Epic Fail

I bought Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik on an impulse because I had heard wonderful things about it and because it's a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. So of course, I had high expectations for this book.
Epic Fail starts off with Elise and Juliana Benton moving to a new prep school in LA where their mother is the principal. As soon as Juliana starts hanging out with the popular crowd which includes Chase and Derek, our new Mr. Darcy, there is instant tension/attraction between Elise and Derek. Derek has a guarded and some what jerkish view of the world thanks to his celebrity upbringing, and Elise has her parents' conservative values, leading to some conflicts of interest. But when your sister, whom you adore, loves the jerk's show more best friend, what are you going to do? Ignore him? So of course, much like in the real Pride and Prejudice, Elise is forced to endure the (incredibly attractive) presence of Derek Edwards.
I thought Claire LaZebnik did an excellent job of creating a cute contemporary romance novel. The plot was wonderful. Full of moments where Elise and Derek couldn't decide if they hated or adored each other, there was plenty of romance. And of course, there were plenty of interesting family members and characters who brought little quirks to the story. LaZebnik did a great job of including all of the chaotic members of the Benton family and the pretentious ones from Derek and Chase's families. LaZebnik artfully showed the themes of pride and prejudice in a new way, still managing to show how vicious our prejudices can make us. She also did a good job of incorporating Webster Grant, Elise's other love interest who isn't exactly as he seems.
While LaZebnik created a fabulously funny contemporary romance, at times I did feel like some of the wording was a bit awkward, like she was trying a bit too hard to make the book modern yet still similar to Pride and Prejudice. Sometimes the banter between the characters was cute, but at other times it was just trying too hard.
For the most part, Claire LaZebnik payed careful attention to detail when creating similarities between Epic Fail and Pride and Prejudice, but sometimes the connections didn't really work. She portrayed the so-nice-they're-naive Chase and Juliana perfectly, and made Elise's little sister Layla and Chase's little sister Chelsea plenty annoying, but there was a bit lacking with Elise and Derek's characters. I felt at times they were a bit too forgiving and weren't as stubborn as the characters in Pride and Prejudice.
However, if I hadn't read Pride and Prejudice before this I don't think I would have minded at all. Overall, Claire LaZebnik has created a cute and insanely funny romantic read perfect for summer, and it definitely wasn't an Epic Fail. show less

Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Claire LaZebnik’s Epic Fail is a wonderfully re-imagined homage to the classic love story of the headstrong, opinionated Elizabeth and the intimidating, aloof Mr. Darcy. Retold in a modern day setting for young adults, LaZebnik successfully captures both the magic of Austen’s story as well as the social differences and hierarchy of 19th century England against the backdrop of a Los Angeles prep school and American Hollywood “nobility.”

If the setting of this book is perfect, the characters are even more so. Austen was a master at capturing the essence of people – their foibles, vices, inconsistencies, etc. Her works were very much a commentary on the society of her time, the show more good, the bad and the ironic. LaZebnik has taken this and created a whole new set of characters that work within her modern setting, who are also are a social product of their era, but who still retain the same basic attributes of their 19th century counterparts. The similarities are just so cleverly executed and discovering them was part of what made this book so enjoyable.

Mr. Benton & Dr. Gardiner (aka- Mr. & Mrs. Bennet) are still the eccentric odd couple. Mr. Benton is a scholarly man who spends a lot of time in his study reading and bemoaning the decline of America’s value system. Dr. Gardiner is the new principal of the Benton girls’ school, fashion-challenged, slightly petty and starstruck by the social status of her students’ parents. Juliana is the quintessential Jane – kind, good, quick to believe the best in people and so sweet. Her love interest, Chase, differs a bit from Austen’s Bingley but for the better– he’s a bit more assertive and not quite as ineffectual while still being very friendly and kind. Layla is a perfect Lydia – a 14 year-old social climber who is boy-crazy and who is completely unaware of what is appropriate and what is not.

Elise, the protagonist of this story, is a brilliant tribute to Elizabeth Bennet. Fiercely independent, smart, practical, lovably random with her own quirky and wry sense of humor, she is at times blinded by her own assumptions. However, she is also wise and mature enough to admit when she assumes incorrectly. She is a keen observer of human nature and it’s interesting to view the cast of characters through her intelligent and discerning eyes.

Derek, the male lead and main love interest, probably had the hardest role to fulfill – that of the inestimable and beloved Mr. Darcy. And he does fill those giant shoes quite well. Standoffish, terse, presumed to be arrogant and unfriendly, yet at times heartachingly vulnerable, Derek presents a confusing and infuriating challenge to Elise. Her sister and best friend, Juliana, has just fallen for Derek’s best friend, Chase. As a result, the two of them are continually (and awkwardly) thrown together in all kinds of social situations. As Derek and Elise get to one another better, they have the opportunity to be witness to each other’s true character. And in the end, they may realize that their opinions of one another are not as accurate as they both initially thought.

At this point in the review, it’s important to note that while this story is a self-described, re-imagining of Pride & Prejudice, LaZebnik has not merely retold the same story. She has taken the bare bones that Austen provided and has created something new and unique that Austen fans and the unfamiliar reader alike will enjoy. Homage or not, there are many things that remain universal that readers will appreciate. The romance is sweet. The relationships feel genuine. The girl/sister drama is just so spot-on and hilarious. The characters are well-developed and unique. The teen issues addressed are relevant. Epic Fail is a beautifully written novel and, personally, it satisfies that Austen craving that surfaces every once in awhile.

