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Debating Darcy
This Pride & Prejudice retelling brings New York Times bestselling Sayantani DasGupta’s trademark wit and insight to her bright and funny YA debut!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Leela Bose plays to win.
A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can’t stand him. Unfortunately, he’ll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide.
But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters -- including Firoze Darcy -- and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too.
Debating Darcy is bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta’s reinterpretation of beloved classic Pride and Prejudice -- imaginative, hilarious, thought-provoking, and truly reflective of the complex, diverse world of American high school culture.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Leela Bose plays to win.
A life-long speech competitor, Leela loves nothing more than crushing the competition, all while wearing a smile. But when she meets the incorrigible Firoze Darcy, a debater from an elitist private school, Leela can’t stand him. Unfortunately, he’ll be competing in the state league, so their paths are set to collide.
But why attempt to tolerate Firoze when Leela can one-up him? The situation is more complicated than Leela anticipated, though, and her participation in the tournament reveals that she might have tragically misjudged the debaters -- including Firoze Darcy -- and more than just her own winning streak is at stake…her heart is, too.
Debating Darcy is bestselling author Sayantani DasGupta’s reinterpretation of beloved classic Pride and Prejudice -- imaginative, hilarious, thought-provoking, and truly reflective of the complex, diverse world of American high school culture.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2022
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6529 people want to read
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November 6, 202122.04.2021 a modern-day feminist retelling of pride and prejudice already sounds amazing but when you make it desi with a bengali-american rep, and when the author says this has 'plenty of banter, wit and sparks', it's all the more amazing.
dnf
December 9, 2022I really wanted to love this book but there's a difference between awkward interactions because they're teenagers and that age is awkward, and awkward interactions because they are put in Netflix teen drama outlandish situations.
Firstly, the OPENING SCENE has our female lead seeing a hot guy (our male lead) across the room and she just starts singing at him??? She has never seen or spoken to this man before and she gets up on a table and serenades him but also the song she sings is kinda mean? So he's uncomfortable and rightly so and then she's offended that he isn't instantly attracted to her?? they also don't talk about this weird singing scene again through what I read.
I tried to brush past it but I ultimately DNFed at 30%. The characters were whiney, flat, and it read like you are on the outskirts of a friend group hearing everyone's inside jokes but not quite getting them. Some of these are references to plays which are valid, I'm not the intended audience for these, but others are just inside jokes the characters have with each other that you don't see the introduction of? Not sure if those scenes were cut and that's why it doesn't flow but if you were going to cut any scene it should have been the high school musical cafeteria serenade.
This was supposed to be a pride and prejudice /retelling/ but it took direct P&P lines that did not fit in the modern setting or suit the dialogue. The author also chose to use some but not all character names, just in case you ever tried to forget it's a P&P retelling, His name is Darcy and his best friend is named Bingley. I'm sure some people liked it or it wouldn't have been published so you should still give it a shot but these were my thoughts.
My final comment is that this book tried SO HARD to be quippy and have good banter that it felt incredibly forced and missed the mark.
Firstly, the OPENING SCENE has our female lead seeing a hot guy (our male lead) across the room and she just starts singing at him??? She has never seen or spoken to this man before and she gets up on a table and serenades him but also the song she sings is kinda mean? So he's uncomfortable and rightly so and then she's offended that he isn't instantly attracted to her?? they also don't talk about this weird singing scene again through what I read.
I tried to brush past it but I ultimately DNFed at 30%. The characters were whiney, flat, and it read like you are on the outskirts of a friend group hearing everyone's inside jokes but not quite getting them. Some of these are references to plays which are valid, I'm not the intended audience for these, but others are just inside jokes the characters have with each other that you don't see the introduction of? Not sure if those scenes were cut and that's why it doesn't flow but if you were going to cut any scene it should have been the high school musical cafeteria serenade.
This was supposed to be a pride and prejudice /retelling/ but it took direct P&P lines that did not fit in the modern setting or suit the dialogue. The author also chose to use some but not all character names, just in case you ever tried to forget it's a P&P retelling, His name is Darcy and his best friend is named Bingley. I'm sure some people liked it or it wouldn't have been published so you should still give it a shot but these were my thoughts.
My final comment is that this book tried SO HARD to be quippy and have good banter that it felt incredibly forced and missed the mark.
May 29, 2022
Thank you to Scholastic, Inc. for providing me with a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review!
When I first learned of its upcoming release last September, I lost my mind. A desi Pride & Prejudice retelling between speech and debate rivals featuring a Hindu-Bengali MC? I have never come across a YA romance featuring a Hindu-Bengali MC, and while reading the ARC back in October, all the details such as Leela’s dad reading the Bengali news on his phone (my dad literally reads Anandabazar every day online 😭), Leela longing for bhat, daal, and mach while away from home, and the various dak naams throughout the novel, made me so giddy. I genuinely feel like my life was being portrayed on page!
