Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

Written by Ibi Zoboi

Narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo

In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic. A smart, funny, gorgeous retelling starring all characters of color. 

Don't miss the audiobook, read by Elizabeth Acevedo, the beloved author and narrator of The Poet X, winner of an Odyssey Honor and an AudioFile Earphones Award winner. 

Zuri Benitez has pride. Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.

When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.

But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.

Ibi Zoboi's Pride is a strong option for summer reading and for sharing in a classroom or for homeschooling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9780062855046

Ibi Zoboi

Ibi Zoboi is the New York Times bestselling author of American Street, a National Book Award finalist; Nigeria Jones, a Coretta Scott King Award winner; Pride; My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich; Okoye to the People: A Black Panther Novel for Marvel; and the Walter Award and LA Times Book Prize–winning Punching the Air, cowritten with Exonerated Five member Yusef Salaam. She is also a two-time Coretta Scott King Honor Award winner for her picture book The People Remember and her middle grade biography of Octavia Butler, Star Child. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her family. You can find her online at ibizoboi.net.

Reviews for Pride

[Barbara Pizarro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing this Audio was so good. I highly recommend this to everyone

[Addy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a reread for me and it was still just as potent. I absolutely loved it.

[Yogi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pride and Prejudice Remix is in the Hood. Ibi has created modern characters to retell this story from the perspective of a young teenage girl named Zuri. I found the storyline very entertaining although at times Zuri's completely blind loyalty to her neighborhood was over-the-top. I get it, she loves her family, neighborhood and neighbors but we are reminded over and over again how ones' pride can get in the way of good sense. At 17 years old, Zuri is a passionate teenager who loves to read, write and dance. She loves her life and doesn't want anything to change. She doesn't want to change; she doesn't want her sister to change or her neighborhood. As she begins to explore the world outside of her neighborhood, she discovers she wants more than the limitations she's been living within.

When the Darby's move in to the newly updated and renovated house across the street, Zuri immediately judges them to be upper class snobs. After all, they are not from the Hood so how Black can they be. Her attitude gets even worse after she meets Darius Darby, the handsome younger son of the family. Since the storyline follows the Pride and Prejudice storyline, you know where this is going. Ibi was very smart as she created modern day characters from the Hood to mimic the ancient characters from England of old.

The narration was excellently done by Elizabeth Acevedo. I enjoyed it. Well done!

[Danneika Graise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved how very different the author wrote this story. The whole time I was reading this book I compared them to the characters in the movie ? and I must say don't compare it to the movie lol ??‍♀️?.... This book had me so connected with charactersit was a WHOLE mood in my opinion. It really was a REMIX I highly enjoyed this book.

[Matei Camelia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked the poetry the most. I also enjoyed following the strong female lead while she struggled to grow up and better understand the world around her.
It was also interesting to hear about the way people perceive other people and how they work toward understanding each other despite the differences rising from upbringing, pride,prejudice, education or naivete.

[Ana Rita · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Pride" is a well-crafted retelling of "Pride and Prejudice" that talks about gentrification, poverty and identity in a thoughtful way.

I believe that retellings of classics are a fun way to explore a well-beloved tale and make it more actual - and there is nothing more actual than a discussion on the gentrification of poor neighbourhoods, mostly inhabited by Afrian-American and Latine communities. Moreover, this book discusses classism, privilege and identity in an acessible and thoughtful way, in my opinion.

I'm honestly in awe at how well done this book is written. It takes so much of the Jane Austen story, but puts a spin on it that makes it refreshing and nice to read. I found myself recognizing the tropes, the characters, the scenes but not getting tired at all or feeling like I read that before; instead, I was happy to recognize it, and amazed at Ibi Zoboi's crafting.

Zuri was a great protagonist, although (like Elizabeh in P&P tbh) not your typical likeable protagonist. She has a strong personality, and is very judgy, but she also loves her family and her community a lot, and would do everything for the ones they love. She's finding her place in the world while falling in love, and dealing with her views on what is happening to her neighbourhood, so of course she's going to be irrational sometimes and make some mistakes. I thought she was relatable, and a great protagonist.

However, Darius was not really it for me - I don't think I connected with him (or with Zuri's sisters, for that matter) as much as I did with Zuri, and that was kind of meh since he's the love interest.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fantastic retelling, fun and quick but it also talks about serious issues that need to be brought to light and discussed. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Elizabeth Azevedo - which was the reason I chose the audiobook - and I totally recommend it, because she's an amazing narrator.

