Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy novel by Amanda Quain
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Georgiana Darcy should have been expelled after The Incident with Wickham Foster last year – at least if you ask any of her Pemberley Academy classmates. She may have escaped expulsion because of her family name, but she didn’t escape the disappointment of her big brother Fitz, the scorn of the entire school, or, it turns out, Wickham’s influence.
But she’s back for her junior year, and she needs to prove to everyone – Fitz, Wickham, her former friends, and maybe even herself – that she’s more than just an embarrassment to the family name. How hard can it be to become the Perfect Darcy? All she has to do is:
– Rebuild her reputation with the marching band (even if it kills her)
– Forget about Wickham and his lies (no matter how tempting they still are), and
– Distract Fitz Darcy — helicopter-sibling extraordinaire — by getting him to fall in love with his classmate, Lizzie Bennet (this one might be difficult…)
Sure, it’s a complicated plan, but so is being a Darcy. With the help of her fellow bandmate, Avery, matchmaking ideas lifted straight from her favorite fanfics, and a whole lot of pancakes, Georgie is going to see every one of her plans through. But when the weight of being the Perfect Darcy comes crashing down, Georgie will have to find her own way before she loses everything permanently—including the one guy who sees her for who she really is.
Published 26 July 2022 | Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia | RRP: AUD$26.99
Buy it at: Dymocks | Booktopia | A&R | Abbey’s | QBD
My Blurb (4 / 5 stars)
Being a big fan of Pride and Prejudice, I was terrifically excited to see a retelling from a likeable minor character, Georgina Darcy. I’m not usually a fan of contemporary YA but this (!) I had to read. Set in today’s New York, it’s not necessary for language to be Austenesque and all we expect is that these characters to be true to the originals. Amanda Quain has done a great job fitting these characters into today’s world of teen (including fan-fics and instagram!).
Accomplished is a very easy and fast read. It is what I would termed fluff or brain candy because it was just so easy for the eyes & brain but so much fun to read. I must admit that I wasn’t too keen on Georgie to begin with but she did have her issues to deal with and she matured in the end and grew on me somewhat. Her naivety and very low self-esteem were to her detriment but the amount of time she spent lamenting over her ruined life and Wickham I really could have done less with. I just don’t like the fact that we’re giving Wickham more air time lol
I loved seeing Georgina Darcy growing up and owning it. I loved seeing Fitzwilliam Darcy from her sister’s perspective and their relationship. I also loved seeing (what little there was to see) Fitz with Lizzie Bennet. A cute retelling though possibly not for the hardcore fan of the classic. It was an entertaining & comfortable read for a grey day.
My thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts
About the author
AMANDA QUAIN is a writer, indie bookseller, and general life enthusiast. When she’s not shouting about her favorite new books, she loves theatre, baking, rock climbing, marching band, and the overall pursuit of adventure. If forced to choose, Amanda’s favorite Austen hero is Edward Ferrars, though she’ll always have a soft spot for Mr. Bingley. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and her cat. ACCOMPLISHED is her first novel.
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