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Mi gran (y catastrófico) debut

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La temporada ha comenzado
oficialmente… pero lo mejor
aún está por llegar. En este hilarante retelling de Orgullo y prejuicio, Megan McKnight es una estrella de fútbol que enloquece cuando su madre las inscribe, a ella y a su hermana, en la tradicional fiesta de presentación en sociedad:
sedas, zapatos de tacón y joyas están muy lejos de lo que Megan
quiere para su vida.
Ella tiene tan solo un mes para probar que domina los buenos modales y los bailes de salón, como su hermana melliza. Si no lo logra, puede arruinar la reputación de su familia para siempre.
¿Cuál es la ventaja de ser una debutante? Las fiestas, claro, y los affairs que la esperan en este mundo de lujo y apariencias. Solo tiene que tener cuidado, porque el muchacho equivocado podría echarlo todo a perder.

424 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 12, 2016

98 people are currently reading
4010 people want to read

About the author

Jonah Lisa Dyer

1 book130 followers
Jonah Lisa Dyer is a screenwriter, author and native Texan. She writes with her husband in a tiny mountain town in Idaho. Produced films include HYSTERIA (Maggie Gyllenhaal & Hugh Dancy, Sony Pictures Classics, 2012) and AWAY & BACK (Jason Lee & Minka Kelly, Hallmark Hall of Fame, 2015). Their debut YA novel will be released by Viking on July 12, 2016. Jonah Lisa is a crafty homebody who loves to knit for people.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 608 reviews
Profile Image for Wendy Darling.
2,245 reviews34.2k followers
October 14, 2016
2.5 stars Frankly, I'm confused by who the intended audience is for this book. It seems to be marketed as YA and is released under Viking Children's, but the protagonist is college age and the situations (which involve a family ranch, restoring historical places, etc.) are decidedly grown up. But the narrative voice and main character felt very young. It's fine if she's naive or inexperienced, but even the thought processes and emotions felt very high school--which is weird when the end game love interest is a millionaire running a business, complete with an assistant who makes great lattes.

The audio book narrator might've also contributed to this; Erin Spencer's voice is pleasant but very youthful in its tone and diction, though in all fairness the book sends wildly contrasting messages, too.

I don't know. I would have enjoyed seeing more of the charming traditions of a debutante season, and the characters could be more nuanced. For some reason, I also expected the book to be funnier, and certainly the dialogue and prose could've used a bit more wit. From my vantage point, the soccer thing also just seems to be there to make Megan into a sporty modern girl.

I think the book actually does work in a broad sense as a Pride and Prejudice-inspired story and I quite liked Andrew, the Mr.Darcy of this tale; his story and character are portrayed very well and true to a modern Darcy. But overall, the book is too emotionally simplistic to be a satisfying adult book and is tonally and topically too off to be satisfying as YA.

I'm curious to see what other people think, as the very few early reviews I've seen thus far have not seemed at all bothered by the disparate messaging. Almost 3 stars, but not quite; it's not a terrible book by any means, and I was interested enough to push through to the end, but I think it suffers from an identity crisis that never gets resolved. It's too bad.

Audio review copy from the publisher.
Profile Image for Nissa | Of Pens and Pages Book Blog.
337 reviews1,031 followers
August 31, 2016
2 stars.

The thing about marketing something as "the new (insert popular book)" or "a modern day "(classic book)" is that people tend to expect it as such; or at least, people would compare it to the book mentioned. So, I couldn't help but compare The Season to Pride and Prejudice.

The Season is She's the Man and Pride and Prejudice in the elite Texan society. Instead of a country home, our Bennets (or in this story, the McKnights) live in a ranch and Mr. McKnight is a cattle rancher. Instead of five daughters, the McKnights have twins—Megan Lucille McKnight and Julia Scott McKnight, the Elizabeth and Jane of the story.

When I first read the blurb and saw the genre, I expected a high school student—maybe 16 yrs old or so—to star in this fic. Instead, we have Megan McKnight, a twenty-year old junior college soccer player at Southern Methodist University.

Megan is blindsided and furious when she sees her name in the Bluebonnet Club 2016 Debutantes list. Growing up, she knew her twin Julia would take part in the debutante ball and she would skip it, but because of a scheming mother, she is forced to join a "virgin auction" for the elite.

My favorite character is probably Ann Foster, the debutante ball governess. I love how she helped Megan transition into a proper debutante without actually changing into a whole new different person.

