Epic Fail

As soon as I picked up Claire LaZebnik's Epic Fail I was really hoping I would not have to write a review that took into account the namesake...and behold, I won't!  This modern retelling on beloved classic Pride and Prejudice (which I tend to be a bit wary toward since so many try to retell Austen's works without much success but I digress...) was a fun and flirty read filled with a coming of age story where we learn to look beyond a person's exterior, their family, their lifestyle and take the time to really look and see who a person truly is.  Fast paced, lovable characters with sarcastic and witty banter, LaZebnik has created a perfect summer read with Epic Fail! 

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads:

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list. 

When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Let me start off by saying, do not expect some groundbreaking work of literature here that will span time...instead, take this for what it is...a fun, exciting, fast paced read that will capture your attention and heart.

The characters that LaZebnik creates are wildly entertaining esp Elise who I absolutely fell in love with.  She is amazingly witty and funny with a bit of sharp tongued sarcasm that puts popular and entitled Derek in his place and makes him question the way he acts around others.  As Derek's character is developed I really couldn't help but fall for him!  Like all things worth having, sometimes they don't come easy at first.  I also really enjoyed the relationship between the Benton family in general.  The jealous younger sister and the closely bonded older sisters and their relationship with their totally embarrassing but caring parents. 

I think one of my favorite aspects of a retelling is trying to match up the original to the updated story. Being that Austen is one of my personal favorites, I really enjoyed seeing how LaZebnik was going to bring in this part or that.  LaZebnik surprised and delighted me by putting in some obvious P&P plot points and yet making it her own!  

Overall, this is a successful retelling and def not one to be missed by lovers of Austen!