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Summary
Summary
Abby McDonald gives L.A. the Jane Austen treatment in this contemporary take on Sense and Sensibility .
Hallie and Grace Weston have never exactly seen life eye to eye. So when their father dies and leaves everything to his new wife, forcing the girls to pack up and leave San Francisco for a relative's house in shiny Beverly Hills, the two sisters take to their changing lot in typically different styles. Shy, responsible Grace manages to make friends with an upbeat, enterprising girl named Palmer but still yearns for her old life -- and the maybe-almost-crush she left behind. Meanwhile, drama queen Hallie is throwing herself headlong into life -- and love -- in L.A., spending every second with gorgeous musician Dakota and warding off the attention of brooding vet Brandon. But is Hallie blinded by the stars in her eyes? And is Grace doomed to forever hug the sidelines?
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 8-10-Hallie and Grace couldn't be more different. Grace is practical and steady, while her older sister is given to hysterical fits and dramatic mood swings. So when their father dies unexpectedly, the siblings grieve in their own ways. When it's discovered that he left everything he owned to his second wife, Grace tries to think of ways to keep the family in their home, while Hallie sinks into despair. A rescue comes from an unlikely source-the girls' distant cousin Auggie, a movie director. He welcomes them and their mother to Beverly Hills and his home. Hallie believes that this will be the beginning of a new chapter for her and the launch of her acting career. Grace hopes things will be better, but doesn't hold out much hope. Nothing is as it seems in Hollywood. The story alternates between the sisters. There are similarities to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, as the story is promoted as a contemporary take on the classic. There are some references to alcohol and sex. Purchase where clean romances and the author's other novels are popular.-Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility gets another makeover in this soapy romp. McDonald (Getting Over Garrett Delaney) sticks closely to the original plot, while bringing the story into the present. Teenage sisters Grace and Hallie get kicked out of their house, along with their artist mother, after the girls' father dies intestate, and their father's new wife, Portia, takes all of his money. Luckily, their mother has a wealthy TV producer cousin, who invites them to live in his Beverly Hills guesthouse. Shy, practical Grace says goodbye to her crush (Portia's younger brother) and silently aches for him all summer; fiery aspiring actress Hallie snubs the young Iraq War veteran next door in favor of a sexy rising rock star, who rescues her from drowning. McDonald creates a jaunty melodrama filled with fun, if familiar, characters; third-person narration shifts focus between the sisters, who both feel the push and pull between reason and passion. Fans of the original will enjoy exploring the reimagined characters, relationships, and dramas, while readers uninitiated in Austen can still appreciate the spirited romantic ride. Ages 14-up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
In newfound destitution after their father's death, sisters Grace and Hallie are forced to reconfigure their lives as houseguests of a distant wealthy relative in the Hollywood hills. Alternating perspectives highlight the girls' differences as they navigate their own love stories. Although details are fit to a contemporary setting, the methodical unfolding of Sense and Sensibility's plot leaves little new excitement for Austen fans. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This modernization of Sense and Sensibility follows the classic book's basic plot, with the action set mostly in today's Hollywood. Grace is steady and hopes for a career in science; Hallie's determined to become an actress and routinely gives in to her volcanic emotions. Their father has just died without a will, leaving the girls' socialite stepmother in complete control of the considerable fortune. She cuts the family off without a penny. The girls and their impractical artist mother move into the guesthouse owned by their TVmovie producer cousin in Beverly Hills. By then, sensible Grace has fallen for her stepmother's brother, now out of reach at Stanford. Emotional Hallie meets musician Dakota and falls massively, almost catastrophically in love. McDonald's update to Austen's plot works. Broken into five parts, the story alternates between Grace and Hallie as lead characters. Readers can laugh at Hallie's excesses and despair at Grace's reticence, but both characters come across as admirable in the end. Readers familiar with the original will enjoy seeing McDonald's spin, and those who are not will get the benefit of the tried-and-true plot all the same. (Romance. 12 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, the Weston sisters, Hallie and Grace, and their mother suddenly find themselves destitute after Mr. Weston's unexpected death. With all of Mr. Weston's worldly goods left to his new wife, Portia, Hallie and Grace must leave behind their beloved home in San Francisco and move in with a wealthy uncle in Beverly Hills. Grace is heartsick to leave behind Theo, Portia's younger brother to whom Grace has become strongly attached. In Beverly Hills, impetuous Hallie quickly falls for musician Dakota, while neighbor Brandon quietly falls for Hallie. McDonald stays close to the classic novel's original plot in this breezy, lighthearted romance that even teens who have never encountered Austen's novel will enjoy.--Gaus, Eve Copyright 2010 Booklist