Andrew Gage, The Season's version of Mr. Darcy, was alright. I don't really know how old he is, but since he owns a company and all, maybe he's the same age as Darcy in P&P. So, 27/28? When he's not acting like a sort-of jerk, he's actually funny and endearingly awkward. He just wasn't in the picture as much as I would have wanted.

The modern day Mr. Wickham, a dashing man named Hank Waterhouse, was more sly than classic Mr. W. Even Megan's dad fell for his charms. He acted a little too perfect, but since he's in the book more than Andrew is, people might like him more. I, however, smelled his bullshit from a mile away. Only because I knew he's the story's Mr. W.

It was hard to get attached to Andrew and Megan's romance since the two barely had any interaction in this book. I think I could count with a single finger how many times these two talked to each other before the Hunsford Proposal (a.k.a. the first confession). Plus, Andrew was in a relationship with Lauren Battle (this book's Caroline) throughout the story.

It was also hard to sympathize with the family's financial restraints when they spent thousands upon thousands for their daughters' debutante ball and preparation. Never mind that the twins' grandmother provided a trust fund for their daughters' debut. People in debt (especially Megan's parents whose marriage was affected by said debt) would at least feel ill at ease when buying designer-brand items for the debutante preparations—Alexander McQueen and Vera Wang, to name a few brands mentioned in the book—hiring a personal stylist, and preparing an over-the-top ball when it was Megan's turn to host one.

And most of all, it was hard to love Megan. Despite the face that she's talented, different from the other debs, and that she eventually put her 100% into having a successful debut, she was oftentimes petulant, entitled, and selfish. Sometimes I'd forget her age because of how she acted.

Some of the scenes in this story felt forced; like it was added only because it was in Pride and Prejudice. The revelation after the first confession was weird, and I raised my eyebrows at how easy it was for Georgie, Andrew's sister, to divulge information that could possibly ruin her reputation to a girl she only met once.

It would have had potential as a normal YA/NA, but as a modern reboot of Pride and Prejudice? A miss for me.



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Profile Image for Geo Just Reading My Books.
1,487 reviews337 followers
June 28, 2019
Un roman amuzant, plin de energie, care are ca target buna dispoziție. Și nu doar atât!

Ce pot avea în comun fotbalul și debutul în societate? Pe Megan McNight! O tânără ambițioasă, care decise să-i facă pe plac mamei și să accepte să participe la balul texan elitist și celebru: Blubonnet.

O carte despre încredere în forțele proprii, despre maturizare și asumarea greșelilor comise. O galerie interesantă de personaje și situații credibile in care autoarea a reușit sa le distribuie. O poveste frumoasa, alerta, cu multe răsturnări de situație.
Profile Image for Stacee.
3,032 reviews758 followers
July 12, 2016
I went back and forth with this one, I couldn't decide if I wanted to read it or not. Annnnd then I saw it was a P+P retelling and I was sold.

Love love loved Megan. She's snarky and stubborn and hilarious. I truly enjoyed being in her head. Her devotion to her twin sister rivals Lizzy's to Jane and I was constantly amused by what was happening.

There are several nods to the original, but they've updated. The important parts have been turned into unique pieces that fit this specific puzzle. It was fun seeing them pop up on various places.

Overall, it was a quick read that had me laughing out loud in several spots.

**Huge thanks to Viking Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Profile Image for ☾.
259 reviews1 follower
January 22, 2022
i hated everything about this wattpad book. except for the drama with the one guy (who I hate).
Profile Image for Sophie.
1,441 reviews553 followers
April 12, 2017
I heard that this book was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, and if you know anything about me so far, anything that has to do with Jane Austen is automatically on my TBR. I'm glad that this book was like P&P, but not so much so that it didn't have its own story.

In The Season, the main character, Megan, is more tomboy than debutante. She loves playing soccer (football, to you and me), and has absolutely no intention in taking part in any kind of competition, etc., in which she has to wear a dress. So when her Southern Belle mama puts her in this years 'Season', she is understandably furious. However, she'll go through with it, because her twin sister, Julia, wants to. Some of the other 'debs', however, are really annoying, and Lauren was the worst of them all. As Megan meets the others, she finds herself falling into a love-hate relationship with Andrew, and the more that is revealed, the more she finds herself conflicted.

I really liked Megan. She had all the best bits of Lizzie Bennet, and she was still her own person. Her football was really important to her, as were her sisters, and even though she was angry with her mam for putting her in the season to begin with, family comes first.

