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Epic Fail Claire LaZebnik Books

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Epic Fail Claire LaZebnik Books

Unfortunately for me, this book lived up to its title. Maybe that was a bit harsh... there were some points in the story that made me smile and laugh but for the most part, I was rolling my eyes. For the most part, I was disappointed by this book and a bit irritated at the stretches that the author took to make it fit as a retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

If you guys have been around my blog at all since December, you know that I have a serious love (obsession? okay, obsession) with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and an interest in any kind of reimagining, retelling, or spin off there is. And, for the most part, I've had a really great experience with these stories. I was so excited to see that Amazon was featuring Epic Fail as one of its monthly deals for $2.99 and immediately bought it because it was the first YA P&P story that I've come across.

Mostly, Epic Fail came off as an unrealistic contemporary romance. I felt that LaZebnik tried to force the characters and plot in certain ways so that they fit the story arc of P&P but at the same time, got a lot of it wrong. For instance, Elise's parents. Elise's dad comes off as an intellectual snob who is more concerned that his daughter is getting involved with a classmate because of his celebrity status than how she feels about the situation... where as the original Mr. Bennet ultimately cared for his daughters' well being and happiness. Elise's mom is the principal of the prestigious Coral Tree Prep who alludes to the fact that she has her doctorate in education. Rather than being a well educated and sensible woman, she often lapses into hysteria over who her daughters are dating. I felt as though LaZebnik wrote two completely different women and smashed them together to make it work as a P&P story.

Another issue (and I'll stop after this one) was what LaZebnik did with the Bingley-Jane separation story line. In the original work, Darcy and Caroline Bingley separate Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet because they believed her status to be inferior and thus unsuited for a man of his stature and also because her family was simply improper. The key here? Both Darcy and Caroline work to separate the couple. LaZebnik decided to place the whole blame on Caroline (named Chelsea). Derek/Darcy had nothing to do with it - no input, no knowledge, nothing... and this really turned me off from the story. The beauty of Pride and Prejudice is that both Lizzy and Darcy begin as flawed and make serious mistakes, work through them all, experience a ton of growth, and ultimately come back together as better versions of themselves thanks to the other. By altering the original story so much, LaZebnik totally lost the growth that could have occurred... and I hate to say it, but the story often felt two dimensional because of it.

Overall, it was an okay book. If you're looking for a good Pride and Prejudice retelling, I wouldn't recommend this one... and I think that was my biggest problem. I went into this book expecting one thing and did not have an open mind to it. It was not terrible... it just wasn't for me. I think that young audiences who are looking for a way to get into the Pride and Prejudice story would probably benefit most from it - just remember that the characters are very loosely based on the originals!


Tags : Amazon.com: Epic Fail (9780061921261): Claire LaZebnik: Books,Claire LaZebnik,Epic Fail,HarperTeen,0061921262,Romance - General,School & Education - General,Social Themes - General,Dating (Social customs),Dating (Social customs);Fiction.,Interpersonal relations,Interpersonal relations;Fiction.,Los Angeles (Calif.),Peparatory schools,Schools,Sisters,Sisters;Fiction.,Social classes,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fiction,Romance & relationships stories (Children's Teenage),Social Themes - Adolescence,Social Themes - Dating & Relationships,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Girls & Women,Young Adult Fiction Loners & Outcasts,Young Adult Fiction Romance General,Young Adult Fiction Romance Romantic Comedy,Young Adult Fiction School & Education General,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes Dating & Sex,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes General (see also headings under Family),Young Adult FictionSocial Themes - Dating & Sex

Epic Fail Claire LaZebnik Books Reviews

This is without a doubt going to be one of those books I’ll be thinking about for the next couple of months! What an unbelievably fabulous read this turned out to be! Even before I started reading Epic Fail I already had my mind made up that this was going to be yet another candy floss YA romance, and although it is definitely YA, and undoubtedly a romance, it is most certainly not a fluffy candy floss read. Unlike some of my most recent reads, this book actually has substance and breaks out of the traditional YA mold. Honestly peeps, this was such a delightful, feel-good read, I zipped through it in a day.

One of the things I’m starting to despise in YA is the constant absence of parental figures and homes with structure and rules to guide our protagonist(s) on their merry way through life. In Epic Fail, the main focus is squarely on the family dynamics of the Gardiner family. There’s not only one protagonist, but two. Or maybe a whole bunch, depending on how you look at it. I loved, loved, loved the family set-up in this story and how at home I felt with Elise, her three sisters and both her adorably dorky, but strict, parents. This isn’t just a tale about one girl falling in love, but two sisters falling in love at different times during the story. Instead of Elise having a best friend whom she can confide in and share experiences with, she has her sister, Juliana, to whom she’s practically joined at the hip. They both go to Coral Tree Prep where their mother is the new principal and their father the math teacher. Juliana pretty much has the insta love thing going from the first chapter, but Elise, from whose POV we’re getting the story, isn’t as quick to give her heart away. Especially not to Derek, son to two of Hollywood’s biggest stars, who has half the girls in school falling over their feet to get him to notice them.

