Friends with ARCs | Pride + The Deepest Roots

Zuri Benitez has a lot of pride in her Bushwick neighborhood, family and Afro-Latino roots. But when the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, it marks the start of a number of changes in Zuri’s world - two teen boys who she can’t stand and one other boy vying for her attention, her four sisters being drawn in all different directions, pending college applications, to name a few. Will Zuri’s pride leave her heart closed to all the possibilities that await her if only she lets them in?

With Pride, Ibi Zoboi succeeds in writing her own take on the familiar Pride & Prejudice tale, as there are plenty of elements (and characters) that are recognizable and the overarching theme of both stories are very similar. It was charming, particularly the way that Zoboi chooses to use a modern and multicultural framework within which to set her story. But where I think it faltered just a touch, for me at least, was in the characters and relationships. I wasn’t particularly invested in any of them, which resulted in my overall lukewarm response to a novel I thought I would love. I still think it’s worth checking out if you’re a P&P fan, or if you want a contemporary YA novel with interesting cultural aspects woven in.

Favorite Pride & Prejudice adaptation? It’s so easy for me to answer this one, because I adore The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It’s a modern take on the P&P story, told entirely through a series of YouTube ‘vlogs’ created by ‘Lizzie Bennet’ and featuring all of the other characters (or mentions of them) too. I binged the entire series in a night (and practically died of feels by the end), and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the last 5 or so episodes...

Pride by Ibi Zoboi | Publisher: Balzer + Bray | Publication Date: September 18, 2018 | Source: e-galley downloaded from Edelweiss (Thanks!)

In Cotton Hollow, girls are born with unusual talents - for Finding things or Fixing them, Healing or Seduction, and many others. Depending on the day or who you ask, the gifts are either a blessing or a curse. For best friends Rome, Mercy and Lux, it’s a little of both, especially as they navigate the ups and the downs of their individual experiences. When the discovery of a secret invites them to potentially land a windfall that could change their lives, the girls set out to find this treasure... only to discover that there might be something more at play when it comes to their town.

The Deepest Roots was evocative of a few other stories I’ve read, but most specifically reminded me of Wicked Like a Wildfire meets Katie McGarry. While the set-up and initial pacing were both a little rough, it eventually settled into its groove. And from that moment on, I pretty much devoured this tale! Each girl is struggling with something different - poverty, expectations, relationships, the future - and the author did a great job of highlighting each of those things. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the friendship these three girls shared, including how complicated things can get due to feelings and secrets. And the magical element was a welcome addition to the tale, which I personally quite enjoyed! I found this to be a solid debut offering from Miranda Asebedo, and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.

Which power would you want to have? There are a ton of interesting abilities for sure, but I think I’d like to be an Enough. It would guarantee that there would always be enough (or perhaps a little more than that) no matter what the situation!

The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo | Publisher: Harper Teen | Publication Date: September 18, 2018 | Source: e-galley downloaded from Edelweiss (Thanks!)