The other characters were just like the 'originals', though with twists too. Julia was a perfect, sweet person, who always saw the goodness in others, and hers and Zach's relationship was as sweet as Jane and Bingley's. Lauren was awful, and I might have actually hated her more than Caroline, though it was very close. If you've read Pride and Prejudice, you'll be prepared for Megan and Andrew's romance to be slow, and agonising to read about, just like Lizzie and Darcy's.

All in all, this book was a really good P&P retelling, and I look forward to reading more from the authors in future.
Profile Image for Karen Fortunati.
Author 1 book108 followers
February 2, 2016
This arc was an absolute delight! I loved the main character Megan - a star collegiate soccer player forced into the Dallas Debutante season. She is a spunky, smart ass who just barely avoids getting kicked out of this high society rite of passage. The Dyers' writing is smooth, smart and effortless - with phenomenal humor! (Megan's condom shopping scene is hysterical.) This Pride and Prejudice remix is completely entertaining, satisfying and joyful. Highly recommended!!
Profile Image for Amy Allgeyer.
Author 2 books48 followers
March 4, 2016
This "Pride and Prejudice" meets Texas debutantes story has it all: a reckless heroine out to prove something, a hot brooding leading man, beautiful dresses, friendship, love, loss, and loyalty all rolled into a Texas-sized comedy that will leave you laughing, even days after you've finished.

Megan McKnight knows her way around a soccer field, but when her mother signs her up for the most prestigious debutante club in Texas, her world of shin-guards and sweat collides with the country-club scene on an epic level. The mash-up is ripe for humor and the Dyers mine it so well--avoiding the obvious pratfalls in favor of more sophisticated riffs.

But this story goes beyond quirk and laughs. The characters are incredibly well-developed and so very likable. Megan and her sister, Julia, are polar opposites but devoted to each other and instantly likable. The plot is tight, twisty and fast-paced. Megan's an unwilling hero, but her motivation runs deep and the stakes are high. Add in a bar brawl and a happy ending where justice gets served and you've got yourself one heck of a great novel!

(I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.)
Profile Image for Janet McNally.
Author 8 books149 followers
May 22, 2016
This is such a fun and funny book. It's a fresh way to retell PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (Texas high society and soccer!), with great writing and humor. I loved Megan and her unlikely, unwilling entry into the debutante world. She has such a sparkling narrative voice and a wonderful way of telling her story. THE SEASON is a wonderful examination of friendship, too, and the cast of characters is well developed and fun to get to know. A great summer read with lots of girl power.
Profile Image for Adriana Mather.
Author 11 books2,503 followers
May 23, 2016
What a fun book! The Dyers have done a brilliant job describing wealthy Texas culture in this book about 20-year-old Megan, a competitive soccer player and college student whose mother signed her up to become an elite debutant along with her fraternal twin sister, Julia. Julia is the quintessential debutant, all sweetness and femininity. Megan, on the other hand, shows up for her first debutant event sweaty and sporting a ripped gown that she repaired with staples.

Of course, there are also rakishly handsome and debonair male suitors. The Dyers created some delicious characters for hot-blooded Texas romantic interactions with the twins. Altogether this was a great read; opulent and hilarious, intriguing and enjoyable.
Profile Image for Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked).
351 reviews1,440 followers
March 7, 2018
3.5/5

This was cute, but I think I would've liked it more if I hadn't just finished Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills five minutes before starting this one. (I frick-fracking loved that one, so I had high expectations for this one without really knowing it.)

I think one of my main reasons for not giving this a higher rating is that I didn't identify with the country lifestyle. I'm usually don't care about identifying with a character. In fact, I often like not identifying with a character because it's easier to lose myself in the story and forget about my own problems for a bit. The debutantes and the I-have-so-much-money-I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it lifestyle is one thing (), but the give-a-kid-a-gun-before-they-hit-puberty lifestyle is not something I enjoy reading. I get it; she's from Texas, it's a part of life. I'm from Ontario, and it's not part of my life. I'm against guns and hunting for sport. My grandpa has his hunting license, and he used to go often with a group of friends, and I've always hated it.

Another thing that bothered me was how selfish Megan could be at times. If she were a 16-year-old, it would've been more understandable. But she's 20. Get your head out of your ass and try to see things from someone else's perspective. Maybe ask why something is so important to someone and have some compassion for what they're going through. Oh right, her head was so far up her own ass she didn't see what other people were going through.

