Most Ardently

November 15, 2023
Oliver Bennet is not like the other Jane Austen characters you know; he's not interested in "having a wife. Or, more importantly, being one." As the second-eldest child in the Bennet family, Oliver is expected to marry to maintain the family's wealth and not be a financial burden. But Oliver's family knows him as Elizabeth, assigning him an identity that causes him great discomfort, as he knows he's a boy. Rather than finding a suitable husband, Oliver is much more interested in letting his family (and the rest of the world) know his true identity. If he happens to find love along the way with someone who embraces who he really is, all the better; in the meantime, he's grateful for the support of older sister Jane, who accepts him as her brother. When Oliver, forced into a gown by Mama, meets the enchanting Fitzwilliam Darcy at a ball, he's taken aback by how coldly the other boy treats him. However, after a subsequent chance encounter at a fair, where Oliver is dressed in trousers, the boys become friends--and, eventually, something more. Novoa builds on the source text's narrative, including detailed descriptions of queer life in Regency England as well as the period's clothing and domestic life. The story is entertaining and fast paced, but a lack of narrative tension serves to keep readers from feeling fully immersed. Cast members are cued white. An accessible queer retelling with a low-conflict storyline. (author's note, historical note) (Historical romance. 12-18)

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December 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 Oliver Bennet rarely gets to be himself in 1813 London, because his family still calls him Elizabeth--his birth name. With the help of his best friend, Charlotte, he sneaks out and explores London dressed as a young gentleman. It's on one of these excursions that he runs into the moody, aloof Fitzwilliam Darcy--except Darcy has already met him as Elizabeth at a social ball. But they learn that they're both queer young men navigating the social norms and gender roles of Regency England, and the closer they get, the harder it becomes for Oliver to fend off suitors and his mother's insistence that he wear elaborate dresses to find a suitable husband. This triumphant queer and trans retelling of Pride and Prejudice holds and cares for its readers, offering a gentle story during an especially difficult period in history for those outside the norm. The relationship between Darcy and Oliver is tender and rooted in mutual compassion. For every reader who fell in love with Pride and Prejudice but wished it was a little more queer.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from December 8, 2023

Gr 8 Up-As the second eldest, the clock is ticking for Oliver Bennet to find a husband. He refuses. Forced into gowns, Oliver is wrongfully assumed to be another Bennet daughter. While dressed in trousers that validate his identity, Oliver visits a gentleman's club for the first time. An initially tense connection between Oliver and Fitzwilliam Darcy slowly blossoms into something more. With Darcy, will Oliver finally get to kiss a boy as a boy? Novoa's interpretation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a testament to the power of queer spaces and community. Oliver and Darcy's push-and-pull relationship is magnetic as they navigate societal challenges in 1800s London. Though Oliver is constantly deadnamed, the narrative itself is respectful. A historical note offers important context about some creative liberties. VERDICT Brimming with wit and chemistry, this queer revision of a much-beloved source text is nothing short of masterful. A must-purchase.-Alec Chunn

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