Overall, Epic Fail = a monumental success. show less

Pride and prejudices is my most favorite book of all times: it’s romantic, original, amazing and unique but most importantly: inimitable. So what is it with authors today trying to retell it? It’s not like it needed a je-ne-sais-quoi of something or that it lacked a fact here, another cheesy line there to make it perfect, it’s flawless just the way it is.

Sadly, there are tons of said books out there, promising a modern retelling of my beloved classic, sometimes it’s just a pale imitation, a disaster or so I’ve heard, but sometimes and I mean extremely rarely sometimes *shock* the author succeedes and ends up coming with a hilarious, fantastic and lovable book that will make you laugh hard and like almost every aspect of their show more story and their characters.

Fortunately for me, Epic Fail falls in the latter category.

Because in fact, “Epic Fail” is an Epic Win.

If you have read Pride and Prejudices (and liked it) then no worries, there’s not much new but then there’s nothing not to like, the story follows smoothly the main events of the classic, with tricky and modern, very-well-done twists. You are easily attached to our main protagonists: Elise Benton is hilarious with her heavy sarcasm and quick, witty comeback. Derek Edwards (who were mentioned by his first and last name throughout the whole book), the son of two gold stars of Hollywood fit pretty good in the Darcy persona: moody, coming as a standoffish, cold brat, hardly ever smiling but when showing his soft ¬— true side he turns into this dreamy, shyly romantic guy you just want to… well, to do bad things with.

I loved it. I kept reading until 3 a.m. on a night school. Also with the last few pages, Epic Fail kind of reminded why and how much I adored Pride and Prejudices and just like that, I fell in love with it all over again. show less

I had no idea when I started reading Epic Fail that it was a modern re-telling of Pride & Prejudice. This turned out to be a good thing for me since I'm not always a fan of updated classics and am not as familiar with P&P as many others. It really allowed me to enjoy the characters and story on there own, without making constant comparisons to the original classic.

Elise is such a smart, fun and believable young woman. She doesn't always say or do the right thing but is still very comfortable with who she is and learning from her mistakes. She laughs at herself, cares for her sisters and tries to always see the good in people. I really enjoyed the relationship she shares with her parents and sisters because of how authentic it felt. show more Specifically the dynamic between Elise and Juliana always felt very close, connected and real, making you truly understand just how special these two sisters relationship is.

I really enjoyed the way Derek's layers are slowly peeled back because at first he just seems like a self-centered, rich boy. I think the way in which "Hollywood" was used as a backdrop into Derek's life was really interesting since it allowed his character to have a very unique perspective on growing up amidst that kind of lifestyle. He's been influenced by things then the average person wouldn't have to deal with, such as media and celebrity. It allows his character to feel very different from everyone else, almost isolated but also honest and vulnerable.

The chemistry between Derek and Elise jumps right of the page and makes their playful banter so much fun to read. Since they're both quite stubborn, it makes the scenes they share with their friends and siblings all the more hilarious by letting you see just how protective and opinionated they both are. Elise is quick to protect Juliana, feeling that her sister is sensitive and fragile, in the same way Derek is always looking out for his best friend, Chase.

Webster isn't your typical antagonist, helping to bring a new dynamic to the social outcast role. He challenges all the characters he comes into contact with becoming a threat in ways you might not expect.

Epic Fail is the perfect novel if you want a quick, light romance filled with hilarious moments. Claire LaZebnik has updated a beloved classic with ease and still left her own mark on the YA contemporary genre. I think the novel will definitely appeal to die hard fans of Pride & Prejudice since there's plenty of winks to the original classic, but there's also plenty of new material to attract younger readers. show less

I love Pride and Prejudice, but that doesn’t always mean I will like modern day adaptations. There is a very fine line with an adaptation, because if it is too similar the story becomes a poor shadow of the original and yet it must be similar enough that the flavor of Pride and Prejudice remains. Epic Fail mostly succeeded, there were only a few moments where it stumbled. The characters were reminiscent of Elizabeth, Darcy, and so one, but they were different enough to stand on their own. As a side note, I liked the change to modern names for all the characters instead of a variation on the originals. The plot was cleverly modernized, with a ritzy private school becoming a believable setting. Despite knowing the ultimate outcome, show more reading this was highly satisfying. show less

ORIGINALLY POSTED http://hobbitsies.net/wordpress/2011/08/epic-fail-by-claire-lazebnik/

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 show more 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. show less

“You have a nickname, too?” he asked me.
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to shoot you,” I said apologetically.
He nudged Juliana’s elbow with his. “Will you tell me?”
“No way. She knows where I sleep.”

Yup. This has me hooked. For now.
Will see.

EDIT 2013/07/29
Yup, another take on [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926].
Cute, light. And funny. Kept me amused (which isn't exactly easy since I have peculiar sense of humour).

But I wouldn't say it's anything epic. A fast read that doesn't leave much of a lasting impression really.

(Oh and, personally, [b:Prom and Prejudice|8369681|Prom and Prejudice|Elizabeth show more Eulberg|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1281991654s/8369681.jpg|13225041] left more of an impact with me. It felt more solid. Plus I'm a sucker for music. Ah well. To each their own...) show less