(edit: I totally forgot to mention this)
Profile Image for Margot Harrison.
Author 6 books274 followers
June 8, 2016
The best retellings are the ones that stand on their own. This one does. I often forgot it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling for many pages, simply because I was having so much fun with the fish-out-of-water plot and the bizarre details of the Texas debutante scene.

Debutante rituals, btw, are something I NEVER thought I'd be interested in, or feel the slightest affinity with. Lucky thing, our narrator and protagonist, Megan, shares my feelings. Megan's voice is lively, irreverent, and instantly likable. She's the perfect guide through the deb season, and my favorite kind of rom-com heroine: the kind who stands up for herself and says what she wants.

I love how Megan questions the underpinnings of the traditions — why are all the debs well-off and white? she wonders — but also how she learns to respect certain aspects of them, particularly through her interactions with Ann, who's a great character. There are messages about social graces, responsibility, and diplomacy here that make The Season a beach-blanket read with substance.

More importantly, though, it's fun, frothy, and laugh-out-loud funny. Just don't try a "Texas dip" at home, or you might end up like me, with some very unfunny bruises. :D
Profile Image for Rachel  (APCB Reviews).
338 reviews1,285 followers
July 29, 2016
"The Season" is a book that took me completely by surprise, in a good way. For those of you who don't know, this book is about a sporty, Texan twenty-year-old Megan McKnight who is forced by her mother to join the exclusive debutante season she wrangled to get for Megan. Megan is an athlete and lacks the graces and disposition to be a debutante. But she's not one to back down from a challenge.

I love Megan's spirit and her can-do attitude. It was hilarious watching silly, unfortunate things happen to her and watch her reactions. She could definitely serve as an inspiration to younger girls to show that yes you can be feminine and athletic too. The supporting characters are also endearing, distinct, and just a tad silly in their own right. This book is also a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and I loved all of the connections. I thought Dyer did a great job modernizing the tale and putting a Texan spin to it.

Speaking of Texan... I love that the setting of this book is Texas. It gives the perfect groundwork to make a hilarious, satirical, and ostentatious show of the debutante season and the over the top parties, crazy people, and elegant dresses. There were so many funny sections that resulted from the Texan culture and way of life!

This book confused me to start because it's marketed as YA, but it has a slightly older main character and deals with some heavier "adult" problems. I felt that this book was a little immature and read younger than YA at times. Overall though the writing was wonderful though and the pace was fast, the plot addictive. I love that this book has two sides. It can be seen as a fun, silly book or it can be viewed as a book about life, rife with themes on marriage, feminism, and rumors.

I ended up enjoying this book much more than I thought I would. I urge you to check it out if you're in the mood for a funny read with Pride and Prejudice vibes!
Profile Image for Kait.
929 reviews1,020 followers
July 20, 2016
I knew from the moment I first heard about this book that I was going to have to read it. I'm such a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and I almost always end up loving retellings of it. That was definitely the case with The Season.

Pros:

Characters: First off, I love stories about twins. I especially love stories about twins who are close but have very different personalities. That was the case with Megan and Julia. Megan was a college soccer star and her life was very much focused on her soccer career. Julia was focused on school but she was more than happy to set things aside for her debut. Megan was not so eager. The two of them were complete opposites but they loved each other and supported each other. Their whole family was actually pretty great. Yes, there mom was a little obsessed with their debuts but I could understand her. Their dad was my favorite though. He was very no-nonsense. He loved his wife and his girls very much. He knew Megan wouldn't be happy about the debut but he wanted her to do it for his wife. They were adorable together, even when they were fighting.

As for the other characters, I can't possibly explain my love for all of them. Zach and Andrew were very confusing to me. I saw how Zach felt about Julia early on but then he did some stupid things so I wasn't sure how to feel about him. Andrew came off great at first but not so much after his first encounter with Megan. Hank was almost too perfect. The other debutantes were a pretty good mix of bitchy and sweet. Lauren did not grow on me. She was not a nice person. The whole cast of characters was just such a great mix.

Story: The story was so fast-paced and fun. There was some focus on Megan's soccer career (which I loved) but it was pretty equal with the focus on her debut. There were tons of lavish parties to attend, shopping, etiquette lessons, and everything else you would expect of a debutante. Oh and some hunting and horseback riding and other events that showed that Megan was not your typical deb. I also loved that it was set in Dallas since I'm originally from there and I could picture all the places that were mentioned.