The nods to Pride & Prejudice in this novel were also amazing. I adored the connections between Debating Darcy’s characters and their P&P counterparts. I also loved how, in true Lizzie Bennet fashion, Leela is such a champion for young South Asian girls everywhere. I really admired the subplot of her and her friends uncovering the sexism and harassment among the high school debate circuit. The commentary on topics ranging from the failure to feature Indigenous voices in “Hamilton” to misogyny within South Asian communities was also thoughtfully handled. As someone who went to a high school with a student population primarily made up of POC, I really feel like this book encapsulated my American high school experience.
AND THE ROMANCE! UGH, it was perfection. The witty banter that Leela and Firoze shot back and forth at each other during every single one of their interactions was everything. Firoze’s confession to Leela and the tension between them any time their arguments got a little too heated also destroyed me. I can’t get over how utterly obsessed Firoze was with Leela—the final scene made me squeal in excitement 😩.
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When I first learned of its upcoming release last September, I lost my mind. A desi Pride & Prejudice retelling between speech and debate rivals featuring a Hindu-Bengali MC? I have never come across a YA romance featuring a Hindu-Bengali MC, and while reading the ARC back in October, all the details such as Leela’s dad reading the Bengali news on his phone (my dad literally reads Anandabazar every day online 😭), Leela longing for bhat, daal, and mach while away from home, and the various dak naams throughout the novel, made me so giddy. I genuinely feel like my life was being portrayed on page!
The nods to Pride & Prejudice in this novel were also amazing. I adored the connections between Debating Darcy’s characters and their P&P counterparts. I also loved how, in true Lizzie Bennet fashion, Leela is such a champion for young South Asian girls everywhere. I really admired the subplot of her and her friends uncovering the sexism and harassment among the high school debate circuit. The commentary on topics ranging from the failure to feature Indigenous voices in “Hamilton” to misogyny within South Asian communities was also thoughtfully handled. As someone who went to a high school with a student population primarily made up of POC, I really feel like this book encapsulated my American high school experience.
AND THE ROMANCE! UGH, it was perfection. The witty banter that Leela and Firoze shot back and forth at each other during every single one of their interactions was everything. Firoze’s confession to Leela and the tension between them any time their arguments got a little too heated also destroyed me. I can’t get over how utterly obsessed Firoze was with Leela—the final scene made me squeal in excitement 😩.
Follow me on TikTok | Instagram | Twitter for more book reviews & recommendations!
May 13, 2022
Oh my.
I was excited to try this as another P&P retelling, and with desi characters, but...I was quickly physically wincing. I made it 10% before DNFing.
Retelling is an art and a challenge to emulate the original without quote- and reference-dumping. Unfortunately this book did the latter, and messily. The dialogue was bad to begin with and clunky insertion of Pride and Prejudice quotes verbatim did not read like organic speech at all in the context of a modern American high school.
The characters' maturity and inner dialogue and conversation, ok, everything really, read much more like middle grade than high school. Lower-level YA. The audio performance drives home the annoying, whiny and petulant ways of the characters I had met so far. I wish I had something better to say but I couldn't make myself go any further. I hope someone enjoys this book!
I was excited to try this as another P&P retelling, and with desi characters, but...I was quickly physically wincing. I made it 10% before DNFing.
Retelling is an art and a challenge to emulate the original without quote- and reference-dumping. Unfortunately this book did the latter, and messily. The dialogue was bad to begin with and clunky insertion of Pride and Prejudice quotes verbatim did not read like organic speech at all in the context of a modern American high school.
The characters' maturity and inner dialogue and conversation, ok, everything really, read much more like middle grade than high school. Lower-level YA. The audio performance drives home the annoying, whiny and petulant ways of the characters I had met so far. I wish I had something better to say but I couldn't make myself go any further. I hope someone enjoys this book!
April 27, 2022
-lol no❤️
-bestie what was this 😀
-dont start with me with the names, and the rando pride and prejudice quotes. i will actually seethe
-this has New Disney Channel ™ energy 📉
-She JUMPS on the table and sings Hamilton??? 💀 theatre kids need to be stopped. menaces to society
-⭐️ for speech team representation (tho at times wildly inaccurate). It truly was a trauma bonding experience
-bestie what was this 😀
-dont start with me with the names, and the rando pride and prejudice quotes. i will actually seethe
-this has New Disney Channel ™ energy 📉
-She JUMPS on the table and sings Hamilton??? 💀 theatre kids need to be stopped. menaces to society
-⭐️ for speech team representation (tho at times wildly inaccurate). It truly was a trauma bonding experience
April 17, 2023
New favorite Pride and Prejudice retelling has arrived 🙌💖
Content warning: sexual assault (past), racism, sexism, bullying, death of parent, Islamophobia
Content warning: sexual assault (past), racism, sexism, bullying, death of parent, Islamophobia
April 10, 2023
2023 reads: 106/350
leela bose is a speech competitor who can’t stand firoze darcy, a debater from a private school. but their paths are sure to collide, as they’re both competing in the state league. leela decides she’ll start debating so she can beat firoze at his own game, but it’s a lot more than she anticipated.
