Twelve Days of…Latinx Book Recommendations: Day 4

This “Christmassy” series is brought to you by my love of books by Latinx authors and my need for all of you to read them. Every day for twelve days leading up to Christmas, I will be gifting you all with a recommendation of a book by a Latinx author, along with twelve reasons why you should pick it up. Hoping to have lots of fun with with series which I am not so subtly calling Twelve Days of… Latinx Book Recommendations. Simultaneously, I will also be posting a Christmas-inspired book photo of these recommendations on my Instagram, which you can check out here. Covers are linked to Goodreads. Feel free to sing this first part to yourself aloud.

♬On the fourth day of Christmas, my favorite Latinx blogger gave to me, a recommendation for…♬

Pride by Ibi Zoboi

      “Pride and Prejudice gets remixed in this smart, funny, gorgeous retelling of the classic, starring all characters of color, from Ibi Zoboi, National Book Award finalist and author of American Street.
    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.
      In a timely update of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.”

Reasons You Need to Pick This One Up:

1. Pride and Prejudice retelling
2. P&P retelling that doesn’t feel like it’s been done a million times
3. Afro-Latinx cast (Haitian- and Dominican-American)
4. Stubborn, willful MC
5. Sisterly bonds
6. Gentrification
7. Strong community ties
8. Family comes first
9. Spiritualism
10. Importance of elders in the community
11. Slow burn, hate to love romance
12. Characters challenging each other

Have you read this one? Are you planning to read it? What’s your favorite diverse Austen retelling?