Review Detail

I am such a sucker for a Pride and Prejudice retelling. I cannot even begin to count the number of retellings that I have read. With that being said, I must admit that I was a little disappointed with this version.

In this version of Pride and Prejudice, Callie somehow manages to transport herself to 1815 England when she falls and hits her head. That is really hard for me to accept. I feel that the book should have picked one time period and stuck there. Time traveling Jane Austen is not an easy thing to pull off. While the story is taking place in 1815, I liked it. It was really funny at times, and I had to try extremely hard to not snort and bring attention to myself. (I was reading this during a meeting... but don't tell anyone.)

As for sticking with the plot of Pride and Prejudice.... eh. There were some major elements left out. That does not earn high marks in my book. How can you eliminate a major character? Seriously.

The message behind the book is a good one. I do like the element of self-acceptance and speaking up for what you believe is right. Callie, the main character, certainly earns an A+ in that department. In case you didn't guess, this self-acceptance centers around a pair of red Prada pumps. Hence the title.

Overall, it was decent. My students would like it because it's not too deep or complicated. It's like a primer to P&P. Maybe even a pre-primer. Like painting with numbers.