Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood

March 11, 2013
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.

April 1, 2013

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

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2013
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 TV-movie 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)

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July 1, 2013
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.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)