funnily enough, i was hoping for a uil academics romance not too long before reading this, and this is probably the closest i’ll ever get, which i wasn’t expecting when i started this. (for those unfamiliar with uil, it’s an organization that runs athletic, musical, and academic contests in texas schools. and yes, i participated. and yes, i had a uil crush.)
anyway, i really enjoyed this book and i appreciated how it had more serious discussions as well. though i never participated in speech and debate, i will never forget the time a classmate said she received the following comment from a judge on a piece about the objectification of women: “if you don’t want to be objectified, maybe you shouldn’t wear such short skirts.” (not that the comment would have been okay if she were wearing a miniskirt, but her skirt was almost knee length.) seeing the girls in this book go through this made me upset because clearly this is a widespread problem. i thought the way these discussions were handled was very well-done in this book, though.
leela bose is a speech competitor who can’t stand firoze darcy, a debater from a private school. but their paths are sure to collide, as they’re both competing in the state league. leela decides she’ll start debating so she can beat firoze at his own game, but it’s a lot more than she anticipated.
funnily enough, i was hoping for a uil academics romance not too long before reading this, and this is probably the closest i’ll ever get, which i wasn’t expecting when i started this. (for those unfamiliar with uil, it’s an organization that runs athletic, musical, and academic contests in texas schools. and yes, i participated. and yes, i had a uil crush.)
anyway, i really enjoyed this book and i appreciated how it had more serious discussions as well. though i never participated in speech and debate, i will never forget the time a classmate said she received the following comment from a judge on a piece about the objectification of women: “if you don’t want to be objectified, maybe you shouldn’t wear such short skirts.” (not that the comment would have been okay if she were wearing a miniskirt, but her skirt was almost knee length.) seeing the girls in this book go through this made me upset because clearly this is a widespread problem. i thought the way these discussions were handled was very well-done in this book, though.
March 9, 2022
this is... painfully political. it felt a little bit like getting force-fed awkwardly placed propaganda lines by teenagers that, while they should 100% be considering these things, should not be talking like they are reading spiels off a teleprompter.
otherwise, i am a Sucker for pride and prejudice ((i must admit. i'm a terrible person and haven't read the book, but pride and prejudice (2005) is one of the best movies ever made))
this retelling had a really interesting setting and a lot of potential and pretty cute spots when it wasn't too political. i think my favorite part was having the confession scene in a car and darcy being so stressed he accidentally honked the horn.
otherwise, i am a Sucker for pride and prejudice ((i must admit. i'm a terrible person and haven't read the book, but pride and prejudice (2005) is one of the best movies ever made))
this retelling had a really interesting setting and a lot of potential and pretty cute spots when it wasn't too political. i think my favorite part was having the confession scene in a car and darcy being so stressed he accidentally honked the horn.
June 2, 2022
It took a while to
warm up to this one. And
then wow.
*trigger warnings*
warm up to this one. And
then wow.
*trigger warnings*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2022
This is hands down one of the better Pride and Prejudice retellings I've read. As a Bengali girl, I loved the representation but even beyond that, I liked that the book focused on a deeper story than just the love story between Darcy and Leela. It gave a voice to the girls that didn't have voices in the original Austen books on how they were treated by men. It also did a good job of showing the differences between class structure that we still have in our society today; something Jane Austen also showed in her books but most retellings seem to ignore. Leela wasn't very likable at the beginning of the book, but I appreciated the way she was written to grow and learn from her experiences. I also loved that the neither Leela nor Darcy's families were written to be stereotypical, extremely over-the-top strict parents but instead seem to fit more of current times. Some of the dialogue and story taken straight out of the source material felt a little odd and misplaced in our current times and is the only reason this isn't getting 5 stars. But this is still a wonderfully fun and entertaining read that I would highly recommend to those that love Jane Austen retellings.
April 13, 2022
All the stars, because this book is pure perfection.
April 29, 2022
Can you call a retelling original? Seems like an oxymoron but that’s how I feel about this P&P retelling. That it’s was refreshingly original. Loved the culture seeped in and that it’s written by an own voices author. Creative to make the different houses different schools and fun to follow along with a well known story in a knew way. I don’t want to give any more spoilers than that!
November 29, 2021
Ugh I WANTED to love this one. I love an Austen retelling SO MUCH, and this just looked like so much fun, plus I got to hear from DasGupta at ALAN 2021, and it got me jazzed.
I think that DasGupta did a good job of revealing our "Lizzy's" (Leela's) flaws early on. Many retellings like to make Elizabeth annoyingly perfect, but Leela is appropriately blind to her prejudices (and pride). There are also some good places where DasGupta has made her more skeptical, such as when she prods our Wickham character more early on in his story for his Islamophobia and classism. I also appreciated that our Charlotte character was not overlooked! She had a great plot in this one! And our Lydia (Lidia) had more power! Yay for that!
However, I was most bothered by the incongruous use of Austenian language. I think it can be done well, but in this case, it often made me cringe-- it just didn't quite match with how the characters spoke at other times. There were also some plot points that I found a bit hard to believe.
This was clever and fun, but an imperfect adaptation.