Romance: Some people might complain about the romance in the Season because it doesn't really pop up until the end of the book. Yes there is romance between Hank and Megan as well as Zach and Julia but from the start, I was rooting for Andrew and Megan. They had great chemistry from the moment they first met and I was just waiting for things to fall into place for them. That didn't really happen but you'll see how everything plays out. I just really loved the build up of the relationship between Andrew and Megan and all the tension between them. It reminded me so much of Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy.

Humor: I probably should have started with this since it was the best thing about the book, in my opinion. Megan was snarky and sarcastic and just all around hilarious. The situations she got herself into just cracked me up. You can't read this book without a smile on your face. Hell, some of the situations weren't even supposed to be funny and they made me laugh.

Overall, I highly recommend checking out The Season. It's a quick read that will leave you with a smile on your face. I look forward to seeing what these authors do next.

Side note: If you've ever seen She's The Man (with Amanda Bynes), The Season reminded me a lot of that.
Profile Image for Monica Haak.
Author 15 books111 followers
November 8, 2016
3.5/5 sterren. Ik ben echt gek op de setting! En ook de gedachtegangen van hoofdpersonage Megan vond ik erg leuk. Haar zus Julia is ontzettend leuk en de zussenband voegt zeker iets toe aan het verhaal. daarintegen vond ik de manier waarop Megan gelijk werd verafschuwd totaal ongegrond en onredelijk, ben ik een beetje klaar met dat 'perfecte meisje dat haat op de hoofdpersoon' en vond ik hier en daar dat er zonder reden dingen gewoon werden aangenomen als logisch.
Profile Image for Caroline.
Author 9 books62 followers
June 28, 2016
When I saw this book up for grabs on Penguin First Reads, I had to have it. Pretty girl in a dress? Debutantes? Yes and YES!

And then I received the book and started reading. Wait a minute…. She’s in college? Wait… How could her parents FORCE her to do this whole debutante thing if she’s a legal adult no longer living under their roof? I was confused.

Early on there is a legitimate reason for Megan going along with her mothers desire for her to make her debut among Texas society, but it still felt like sort of a stretch.

As I read in another review on Goodreads, the targeted audience for this book is confusing. It’s listed as a young adult novel, but it deals with a lot of adult themes that I don’t think most high school kids would identify with. There’s also a lot of sex talk, nothing too graphic, but also really not something all that appropriate for teen books. (Yes, I believe in clean teen reads! I don’t like casual sex in books at all, especially teen books!)

Anyway, once I was able to get past the whole NOT REALLY A TEEN BOOK thing, I started to enjoyed the book. It’s not one that’s going to stay with me forever, but I certainly enjoyed looking for the parallels between this book and Pride & Prejudice. I thought the chapter headings were the best part of the book, witty little one liners such as, “In Which Megan Takes a Long Look in the Mirror” and, “In Which Megan Puts Away Serious Groceries.”

I did appreciate that Megan, who was incredibly prejudiced in the beginning, looking down on the debutante society and all they stand for, was able to gain a new perspective in the end. As I said before, this story won’t stay with me forever, but I always appreciate when the protagonist of the story grows into a better person, and that was very much the case here.

The other thing that bothered me was the lack of interaction between the “Elizabeth” and “Darcy” characters. I wanted more interaction between them, especially earlier on, to really base their relationship/interactions on.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes and No.
I would not recommend The Season to younger teens, but those nearing 18 and through their early 20’s would probably enjoy this book.

Special thanks to Penguin Publishing for the chance to read an advanced e-galley for review.



~ QUOTES ~

Several girls used this pause for a dainty sip of tea. Prissy bitches.


If I had to put myself in someone’s hands, better this French lunatic than my mother.


I ran for hours, lifted weights, rode my bike everywhere, and now this broad was threatening me with standing for five minutes? Bring it on!


“NO! I AM NOT OKAY!” Was I shouting? I couldn’t hear very well because my ears were frozen, but my voice sounded really loud. “I am cold and wet and I look like road kill!”

The douche bag laughed.
Profile Image for Justin Turczak.
163 reviews33 followers
June 18, 2016
I loved this book. Def can see how relates to pride and prejudice with at start for first guy he is dorky. Then meet Andrew (mr Darcy) the mysterious guy who is moodie & other guy didn't write name down is . But besides this book some plot idea's I like it showed how a young women can be both a tom boyish with not greatest lady like to something greater. Also this book is called YA but can be counted at NA since there over 18 but all fields to how ya normally go and such. So over all enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Rachel.
61 reviews8 followers
August 5, 2016
The first impression I had of The Season was that for some reason, it's wrong to like feminine things. Megan is different . She likes sports! She hates pink! She doesn't wear cute clothes! If you like those things, then you are an airhead!!

