Okay, taking a brief hiatus from haikus and Pokémon Go (yeah, I still play it) to bring you a BOOK post! I honestly couldn’t tell you how many times I sat down to write this post, only to be distracted by haikus, Pokémon Go, guacamole, or the book I’m writing. I’ll just say…I finished reading this book BEFORE we all went into quarantine, so it’s been…well I guess only a couple of weeks. What is time?
Moving on.
In the spotlight today is Pride by Ibi Zoboi. My mom bought me this book late last year (a signed copy too!) because she knows how much I love Pride and Prejudice and how important it is to me to read books written by, and about, people of color. This story is loosely based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice but don’t you dare compare—Pride is refreshing and rhythmic and so satisfying even without the connections it makes to P&P.
Every time I put this book down, I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. I loved the character of Zuri—she’s fierce, loyal, stubborn, creative, driven…the list goes on and on. Zoboi does a great job of showing Zuri’s ability to grow without relinquishing what’s truly important to her. As in Pride and Prejudice, Pride explores the ideas of pride and class, while also dealing with gentrification and the negative impacts it can have on a community. Of course, there is romance involved, and I felt that the romances were given the proper amount of attention—important enough to affect the characters and their beliefs, but not so all-encompassing as to eclipse the other themes in the story.
As I mentioned above, Pride has a beautiful rhythm to it that you can feel in every page. Zuri is a poet and the story is peppered with her poetry—all of which adds to the story. It was so lovely that I wanted more, and I wanted more of her sharing her poetry and coming into her own. Honestly, I just wanted more of the whole story. I absolutely recommend this book. It’s not incredibly long, and is a beautiful, diverse update of P&P—geared toward the YA crowd, but lovely for any reader. Additionally, the cover art is STUNNING. I can’t wait to read more by Zoboi—particularly American Street and Punching the Air.
I hope this finds you all well and safe. Please let me know what you are currently reading—I am in constant need of ideas, ESPECIALLY NOW. 🙂 Cheers everyone, and, as always, keep reading.
The Bookish Bird 