NOTE: Received my ARC in my ALAN 2021 box!
I think that DasGupta did a good job of revealing our "Lizzy's" (Leela's) flaws early on. Many retellings like to make Elizabeth annoyingly perfect, but Leela is appropriately blind to her prejudices (and pride). There are also some good places where DasGupta has made her more skeptical, such as when she prods our Wickham character more early on in his story for his Islamophobia and classism. I also appreciated that our Charlotte character was not overlooked! She had a great plot in this one! And our Lydia (Lidia) had more power! Yay for that!
However, I was most bothered by the incongruous use of Austenian language. I think it can be done well, but in this case, it often made me cringe-- it just didn't quite match with how the characters spoke at other times. There were also some plot points that I found a bit hard to believe.
This was clever and fun, but an imperfect adaptation.
NOTE: Received my ARC in my ALAN 2021 box!
August 27, 2022
i loved reading this. IL PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND THIS WAS JUST ??? SO PERF FOR ME?? academic rivals/hate to love. based off lizzie and darcy. are you serious.
i really liked all the characters as well as the modern twists placed on the book, and set in the world of speech and debate which i guess you could say have experience with….
i don’t know what i expected when learning it was based on pride and prejudice, but i could actually match up characters and plot points which im def not complaining about but also didn’t expect
the main and side characters relationships😍🫶 major yes. i love.
the character and relationship developments were to die for. as for the modern twists i really like and appreciate the topics discussed in this book, and the way they were brought up. some of the topics that were addressed but are not limited to (phrase and list restolen from sophie) racism, xenophobia, colorism, sexism, feminism, sexual assault, classism, south asian prejudice, and homophobia.
after thought but i also gained new interest in speech and debate and a better understanding of what my cousin was apparently so good at in hs and college! (yes you alex)
i really liked all the characters as well as the modern twists placed on the book, and set in the world of speech and debate which i guess you could say have experience with….
i don’t know what i expected when learning it was based on pride and prejudice, but i could actually match up characters and plot points which im def not complaining about but also didn’t expect
the main and side characters relationships😍🫶 major yes. i love.
the character and relationship developments were to die for. as for the modern twists i really like and appreciate the topics discussed in this book, and the way they were brought up. some of the topics that were addressed but are not limited to (phrase and list restolen from sophie) racism, xenophobia, colorism, sexism, feminism, sexual assault, classism, south asian prejudice, and homophobia.
after thought but i also gained new interest in speech and debate and a better understanding of what my cousin was apparently so good at in hs and college! (yes you alex)
Want to read
November 12, 2021PRIDE AND PREDUDICE RETELLING??? DESI REP??? WITTY BANTER??? THIS WILL BE AMAZING.
July 16, 2022
1.5
oh boy this was a rollercoaster. I dont feel like actually writing a review so have my silly annotations that i couldn't actually write in the book cause i got it from the library
- all talk and no point with the political stuff
- leela is insufferable and holds tiny grudges for no reason
- shes so full of herself i mean shes angry cause she wasnt beautiful enough for darcy??? like cmon bro theres more important things to be angry about + he just stated his preference jesuS
- justice for colin he just feels ND coded and everyone just calls him weird ,,,, like wtf that rubs me the wrong way
- the dialogue is so unnatural????
- leela acts like the world is out to get her
- only good thing is the comment abt the 'not like other girls' thing i applaused
- only reading it cause i dont want to dnf another book
- why cant they SWEARRRR what high schooler says "silly billy"
- rivalry felt very one sided with leela absolutely shitting on this guy and darcy is just fighting for his life
- darcys confession came OUTTA NOWHERE WHATTTTT i just read this part and i am gobsmacked
- didnt will JUST say darcy fixed jay and charles's relationship DONT YOU COME IN ACCUSING THE POOR MAN OF HOMOPHOBIA
- i feel like her decision to switch to debates held no stakes whatsoever idk i feel like it wouldve been more coherent to have her be in debate entirely
- im sorry they were hardly rivals they were just ppl who hated each other with no real competition
- there was no chemistry with these two and now the mans is writing love emails to her 😭😭 does he have a thing for humiliation ???