I specifically enjoyed this book for the fact that it raises the importance of valuing someone not for their net worth or their good looks or how famous or important their parents are, but simply for who that person is. This is taught to Elise and her siblings by the values their parents instill in them, which are evident from the conversations they have with them. Also, respect is a big issue in this story, and I loved how these kids showed respect for their parents, and also how Elise stood up for one of her classmates when everybody was ganging up on him. Of course, everything isn’t perfect and sunshin-y and happy-go-lucky for all. The book sticks to real-life situations with characters having to learn to reserve judgment, not jumping to hasty conclusions, and discerning between what’s acceptable and what not. Epic Fail also showcases the comparisons between rich and middle class teens, their behavior and attitudes towards adults and each other, and the difficulties faced by Elise’s mother as Coral Tree Prep’s new school principal. Most importantly, it highlights the point that people aren’t always what they appear to be on the surface.

Often the importance and advantages of familial structures as a means to ground the reader are overlooked in what I love to call candy floss (overtly sweet and sticky) romance and most YA books. My experience is that most authors so easily succumb to writing what works for hundreds of other authors instead of taking the initiative to try something new. At times, Epic Fail tended to be slightly predictable, but that was easy to overlook once I felt part of Elise’s family and made myself comfortable in the Gardiner’s home. Lazebnik created intelligent characters with flaws that make sense. She dared to write a story that shies away from the familiar without destroying the YA mold entirely, and for that I commend her. The dialogue and witty banter often had me rolling on the floor laughing and endeared these characters to me in no time. I loved all six members of the Gardiner household and I had no difficulty relating to their daily routines. The secondary, but not less important, characters were also expertly developed and the story shimmied along at an undemanding pace, effortlessly keeping me entertained. This book is sure as heck worth every cent and one I can’t recommend highly enough!
Cute cute cute! Epic Fail is freaking adorable and fun - a perfect pick-me-up on a rainy, sad day.

When I first started reading Epic Fail, I had no idea it was a modern take on Pride and Prejudice until someone told me, but then I thought about it and I definitely saw the similarities as I was reading. This is awesome on two levels - I love Pride and Prejudice, but Claire LaZebnik was clever/talented enough to make the story her own without overdoing the retelling. I never once thought "yeah, yeah, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy already did this" - I was too invested in what was happening to Elise and Derek.

A lot of the elements in Pride and Prejudice would have been tough to translate to modern times, but the setting for Epic Fail was very crafty. A prep school in LA suited the story perfectly.

I liked Elise's character a lot - I thought she was witty and clever, just like Elizabeth. I must admit, I had no real affinity for Derek until the end, but that's true with Mr. Darcy as well.

Overall, I loved reading Epic Fail. It definitely brightened by day, and even though it was one of those books where I knew exactly how it would end, I couldn't stop reading - it was too much fun getting there. Epic Fail is a fun and adorable book, and I definitely suggest it to anyone in need of a pick-me-up.
Unfortunately for me, this book lived up to its title. Maybe that was a bit harsh... there were some points in the story that made me smile and laugh but for the most part, I was rolling my eyes. For the most part, I was disappointed by this book and a bit irritated at the stretches that the author took to make it fit as a retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

If you guys have been around my blog at all since December, you know that I have a serious love (obsession? okay, obsession) with Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and an interest in any kind of reimagining, retelling, or spin off there is. And, for the most part, I've had a really great experience with these stories. I was so excited to see that was featuring Epic Fail as one of its monthly deals for $2.99 and immediately bought it because it was the first YA P&P story that I've come across.

Mostly, Epic Fail came off as an unrealistic contemporary romance. I felt that LaZebnik tried to force the characters and plot in certain ways so that they fit the story arc of P&P but at the same time, got a lot of it wrong. For instance, Elise's parents. Elise's dad comes off as an intellectual snob who is more concerned that his daughter is getting involved with a classmate because of his celebrity status than how she feels about the situation... where as the original Mr. Bennet ultimately cared for his daughters' well being and happiness. Elise's mom is the principal of the prestigious Coral Tree Prep who alludes to the fact that she has her doctorate in education. Rather than being a well educated and sensible woman, she often lapses into hysteria over who her daughters are dating. I felt as though LaZebnik wrote two completely different women and smashed them together to make it work as a P&P story.

Another issue (and I'll stop after this one) was what LaZebnik did with the Bingley-Jane separation story line. In the original work, Darcy and Caroline Bingley separate Charles Bingley and Jane Bennet because they believed her status to be inferior and thus unsuited for a man of his stature and also because her family was simply improper. The key here? Both Darcy and Caroline work to separate the couple. LaZebnik decided to place the whole blame on Caroline (named Chelsea). Derek/Darcy had nothing to do with it - no input, no knowledge, nothing... and this really turned me off from the story. The beauty of Pride and Prejudice is that both Lizzy and Darcy begin as flawed and make serious mistakes, work through them all, experience a ton of growth, and ultimately come back together as better versions of themselves thanks to the other. By altering the original story so much, LaZebnik totally lost the growth that could have occurred... and I hate to say it, but the story often felt two dimensional because of it.

Overall, it was an okay book. If you're looking for a good Pride and Prejudice retelling, I wouldn't recommend this one... and I think that was my biggest problem. I went into this book expecting one thing and did not have an open mind to it. It was not terrible... it just wasn't for me. I think that young audiences who are looking for a way to get into the Pride and Prejudice story would probably benefit most from it - just remember that the characters are very loosely based on the originals!