Megan is a soccer player at Southern Methodist University. Her mom wants her to be a debutante, and when she is chosen, she agrees to it, although it may interfere with her schedule. If you can't tell from my review already, Megan complains the entire time because she's doing something she agreed to do. She is an adult, and she could have-no, should have-said no, but she didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings.

I bought Hanes sports bras and cotton panties in saver packs.

Buying cute underwear makes me feel happy and pretty. To Megan, it's a declaration that you are a bimbo. She takes pride in the fact that she is nothing like most girls, and that's sad. Being girly does not mean that you are weak.

I don't have a problem with girls that don't like shopping, or getting their nails done, or spending time doing their makeup. Just because I like those things doesn't mean you have to like them. But when a girl actually is a girl-hater, then I do have a problem.

Megan is one of those girl-haters. She judges other girls by their appearance and decides that girls must be stupid for wanting to be a debutante. She fights so hard to make everyone know that she is being forced into this, even though she did have a choice. She doesn't care that her mother wants this for her so badly. She just cares that she has to wear a freaking dress. Megan, just enjoy the dancing and the dresses for a while. Just because it's not something you're normally into, doesn't mean that it's something you have to automatically hate. I'm not a fan of camping, but I'm not going to moan and complain if I have to go camping. I'm probably going to enjoy parts of it. So suck it up, Megan.

Megan doesn't want her debut to interfere with soccer. I get that. You shouldn't have to put something you love to the side in order to please someone else. But Megan agreed to be a debutante. She could have said no. She's rude to people she doesn't even know just because she hates her situation. I can't believe she's actually twenty and not twelve.

The Season is an obvious retelling of Pride and Prejudice. It rarely deviated from the basic storyline and I'd like to have seen something different. Conversations and events occurred just like they did in P&P.

Of course, there was some redemption for Megan in the end. She stopped thinking that pretty=stupid.

She spoke so earnestly I nearly cried. I was so wrong about you, Ashley-you're much more than a basic blonde.

Congratulations, Megan, for realizing that pretty girls can also be nice.

A lot of people seem to like this one, but I can't. We need more books about women building each other up, not tearing each other down.
Profile Image for Ashley.
667 reviews785 followers
July 15, 2016
4.5 stars - I adored it!! So funny! The MC had so much sass. ♥

I wish we saw a little bit more of the main romance.
Profile Image for Nasty Lady MJ.
1,098 reviews16 followers
July 30, 2016
To see review with repeated gif click here.

This book is privileged wrapped up in 300 pages. Yes, I know tons of YA books feature the upper 1%. Okay, a good 90% of YA novels do, but at least most of them don’t try to act like they have financial difficulty and then the next page by a pair of shoes that equate to about five month’s of rent that I pay for my cruddy apartment.

Maybe it wouldn’t have stung so much if I wasn’t so familiar with the places that the MC shopped with and the school she attended. Although, I’m from Houston, I’ve spent a lot of time in Dallas. I have relatives that live there, my sister would frequently take music lessons at SMU, and I had a cousin who went go college at SMU (via scholarship) for a couple of years. So the places that the characters went I sort of knew and when she acted like they were places average Americans went to I was like.

No.

Big fat no.

And let me say, this twit must’ve had some money to get into SMU because I don’t see how she would be smart or talented enough to get in there. It’s a hard school to get into, but at the same time there are some really rich people attend there and that’s what Megan had to be rich because she is TSTL and then some.

When her age was revealed to be twenty I almost had a coronary. She did not read like she was twenty to me, at best she read like a very young fifteen year old which made the hook ups with guys in their later twenties-there were lawyers, business executives, etc. that they tried to push these debs off on ever the more creepy.

She kept whining at her mom about how she didnt’ want to be a deb, and I kept thinking in my head-you’re fucking twenty-years-old you don’t have to do what your momma says.

Megan seemed to forget this though and complained about how she had to wear pink (gasps) then talk all about her eating schedule-she has to eat all the time you know, since she plays sports.

The blurb states that the book is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, but honestly it’s one of those Pride and Prejudice materials that only watched the movie. You know, gets the bare minimum of the story forgetting that hey the book isn’t just about the Darcy and Elizabeth relationship.