- leela reading darcy email and reacting out loud is me reading this book
- leela has the backbone of a chocolate eclair
- GIGI MY SWEET SUMMER CHILD NOOOOO
- i stand corrected abt the email thing that actually is probably the best time to write a formal email
- the darcy-leela debate i was waiting for was underwhelming --> perfect opportunity to really cause some emotional damage methinks
- at least there was pinoy rep amirite (not great rep, but beggars cant be choosers)
- okay the interactions between the two familes was cute bumping this up to 2 stars
- at least they got the 'CW: ____' right in how high schoolers write posts
- catherine dissing public schools and leelas team came outta nowhere i feel like this was put in to push the romance along which sucks honestly
- "AND THEN THEY CLAPPED"
- annddd back down to 1.5
- i feel like some major events in the story ended up having the impact they shouldve. jay having an asthma attack??? de bourgh coming into a random highschool???? its never reflected upon which makes me wonder why these scenes were included if they werent gonna be mentioned ever again even though they were played up to be climatic
- lidia shouldve been the main character
- i had to research the yellowstone thing that was mentioned for school i feel like i have to say that cause what a weird coincidence
- the pacing was really jarring
- SA in forensics/pressing for changes shouldve been the focus of the novel from the start
- this will be my guide on how not to write my academic rivals to lovers story
- that poor girl stop calling her sandwich jesus
- this couldve been 50 pages at most if leela actually formed her own opinions and not listened to the first account of anything said by anyone
oh boy this was a rollercoaster. I dont feel like actually writing a review so have my silly annotations that i couldn't actually write in the book cause i got it from the library
- all talk and no point with the political stuff
- leela is insufferable and holds tiny grudges for no reason
- shes so full of herself i mean shes angry cause she wasnt beautiful enough for darcy??? like cmon bro theres more important things to be angry about + he just stated his preference jesuS
- justice for colin he just feels ND coded and everyone just calls him weird ,,,, like wtf that rubs me the wrong way
- the dialogue is so unnatural????
- leela acts like the world is out to get her
- only good thing is the comment abt the 'not like other girls' thing i applaused
- only reading it cause i dont want to dnf another book
- why cant they SWEARRRR what high schooler says "silly billy"
- rivalry felt very one sided with leela absolutely shitting on this guy and darcy is just fighting for his life
- darcys confession came OUTTA NOWHERE WHATTTTT i just read this part and i am gobsmacked
- didnt will JUST say darcy fixed jay and charles's relationship DONT YOU COME IN ACCUSING THE POOR MAN OF HOMOPHOBIA
- i feel like her decision to switch to debates held no stakes whatsoever idk i feel like it wouldve been more coherent to have her be in debate entirely
- im sorry they were hardly rivals they were just ppl who hated each other with no real competition
- there was no chemistry with these two and now the mans is writing love emails to her 😭😭 does he have a thing for humiliation ???
- leela reading darcy email and reacting out loud is me reading this book
- leela has the backbone of a chocolate eclair
- GIGI MY SWEET SUMMER CHILD NOOOOO
- i stand corrected abt the email thing that actually is probably the best time to write a formal email
- the darcy-leela debate i was waiting for was underwhelming --> perfect opportunity to really cause some emotional damage methinks
- at least there was pinoy rep amirite (not great rep, but beggars cant be choosers)
- okay the interactions between the two familes was cute bumping this up to 2 stars
- at least they got the 'CW: ____' right in how high schoolers write posts
- catherine dissing public schools and leelas team came outta nowhere i feel like this was put in to push the romance along which sucks honestly
- "AND THEN THEY CLAPPED"
- annddd back down to 1.5
- i feel like some major events in the story ended up having the impact they shouldve. jay having an asthma attack??? de bourgh coming into a random highschool???? its never reflected upon which makes me wonder why these scenes were included if they werent gonna be mentioned ever again even though they were played up to be climatic
- lidia shouldve been the main character
- i had to research the yellowstone thing that was mentioned for school i feel like i have to say that cause what a weird coincidence
- the pacing was really jarring
- SA in forensics/pressing for changes shouldve been the focus of the novel from the start
- this will be my guide on how not to write my academic rivals to lovers story
- that poor girl stop calling her sandwich jesus
- this couldve been 50 pages at most if leela actually formed her own opinions and not listened to the first account of anything said by anyone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Currently reading
February 22, 2025Pre-Review: I am a HUGE speech and debate kid (Literally starting reading the book at a tournament), so if this book doesn't do it justice, I'll throw hands, don't play
April 23, 2022
This book is very much another Scholastic awards young young adult thingg, so I'm def not the target audience. I was going to give it 2 stars instead of 1 but it ended up being so infantilizing and unsubtle about every message it tried to get across that I couldn't do it.
> everyone in this book is so overly theatrical
> Colin Kang is a stereotypical nerd character and it's just v disappointing to see in this year 2022. I mean who talks like that. It's just :| lowkey kinda gross
> Most characters aside from Leela and Firoze have half a dimension. Not even one.
> Private school kids being tropey elitist snobs who talk like they're all high-society grandmothers ("She's not beautiful enough to tempt me" sir what century did you step out of?)
> Leela has (1) bad encounter with Firoze and immediately develops intense hatred for him for the first couple of chapters and it's like? Bro calm down you don't even know the guy. I'd understand if she was just dismissive and/or annoyed with him but she literally screams that she HATES FIROZE DARCY on the bus the Friday AFTER their competition, I don't know why she's so pressed
> The author keeps telling us that Jay is super witty and oh so funny and he comes up with lines like, "What in the actual Marie Antoinette" and "I mean, what is that, like a reference to caviar" in regards to a character who goes by "Ro".
> Leela is too afraid to dance in public bc she's been shamed by other girls in her classes and also she thinks she's afraid of drawing attention to herself, being brown and all, but the book literally opens with her standing on a table, singing Karaoke at a debate tournament, dancing with one of her friends and accosting Firoze
> "Selfies or it never happened" spoken by a high schooler in this year 2022
.