[Nicky Morgan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great book by Ibi Zoboi. She can do no wrong!

[Miriam · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Zuri war vor allem in der ersten Hälfte einfach nur unsympathisch. Allgemein hätte die Handlung mehr Tiefe vertragen, das Buch hätte ruhiger etwas länger sein können.

[Auburn Morrow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everything I wanted and more! A wonderful interpretation of Lizzie Bennet. Listened to the entire book in two sittings :)

[Michelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book! The excellent demonstration of culture, tight families, and the hood feeling like home!

[Ashik Dowza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

loved it this is a great book i love this book very much it is the best

[María Pérez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a cute story. I loved the characters, I loved the winks to Pride and Prejudice and I loved what it taught me.

[Gladis Halbali · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think the story had a lot of potential but it did not seem to rise in my opinion. I wanted more from Darcy and an epilogue for both and did not get it. The book is cute and light but I will not return to it again...

[Theo Burgess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a story! Yes, yes, yes, it's a remix of a classic story; but it's been revived by Ibi Zoboi here. The audiobook especially brings the voices and the culture of the story to your ears. A little too many "What the Fudge" in my opinion, but I wa thinking of using this for the classroom. Very touching ending. Nicely done.

[Julie Ann Hynes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book pulls you in after a couple of chapters. It gave me the chills like Pride & Prejudice did, and I love the modern remix that speaks to current themes of identity, neighborhood change, belonging, understanding, generational differences and influence.

[Paula · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great audiobook with an amazing story and narrator. It was a meaningful, quick and beautiful written story. Totally recommend! I loved the author's previous novel and this one was no different!

[Curley Arrington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant! I can’t say anything else. Jane Austin is applauding somewhere in writer’s heaven. Brilliant!

[Kemi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful! Absolutely stunning and I loved every part of it!

[Apostolos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The audiobook was easily 4 stars, Elizabeth Acevedo is an amazing narrator, the story itself is closer to a 3/5. Zuri is indeed super judgemental and Darius was very much in the sidelines.

[jay · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Took me back to my old New York neighborhood, which is also gentrified now - although we didnt have social media we did have the flavor of community- the remix of pride and prejudice also brings true if not repetitive but well done

[melody shelton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This started off slow but, became very interesting. The characters were very relatable! I really like Zuri

[Kiki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing and so authentic! It touched my heart so much!

[Chantel DaCosta · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this Pride and Prejudice contemporary adaptation. Definitely a remix.

[Emma · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ok woow!! Loved this! Definitely gooing to write a bigger review!

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Okay, I lied, an audiobook to finish the year! I'm getting better but still find concentrating hard, especially when I fall asleep and skip to chapter 9 somehow.

Pride and Prejudice is not my favourite Austen novel, so retellings and modern takes can't hurt me. The Brooklyn setting, with the Benitez family of Haitian-Dominican heritage, worked well - the prejudice was easier to understand, and Zurii's pride is more of the 'have to laugh or you'll cry' variety (when her father accepts a buy out offer and the whole family have to leave their two room apartment, I was thinking, 'Girl, move on!')

All of the major plot points are in there and the translation works well. Darius and Ainsley Darcy are brothers who move into a gentrified townhouse across the street from Zuri and her loud and lively family, and Warren is the creep who took dodgy photos of Darius' young sister Georgia. The narrator, Elizabeth Acevedo, did a fantastic job of bringing brash Zuri to life and sounded very authentic (to me, anyway!), which helped with understanding the novel.

[Rian K · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book took me 10 months to read. Absolutely terrible take on Pride and Prejudice.

[lvstrongpuff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this take on Pride and Prejudice. I think you can really see the prejudices more in this version then the original. It was a great read. I think students will like to read this after reading the original.

[Mel · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t listen, voice of narrator annoying even if appropriate

[mrortiz-224881 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once again Ibi Zoboi does not disappoint. Her eloquent retelling of pride and prejudice brought tears to my eyes and detailed life in bushwick of Brooklyn in New York City. In short it is amazing. She manages to bring you right into Zuri’s life. This book reminded me why Ibi Zoboi is one of my favorite authors currently. I would definitely recommend it.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great remix of the beloved classic. Zoboi tackles class via gentrification, and the update works well. Zuri is an engaging protagonist, and she shares great chemistry with Darius.