Which by the way was a total bore in this book. Also, they ditched the whole Lydia character. And there’s this awkward scene where the MC shops for condoms and discusses whether or not she should’ve gotten grape or bubblegum flavor rubbers.


It’s sad because this one had the potential to be a very cute book. Like I said Dallas is an interesting area to explore, and while they got pockets of it correct I felt like they left out large segments of the culture. If the characters really were financially struggling-which they’re not-they shouldn’t be spending money on shoes and lavish parties. Have them be a deb on a budget, there would’ve been conflict there and issues of class-which hey, were actually a part of the Pride and Prejudice story.

As it stands though.

The book went straight in the storage bin.
Profile Image for Kennedy.
1,164 reviews48 followers
January 31, 2016
This was a great adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It was a similar enough story that I knew what was going to happen, but unique so I was still kept guessing and very involved in the plot.

I'd love to see a novel about Julia!
Profile Image for Judy.
17 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2016
Fun and fresh re-telling of Pride and Prejudice. A must read for P&P fans.
Profile Image for Maria.
811 reviews58 followers
August 31, 2020
Primul meu bal a fost o lectură plăcută, poate usor cliseica, dar cum uneori aceste clișee imi plac... nici aceasta carte nu a facut exceptie.
Personajele sunt simpatice, usor de plăcut, iar acțiunea, chiar dacă nu e cine stie ce, este suficientă cat sa mentina interesul.
Cartea mi s-a parut a fi o alegere perfecta pentru plaja. M-a binedispus si la final mi-a lăsat un sentiment plăcut.
Ii dau 4 stele.
Profile Image for Natalie.
3,443 reviews121 followers
October 28, 2016
I wanted to like this!! I really did! But...ugh.

At first I liked it and it was kind of interesting to see how these characters matched up with Austen's counterparts, and all the debutante stuff reminded me of She's the Man which I liked a lot.

The Pride and Prejudice retelling is where this all fell apart. There were definitely not enough interactions between Megan (Lizzy) and the Darcy character and far too many interactions with the Wickham character. I also didn't like that she was dumb enough to sleep with him. That really detracted. Meanwhile she and Darcy FINALLY start talking at the very end of the book. The whole ending where she realized that she liked him felt very rushed to me.

Megan herself was...odd. She's supposed to be 20 but she seemed so much younger than that. Then at the same time, a lot of her dialogue was borrowed from the movie adaptation of P&P so she sounded much older and kind of pompous. Other reviewers have said, and I agree, that this book doesn't really know its audience. Is it YA? NA? Neither???


Oh and for the record, any Pride and Prejudice retelling in which the Elizabeth character and the Wickham character have sex will never get a rating from me that is higher than one star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for kate.
692 reviews
January 3, 2025
I've read a lot of Pride and Prejudice sequels, prequels, remakes, and such but this one is the first that got me all whoosh. (I get my way with words from Austen)

I really enjoyed this and felt completely out of my element (sports AND high society) - which made it even easier to relate to a main character that is in so many ways my opposite.

I liked reading the reviews of this book too. It tickles me that some think mentions of sex are not appropriate for teenagers to read. Like we did not all read VC Andrews until the spine broke and pages fell out. Haters. (The sex is not anything like that book, to be clear.)
92 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2016
This isn't really a teen book. It's adult or new adult -17 and up (roughly). It took at least 80 pages to get going. Also, as far as a P & P redo, no way.
Profile Image for Kylie ~Beauty and the Books~.
47 reviews16 followers
April 20, 2018
I love Pride and Prejudice adaptions and I don’t think I’ve ever read a bad one. This book was no different. It still had all the classic things that make up a Pride and Prejudice retelling while being original at the same time. This might be one of my favorite retellings.
Profile Image for Kamalia.
Author 2 books200 followers
July 16, 2016
I received The Season by Jonah Lisa Dyer(and Stephen Dyer?) as an ARC and finished reading it in 8 hours! I really enjoyed it and im rating it 4.5 out of 5 stars!:D

At first, i thought this was YA but then realised that the main character is 20 years old, so i guess it's technically New Adult. It kinda does have the YA vibe to it though, especially because of the cover(which made me think the book would be something similar to The Selection series). Oh, apparently this book is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice!(haven't read or watched p&p but i know generally what its about).

The general plot was predictable, but the way that it all happened was pretty entertaining to read about. At some point, the story gets deeper when you learn about some of the character's past and i really like how absorbed i got into it till i forgot that Megan was a debutante in the season. And then there was the typical plot twist, which i actually really enjoyed and it made me want to rate this book higher than i originally planned.