.
.
All in all. I was interested in reading a story where both the male and female protags are desi, but I feel like I lost braincells.
> everyone in this book is so overly theatrical
> Colin Kang is a stereotypical nerd character and it's just v disappointing to see in this year 2022. I mean who talks like that. It's just :| lowkey kinda gross
> Most characters aside from Leela and Firoze have half a dimension. Not even one.
> Private school kids being tropey elitist snobs who talk like they're all high-society grandmothers ("She's not beautiful enough to tempt me" sir what century did you step out of?)
> Leela has (1) bad encounter with Firoze and immediately develops intense hatred for him for the first couple of chapters and it's like? Bro calm down you don't even know the guy. I'd understand if she was just dismissive and/or annoyed with him but she literally screams that she HATES FIROZE DARCY on the bus the Friday AFTER their competition, I don't know why she's so pressed
> The author keeps telling us that Jay is super witty and oh so funny and he comes up with lines like, "What in the actual Marie Antoinette" and "I mean, what is that, like a reference to caviar" in regards to a character who goes by "Ro".
> Leela is too afraid to dance in public bc she's been shamed by other girls in her classes and also she thinks she's afraid of drawing attention to herself, being brown and all, but the book literally opens with her standing on a table, singing Karaoke at a debate tournament, dancing with one of her friends and accosting Firoze
> "Selfies or it never happened" spoken by a high schooler in this year 2022
.
.
.
All in all. I was interested in reading a story where both the male and female protags are desi, but I feel like I lost braincells.
did-not-finish
May 23, 2022just yikes the writing was so cringy omg high schoolers do not talk like that
August 25, 2022
*Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars*
A unique YA Desi adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, “Debating Darcy” takes the much loved Austen novel and puts it in the modern world of HS Forensic and Debate, and does it’s best to straddle being true to the Austen adaptation, while also infusing it with both modern sensibilities and Desi identity, particularly that of Bengali culture from the Desi diaspora.
The story follows Leela Bose and Firoze Darcy, our characters who bicker and embark on their enemies to lovers dance with debate being the background. The diverse cast of characters, across ethnicity and sexuality round out a unique cast of characters - with the Bennett family becoming coaches to the debate team, and the Bennett girls members of the Debate team along with Collin, with Darcy and his friends belonging to the private school team.
I loved the infusion of Bengali culture throughout the book, and appreciated that Leela was proud of her heritage and culture (looking at you “Counting Down with You” and your negative rep - shameful) and I also appreciated that Dasgupta is a true Austen fan - I very much felt that the 2005 movie adaptation played a role in the development of the novel, and I appreciated Leela and Darcy, along with the relationship that Leela had with her debate team - and also the ability for the female characters wronged in the book to have more agency.
However, the amalgamation of this Austen adaptation with the debate and speech world felt rushed, and a bit too cheesy with the whiplash of infantile dialogue one minute, and regency language from teenagers the next. Darcy and Leela in particular, for all their strengths, teetered between believable and bizarre (perhaps to be expected from a YA adaptation, but still) - and working with high school debaters (yes Model UN is superior, go cry about it) the dialogue between the friends (though at times believable) overall felt stilted and weak. I also wished that Darcy and his Pakistani/Muslim identity wasn’t just a place holder - while Dasgupta does give us two Desi leads, with Darcy being half British half Pakistani, and said in passing going to mosque with his mom, we don’t really see either a Pakistani or Muslim identity from him - and that too me was a let down, especially when the other Desi male character, Jishnu, is such an antagonist and Desi F boy character.
While not perfect, and at times reading like a MG novel, Debating Darcy was a fun read that works for Austen fans and those that want more Desi stories.
A unique YA Desi adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, “Debating Darcy” takes the much loved Austen novel and puts it in the modern world of HS Forensic and Debate, and does it’s best to straddle being true to the Austen adaptation, while also infusing it with both modern sensibilities and Desi identity, particularly that of Bengali culture from the Desi diaspora.
The story follows Leela Bose and Firoze Darcy, our characters who bicker and embark on their enemies to lovers dance with debate being the background. The diverse cast of characters, across ethnicity and sexuality round out a unique cast of characters - with the Bennett family becoming coaches to the debate team, and the Bennett girls members of the Debate team along with Collin, with Darcy and his friends belonging to the private school team.
I loved the infusion of Bengali culture throughout the book, and appreciated that Leela was proud of her heritage and culture (looking at you “Counting Down with You” and your negative rep - shameful) and I also appreciated that Dasgupta is a true Austen fan - I very much felt that the 2005 movie adaptation played a role in the development of the novel, and I appreciated Leela and Darcy, along with the relationship that Leela had with her debate team - and also the ability for the female characters wronged in the book to have more agency.
