3.5 stars

I finished reading Pride at three o’clock yesterday morning, nearly twenty-four hours ago. Although I was somewhat busy as the day progressed, I was mostly avoiding this review because I truly didn’t know what rating to give. Upon finishing, I believed Pride to be a solid four star read, but as time passed, I began to doubt that rating. A modern take on a classic I, admittedly, haven’t read, this novel was enjoyable, but not without its flaws.

Possibly my favorite part of this story was the protagonist, Zuri. Though she was often judgmental and occasionally switched to flat out cruel, I can’t fault her. She was such a fierce character in every way — her poetry, her relationships, her opinions. And can we talk about how breathtakingly amazing her poems are? If Zoboi wrote a poetry book, I’d read it, to be honest.

One of the other definite positives was the Benitez family dynamic. There were some instances in which Zuri’s sisters seemed especially irritating, but I feel that made them even more realistic. I also loved the vibe of the entire neighborhood; everyone was so familiar with one another, so friendly. I liked their block parties, though there was unfortunately only one in the story. It’s a shame that my apartment complex is full of grumpy old people. The only fun ones here are the cute little dogs.

I read about a third of this novel physically, and listened to the rest while otherwise occupied. I firmly believe that the audiobook is a large part of why I enjoyed the story as much as I did. Elizabeth Acevedo’s narration strengthened Zuri’s narrative, and at the risk of sounding strange, her voice was so pleasant to listen to. Some people are better suited to narrating than others, and in my opinion, Acevedo is one of them. If this is what the With the Fire on High audiobook is like, sign me up.

While Darius and Ainsley were interesting enough characters, my biggest issue with this novel was Darius and Zuri’s romance. A classic case of hate to love, this time around it simply didn’t work for me. They’re neighbors, not required to do anything together, yet kept hanging out. Why would they do that when they clearly despise each other? Additionally, I found the drama in the final ten or so chapters a bit ridiculous. Their story ultimately had a cute ending, but at that point, it would’ve taken a miracle to change my mind.

The saddest part of the ending was unrelated to the Benitez or Darcy families, and it hit hard even though part of me suspected it would happen. That aside, Zoboi wrote an open end, one that, to me, bordered on vague. I would’ve appreciated a few more details, but after some time to reflect, I think Zoboi did that intentionally. The idea of not knowing what comes next but remaining hopeful sends a good message.

All in all, Pride was a quick, fun novel, and although I went in rather clueless, I enjoyed it. Some aspects definitely could be improved, but I’d still recommend this to anyone in a contemporary mood, regardless of whether or not you’ve read Pride and Prejudice. I hope to read more from Zoboi in the coming months.

Representation:
• Zuri and her family are Haitian-Dominican.
• Darius and his family are black.
• As far as I’m aware, all of the side characters are black as well.

CW: death, violence, sexual exploitation (Specifically, an older teen boy takes and shares inappropriate photos of a younger teen girl. Both are side characters. I couldn’t think of a better phrase.)