she discovers that maybe her aunt, uncle, and cousins aren't so bad under their shallow outward appearances. The author shows skill in accurately portraying the conflicting needs and desires of a girl turning into a woman, both sexually and intellectually. Readers will come away rooting for Edie to succeed in college and in love. VERDICT A fluffy Cinderella story premise reveals depth as a teen must face her circumstances and make decisions as an independent adult. Alcohol use and sexual activity make this most suitable for older teens.-Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

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September 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 Though she'll be on her own once she starts college, orphaned Edie Price will be spending her last semester of high school in Mansfield, Massachusetts, with the only family she has left: her preening aunt and absentminded uncle and their two daughters, forceful Maria and boy-crazy Julia. Their ostentatious wealth and sometimes-abrasive attitudes throw literary, understated Edie off-base. All she wants to do is keep her head down, secure a scholarship to college, and nurse an unrequited crush on Sebastian, the very unavailable boy next door, in peace. But Mansfield may have more in store for Edie. As her relationship with her cousins gains ground, area bad boy Henry Crawford begins pursuing her. He's nothing like Sebastian, and at first, Edie doesn't give him a second thought, but maybe there's more to him?and the rest of the town?than she first imagined. Retellings of Mansfield Park are far less common than some other Austen-style reimaginings, and this one winningly upholds the spirit of its source material. A well-fleshed-out secondary cast keeps this debut fresh.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)