However, the amalgamation of this Austen adaptation with the debate and speech world felt rushed, and a bit too cheesy with the whiplash of infantile dialogue one minute, and regency language from teenagers the next. Darcy and Leela in particular, for all their strengths, teetered between believable and bizarre (perhaps to be expected from a YA adaptation, but still) - and working with high school debaters (yes Model UN is superior, go cry about it) the dialogue between the friends (though at times believable) overall felt stilted and weak. I also wished that Darcy and his Pakistani/Muslim identity wasn’t just a place holder - while Dasgupta does give us two Desi leads, with Darcy being half British half Pakistani, and said in passing going to mosque with his mom, we don’t really see either a Pakistani or Muslim identity from him - and that too me was a let down, especially when the other Desi male character, Jishnu, is such an antagonist and Desi F boy character.
While not perfect, and at times reading like a MG novel, Debating Darcy was a fun read that works for Austen fans and those that want more Desi stories.
June 16, 2022
some parts were very cringy. the hamilton reference on the first page wasn’t a favorite of mine but the ending was adorable so it gets 3 stars. probably won’t read again
May 11, 2022
rep: bengali-american MC, m/m side romance
debating darcy captured the essence and spirit of the original tale of pride and prejudice. leela has always participated in speech competition while firoze darcy debated. although they come from different backgrounds and are competing in different categories, their paths crossed. from the start, leela didn’t have a great impression of darcy. he’s aloof, cold, and unfeeling. of course, with time, leela finds that that isn’t true. within the duo, the sunshine personality belonged to leela who always take things in stride. despite that, though, she has moments when she totally believed one person’s perspective which i didn’t get. the person was just super suspicious from the get go, and everyone around her had such dubious reaction towards that person. i don’t know why she didn’t question that further.
the setting is pretty interesting since it surrounds debate/speech competitions. and the author has incorporated elements of sexism and harassment within the community, especially for women in the debate contests, and discussions of racism by the characters. overall, i liked how this retelling kept the foundation of the pride and prejudice couple and included its own uniqueness as well.
debating darcy captured the essence and spirit of the original tale of pride and prejudice. leela has always participated in speech competition while firoze darcy debated. although they come from different backgrounds and are competing in different categories, their paths crossed. from the start, leela didn’t have a great impression of darcy. he’s aloof, cold, and unfeeling. of course, with time, leela finds that that isn’t true. within the duo, the sunshine personality belonged to leela who always take things in stride. despite that, though, she has moments when she totally believed one person’s perspective which i didn’t get. the person was just super suspicious from the get go, and everyone around her had such dubious reaction towards that person. i don’t know why she didn’t question that further.
the setting is pretty interesting since it surrounds debate/speech competitions. and the author has incorporated elements of sexism and harassment within the community, especially for women in the debate contests, and discussions of racism by the characters. overall, i liked how this retelling kept the foundation of the pride and prejudice couple and included its own uniqueness as well.
August 3, 2022
I've never met a Pride & Prejudice remake that I didn't like... Until now. Overly dramatic teenagers in theater/debate using Austen-era language just to shoe-horn in some memorable quotes? I couldn't stand any of them, which is sad because I was genuinely excited for this book.
December 30, 2024
A YA desi retelling of Pride and Prejudice.
🗣️
Leela Bose has been participating in speech competitions forever. Her flair for the dramatic makes her shoo in at most meets with her friends also competing in speech and debate. When she meets Firoze Darcy, a rich kid from an elitist prep school academy, he immediately rubs her the wrong way, but she’ll have to see him every weekend since they’re in the same state league. Leela continually tries to one up Firoze, while also being mad at him for actions she thinks he’s responsible for. As they learn more about one another, Leela starts to see she may have misjudged Mr. Darcy, but is it too late to fix it?
🏆
I’ve had this on my TBR forever, it seems, and I’m mad at myself for waiting to read it until now. This hit all the right notes for me to give it 5⭐️. The wonderfully diverse cast of characters, topics discussed throughout the book, and it being an Austen retelling was just so swoony. Loved it.
CW: sexual assault, misogyny, sexism, sexual harassment, homophobia, coming out (theme), classism, xenophobia, racism, body shaming, adult/minor relationship, Islamophobia, terminal illness, death of a parent
🗣️
Leela Bose has been participating in speech competitions forever. Her flair for the dramatic makes her shoo in at most meets with her friends also competing in speech and debate. When she meets Firoze Darcy, a rich kid from an elitist prep school academy, he immediately rubs her the wrong way, but she’ll have to see him every weekend since they’re in the same state league. Leela continually tries to one up Firoze, while also being mad at him for actions she thinks he’s responsible for. As they learn more about one another, Leela starts to see she may have misjudged Mr. Darcy, but is it too late to fix it?
🏆
I’ve had this on my TBR forever, it seems, and I’m mad at myself for waiting to read it until now. This hit all the right notes for me to give it 5⭐️. The wonderfully diverse cast of characters, topics discussed throughout the book, and it being an Austen retelling was just so swoony. Loved it.
