Contemporary settings at a prep school and debate tournament update Jane Austen’s work but also show the perennial nature of Pride and Prejudice.

DasGupta, Sayantani. Debating Darcy. 320p. Scholastic. Apr. 2022. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781338797695.
Gr 8 Up–The world of high school competitive speech and debate is rife with passion, dedication, and complexity. Fortunately, so is Leela Bose, a Bengali American feminist who is a devoted friend, a loyal daughter, and far more insecure than those who know her might guess. Unfortunately, the incorrigible competitor Firoze Darcy, who is of Pakistani-British descent, pushes all of her buttons. In this comedy of manners, a series of miscommunications (and very ­intentionally hurtful communications) drives a wedge between Leela and her speech friends and ongoing perceptions of classism continue to put Leela and Firoze into each other’s chaotic orbit. This reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice centers a diverse cast of characters navigating through experiences of racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia and gives voice to Austen characters who had been voiceless. But make no mistake, Leela and crew are not Austen’s characters, they’re DasGupta’s own. VERDICT Perfect for fans of young adult realism, comedic romances, and feminist themes.–Sarah Voels

See also: 12 Novels That Would Make Jane Austen Proud

Quain, Amanda. Accomplished. 320p. Wednesday Bks. Jul. 2022. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781250817815.
Gr 7 Up–A light boarding school YA with a light Pride and Prejudice flavor. Georgie Darcy is back at Pemberley Academy for her junior year despite The Incident with Wickham Foster that almost got her expelled. She hopes to repair her reputation and her relationship with her brother (and guardian) Fitz, but the return of manipulative drug dealer Wickham is making it difficult. The two make a deal—if she can get back in her brother’s good graces, ex-boyfriend Wickham will leave her alone. She decides to play matchmaker to her overbearing brother so that she can devote her time to becoming the perfect Darcy. Charlie Bingley and Lizzie Bennet make appearances, but it’s really the fleshing out of Georgie’s tale that makes this contemporary retelling a fun read for non-purist Janeites. Character development isn’t always consistent, and the charming tone sometimes clashes with the more serious aspects of the novel—Georgie’s low self-esteem and desperate attempts to fit in her family, Wickham’s sinister gaslighting of the younger girl. However, the heroine’s reckoning with her own racial and class privilege is refreshing, and her complicated but loving relationship with her brother is a shining point. All the main characters are assumed white. VERDICT The novel plays fast and loose with the plot of Jane Austen’s beloved classic, but for fans of boarding school dramas and rom-coms, this fits the bill.–Shelley M. Diaz