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Epic Fail

by Claire LaZebnik (Goodreads Author)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 11,487 ratings · 1,207 reviews

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise's beautiful...more

Paperback, 295 pages

Published August 2nd 2011 by HarperTeen

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Community Reviews

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Mar 13, 2012 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, sibilings, realistic-fiction, inspired-by-jane-austen

I am tempted to create a shelf called the gobblers. Gobblers are books that you soak up in one sitting and are usually oodles of fun. I used to be a gobbler fanatic. Picking up these types of books frequently and reading them like candy. I miss those days sometimes...

Anyways this particular story centers on Elise Benton. She's moved to a L.A. with her family and the changes of course are taking some time. Elise is going to a prep school where everyone knows a movie star, and her mother is the pr...more I am tempted to create a shelf called the gobblers. Gobblers are books that you soak up in one sitting and are usually oodles of fun. I used to be a gobbler fanatic. Picking up these types of books frequently and reading them like candy. I miss those days sometimes...

Anyways this particular story centers on Elise Benton. She's moved to a L.A. with her family and the changes of course are taking some time. Elise is going to a prep school where everyone knows a movie star, and her mother is the principal. Ouch. There is one class in particular, Astronomy that will be the most interesting. On the one hand in this class we have Derek Edwards, the brooding hunk with famous parents, and on the other we have Webster Grant, the easy-going guy with a fun attitude. Elise is a girl with a steady head on her shoulders and will not be wowed by the rich people environment, but there is just something about Derek. Grant says he’s trouble. Her sister Juliana is all doe-eyed with a boy named Chase, who happens to be best friends with Derek. What ensues are misunderstandings and misjudgments that create a big mess. A mess Elise is going to have to figure out.

Overall the book was fun and sweet and it's not meant to be anything else than that really. There are some interesting tidbits like how Derek and his family deal with the fame. It even actually got me thinking of how annoying it would be and how much of a tough skin you'd have to develop having your every move monitored. I do think the book suffered a little though with the characters. Elise and her sister Juliana are great together, and the guys were cool too. Once we get to the Benton family, well not so cool. The younger sister Layla is plain annoying and the mom... well she was kind of dim. But I get it, in the original novel they weren't meant to be favorable characters either. The other characters do make up for it though, so I was content to just watch and see how the relationships turned out. The whole group of them: Elise, Derek, Juliana and Chase were so cute.

What the author did well was make me believe this could be a story that carried itself and not need the layout of Pride and Prejudice. A reader can honestly pick up this book and have no prior knowledge of P&P, but since I had read it I knew how things would turn out, so some of the fun was probably taken out of it because of that.

I thought about saying nothing about the cover but alas I can't help myself. This cover is kind of misleading. The tagline epic fail doesn't play a prominent role at all and the holding of the notes isn't important either. About the only thing the cover depicts correctly is that there is in fact a guy and girl in the story. I guess the publishing house wanted to appeal to a teen audience, but I'm not a fan of the cover. Just sayin'

All that aside though this is a wonderful light read, and I even giggled. I don't giggle very much, so I guess that means something right?
(less)

27 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was quirky and so rom-com!
I didn't know what to think- but overall Claire-the author pulled this modern day take on pride and prejudice off well. She could however have mixed it up a little so it wasn't so predictable all the way through. It had so much more potential and she could have still stuck to the original take but added her own originality to it so there was more spontaneity to the story. For those who have read pride and prejudice although it isn't to everyone's liking-most...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, read-2013, romance, romance-lovers-book-club

3.5 stars.

Epic Fail was a fast, enjoyable read. Kudos to LaZebnick for incorporating the characters and plot points of Pride and Prejudice into a story about modern teens so well. I don't usually enjoy YA novels, but I would recommend this one to Austen fans.

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Mafi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eng, ebook

lido em ebook

Mais um livro fofinho, doce, leve, ideal para desanuviar.

É uma adaptação contemporânea do 'Orgulho e Preconceito' da Jane Auten, ainda não li o original mas espero que seja melhor do que este livro.

Mais uma vez, a história é bastante simples, e as personagens algo cliché mas não deixei de apreciar este livro, visto que era mesmo o que andava à procura, de uma leitura que não exigisse muito do cérebro e que entretesse. Este livro conseguiu o objectivo. ;)

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Mimi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: happy-ending, hawt-boys

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A modern version "Pride and Prejudice".This is all I can say about.

It was a fun read but there wasn't any mystery.After a first few chapters I had completely figured out the story,but the story- telling was good,so I kept on reading till I finished.Also I'm aiming for 100 books by 2011.So I can't leave any book unfinished :)

I love Jane Austen so Pride and Prejudice is also one of my favorites.But this constant retelling and reediting of her books is kind of boring and also not necessary.Whether...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2011 Sophie Riggsby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chemistry-101, adorable-quotient-is-high

*published on Mundie Moms on July 10, 2011*

Who doesn't love a romance story in the summertime? Well, I obviously do and any story that keeps the structure of my beloved Pride and Prejudice is definitely worth the perusal.