CW: sexual assault, misogyny, sexism, sexual harassment, homophobia, coming out (theme), classism, xenophobia, racism, body shaming, adult/minor relationship, Islamophobia, terminal illness, death of a parent
January 18, 2023
I really wanted to love this book, and I did like it but the language was always changing from far-too-formal to actually-normal and it always kinda threw me off. Especially since the main character was saying "so and so have such a formal way of speaking" when she herself was guilty of it half of the time. It would have been fine if only Colin and Darcy were using old English grammar and sentences but since everyone was doing it randomly it felt very very weird.
Plus some of the additions felt a little unnecessary and coming out of nowhere which is a shame since this book had a lot of potential, I just think it would have been better served if the author had not chosen to reuse entire quotes so often.
It does have a great element of social commentary which I really liked but I don't think the story needed these weird speech patterns to remind us that this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, I think the author could have taken a little more freedom and "used her voice instead of speaking with the voices of others"
Plus some of the additions felt a little unnecessary and coming out of nowhere which is a shame since this book had a lot of potential, I just think it would have been better served if the author had not chosen to reuse entire quotes so often.
It does have a great element of social commentary which I really liked but I don't think the story needed these weird speech patterns to remind us that this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, I think the author could have taken a little more freedom and "used her voice instead of speaking with the voices of others"
December 14, 2022
Even though I haven’t read pride and prejudice yet, this retelling was not it. The dialogue of these high schoolers was so unnatural and cringe. The way Colin and Catherine talked and acted was so unreal. The book dealt with so much: SA, politics, identity, racism, sexism, and more, but nothing was completely delved into. And there were too many pop culture references. The Hamilton debates omg. For the actual romance, Leela was insufferable and she had no chemistry with Darcy. They argue and then he just says he’s In love?
“My dude”as this book loves using that term. What made me more annoyed was that Darcy was Muslim or at least partly raised. It was stated he goes to the mosque, but of course the author had to make him the love interest for diversity. Can we not put young Muslims into haram relationships. Is it so hard. And the fact he could’ve stayed somewhat halal if not for the last pages of the book. It was a mess. I did like some of the desi rep parts, but that was it.
“My dude”as this book loves using that term. What made me more annoyed was that Darcy was Muslim or at least partly raised. It was stated he goes to the mosque, but of course the author had to make him the love interest for diversity. Can we not put young Muslims into haram relationships. Is it so hard. And the fact he could’ve stayed somewhat halal if not for the last pages of the book. It was a mess. I did like some of the desi rep parts, but that was it.
November 26, 2022
This was a good retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I liked that it took place in high school speach and debate competition, as that made a lot of sense. I enjoyed Leela's journey to self discovery, and how diverse the book was naturally. The friendships were great as well.
The only detractor for me was how formally the characters spoke at times, even when outside of debate. It felt forced in some places, though being speach competitiors it does make some sense.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
The only detractor for me was how formally the characters spoke at times, even when outside of debate. It felt forced in some places, though being speach competitiors it does make some sense.
Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!
June 4, 2023
Book Title: Debating Darcy
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Author: Sayantani DasGupta
Genre(s): YA, Romance, Contemporary
Recommended Age Rating: 11-12+
Reasons Why: No language that I notice, talk of sexual assault, romance (kissing)
Recommended for Fans of: Romance and speech and debate
Overall Rating: A+++
Brief Summary: Leela Bose is on a public school speech and debate team, Firoze Darcy is on his elitist private school's. The two couldn't be more different, yet there's something about these two that they can't seem to stay apart despite the hatred flowing between them. Unluckily for them, they're forced to run into each other at the speech and debate competitions. But what will happen between them? Is Darcy who Leela thought he was?
This book was so addicting! I co-captain my school's debate team with my boyfriend as my debate partner, and let me just say, this book almost had too many parallels to my real life! Our debate coaches have the same names and are described to have the same fashion style (!!), we go against other rich and entitled schools (including private ones), and our team is easily the messiest one in the league hahaha. There's even more that I can't think of right now.
Overall, I'm completely obsessed with this book. The only thing I'd say I disliked was that Leela was a little too judgy and jumps to conclusions too fast, but other than that I loved it!!
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Author: Sayantani DasGupta
Genre(s): YA, Romance, Contemporary
Recommended Age Rating: 11-12+
Reasons Why: No language that I notice, talk of sexual assault, romance (kissing)
Recommended for Fans of: Romance and speech and debate
Overall Rating: A+++
Brief Summary: Leela Bose is on a public school speech and debate team, Firoze Darcy is on his elitist private school's. The two couldn't be more different, yet there's something about these two that they can't seem to stay apart despite the hatred flowing between them. Unluckily for them, they're forced to run into each other at the speech and debate competitions. But what will happen between them? Is Darcy who Leela thought he was?
This book was so addicting! I co-captain my school's debate team with my boyfriend as my debate partner, and let me just say, this book almost had too many parallels to my real life! Our debate coaches have the same names and are described to have the same fashion style (!!), we go against other rich and entitled schools (including private ones), and our team is easily the messiest one in the league hahaha. There's even more that I can't think of right now.
Overall, I'm completely obsessed with this book. The only thing I'd say I disliked was that Leela was a little too judgy and jumps to conclusions too fast, but other than that I loved it!!
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