I thought that the writing was decent and was pretty easy to follow. I really enjoyed the way the authors described some things, especially when they wrote about a party with Alice in Wonderland as the theme. Man, that was pretty magical. Also, the whole upper-class vibe really reminded me of Rory being in her grandparents' world in Gilmore Girls, which was fabulous because i LOVE Gilmore Girls.

I feel like the book lacked romance a little bit, which was both good and disappointing. It was good because it managed to bring the focus on to Megan's development as an individual. But i definitely could have enjoyed more bubbly moments between the characters, especially at the end! I did gush at some of the flirting but I NEED MORE, PLEASE! I wouldn't mind if there was a sequel just so that i can fangirl and gush and ship the couples. Apart from some swearing and TALK of sex, this book was surprisingly pretty clean. I was expecting for there to be intimate descriptions since it's NA, but those scenes were mostly skipped.

I really liked most of the main characters, and Megan was a pretty entertaining protagonist herself. She knows she's not perfect, especially physically seeing as she always gets injuries from soccer and doesn't have the perfect body like her twin sister. I absolutely love books with good sisterly bonds and this book had that as well. The family relationships were very heartwarming to read about. The friendship conflict could have been dealt with better though, because it seemed brushed off and resolved too simplistically.

The main lesson i got from this book; just because someone is a certain way, it doesn't mean they can't be something else as well. I think the book showed this very nicely.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to read a nice contemporary! It got released on July 12th, so it should be out in most stores soon :)
Profile Image for Serisop.
1,059 reviews228 followers
August 3, 2017
Da grande fan dei contemporary, non potevo non leggere "Ti va di ballare?". Sarebbe stato un affronto.
Già dall'inizio di questo bellissimo libro ci rendiamo conto di quanto sia fluida la scrittura e di quanto faccia ridere la protagonista, Megan. Anche se non si impegna a essere così goffa, sarcastica, testarda e risoluta, l'effetto che ottiene mi ha davvero fatto morire di risate.
Ad un certo punto si rende conto di ciò che tutti pensano di lei, si paragona a quella saputella di Hermione Granger e lì ho capito che questo libro era da cinque stelline. Niente di meno sarebbe stato accettabile.
Oltre alla scrittura e a Megan, mi sono piaciuti tanto anche gli altri personaggi e ovviamente soprattutto Andrew, il classico esempio che non si deve mai giudicare una persona basandosi solo sul sentito dire.
Anche la trama ha il suo perché, a me i libri che parlano di concorsi di bellezza, debutti e argomenti simili piacciono sempre molto.
Ricorda molto il film "Whip it", ma al posto del pattinaggio la protagonista di "Ti va di ballare?" ha il calcio.
Lo consiglio perché è un ottimo libro per passare le vostre giornate estive, ma soprattutto perché è ambientato in Texas.
IO AMO IL TEXAS.
FATEMI VIVERE IN UN RANCH IN TEXAS, COI CAVALLI E I CAPPELLI A TESA LARGA, vi prego.
Profile Image for Madalina.
146 reviews31 followers
September 17, 2020
Primul meu bal este genul de carte pe care aș fi evitat-o mult și rău aș fi făcut. Deși nu este genul de carte care rămâne mult cu tine, această carte m-a binedispus, m-a făcut să râd și m-am simțit ca și cum aș fi vizionat o comedie romantică bună.

Megan este în echipa de fotbal locală și are de gând să depună toate eforturile pentru a ajunge în echipa națională, doar că mama ei are alte planuri și își înscrie ambele fete la balul de debut Bluebonnet. După câteva discuții, Megan înțelege că nu va scăpa de această povară, așa că se resemnează și încearcă să se transforme într-o mică doamnă, dar fără să își piardă personalitatea. De la crampoane la tocuri, de la vânătai la fundițe, de la o fată băiețoasă la o mică domnișoară, Megan parcurge toate obstacolele care intervin cu capul sus.

Bineînțeles că dragostea își face prezența în viața lui Megan și nu numai, că deh...nu ar fi comedie romantică altfel, mai sunt și câteva mici drame pe ici pe colo care mențin interesul asupra lecturii și ceva lecții de viață. Nici nu știu ce aș putea să zic mai mult despre această carte, doar să o recomand în caz că vă doriți o lectură ușoară și amuzantă.
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