Claire LaZebnick brings the rhythm of Pride and Prejudice's plot into the modern day setting of Coral Tree Prep School in Los Angeles. Imagine a school where every kid is not only privileged but also related to a movie star or someone famous. Then imagine a more academic family...more

8 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2012 Maru rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, characters-i-hate, ya-contemporary

Rating: 1.5 STARS

The way I see it, Epic Fail was a pretty bad book with some ok moments. That's my overall reaction. Maybe it's not an EPIC fail, but it is somewhat of a fail nonetheless. It's just confusing, the characters are weird and flat, and - in my opinion - it's all quite boring. The majority ~~all~~ of the characters annoyed the hell out of me at one point or another, there a lot of stupid situations, and not many good developments of anything, but at least there are a few (keyword: few) fu...more

13 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Joan{missing the vampire bunny slippers!} rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-i-have

3.5 stars.

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Sofia Lazaridou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-love

This book is a 21rt century version of Pride and Prejudice.It's very to see the similarities between those two books.The similarities are the names(Elise Benton-Elizabeth Bennet and Derek's sister Georgia-Mr. Darcy's sister Georgiana)the plot,the end making a little predictable the book without making it boring.It's an easy read and if you like pride and prejudice you will like this one too

Elise Benton moves with her family to California and with her sister Julliana continue their education to a

...more

6 likes · like · see review

Dec 08, 2011 Karla Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit, contemporary, covers-me-like, e-books, romance, young-adult, favorites, 2011-reads, le-handsome-guys

I simply loved this book. Period. No More No less. :)

Contrast to its title Epic Fail , this one is an Epic Win! for me. It's a great modern rendition of Pride and Prejudice that has kept its own identity separate from the old classic. Its a great re-imagined version or counterpart to the classic love story of the headstrong and opinionated Elizabeth Bennet and the intimidating, aloof,and handsome Mr. Darcy which was retold in a modern day setting of outrageous teens with the characters Eli...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, 4-stars, retellings, reviewed-on-blog, comedies-funny-stuff, love-triangles, stand-alone, romance, contemporary, debut-novels

Original review posted on my blog: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...

Anyone who has read my blog enough can tell that I have a huge love of Jane Austen and her work. I also love reading retellings of her stories and seeing how authors put their own spin on a classic plotline. Pride and Prejudice is the Austen book that is probably most often retold due to its overwhelming popularity. It is not my personal favorite (Persuasion, anyone?), but I still adore it.

Epic Fail is a modern-day high...more Original review posted on my blog: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...

Anyone who has read my blog enough can tell that I have a huge love of Jane Austen and her work. I also love reading retellings of her stories and seeing how authors put their own spin on a classic plotline. Pride and Prejudice is the Austen book that is probably most often retold due to its overwhelming popularity. It is not my personal favorite (Persuasion, anyone?), but I still adore it.

Epic Fail is a modern-day high school retelling of Pride and Prejudice. All the usual suspects of P&P are here, just with updated names and backgrounds. LaZebnik does a fine job providing the Jane Austen fan with little tidbits and the classic themes of the original and providing great introductory material for Austen newbies.

Our main characters are Elise Benton (aka Elizabeth Bennet) and Derek Edwards (aka Fitzwilliam Darcy). Elise and her family have just moved to California in order for her mother to take a job as a principal at a prestigious LA prep school. On her first day, she discovers she might be a little out of place amongst all the designer clothes and outrageus wealth. Then her older sister, Juliana, catches the eye of one of the most popular guys in school, Chase Baldwin and Elise must deal with a growing attraction to Chase's best friend , Derek, the son of two well-known Hollywood actors.

Elise was a great heroine who was smart, loyal, and had no problem telling people what she thought. She was also flawed in a way that counteracted with her opinions of herself. Derek had all the wonderful attributes of Mr. Darcy from his shy manner, awkward courting of Elise, and protectiveness of his little sister, Georgia. This couple had many great moments together where they showed typical high school flirting along with the classic courting scenes from the Austen's classic. My personal favorite was when Elise and Derek went to a movie premiere and dealt with the ups and downs of a Hollywood life.

I also enjoyed the secondary relationship between Chase and Juliana. Both of these characters are sweet and their romance is the catalyst that gets the rest of the storyline going. I particularly enjoyed how LaZebnik dealt with the conflicts in this relationship and gave it a modern-day feel. There were also plenty of fun tidbits from Pride and Prejudice that caught my eye from the Benton's overbearing mother to the ridiculous behaviors of the high school girls around Derek and Chase. The character of Layla, Elise and Juliana's little sister, was as annoying as Austen's Lydia and the "villainous" Webster Grant provided a great counterpart for Austen's George Wickham. Any well-done Pride and Prejudice retelling needs to follow a certain criteria and Epic Fail does this perfectly from the prideful hero to the embarrassing family to the scandal involving the hero's sister.

The only complaint I had about this book was the ending. I was going along enjoying the relationship between Derek and Elise and then it just ended. It felt like there wasn't much of a conclusion to Elise and Derek's story and the other characters were just left out to dry. But, I was interested in LaZebnik's writing style so I will definitely look for more of her work. Recommended for Jane Austen fans and fans of well-written teen romance!(less)

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Sep 12, 2011 Lyndz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, own, reviewed

As teenage love dramas go, Epic Fail is a very good one. Yes, it was predictable, but what in this category isn’t? It is a very simple read. I probably could have knocked out the whole book in an afternoon if I would have had a chance to just sit down and read it.

I liked that the female protagonist Elise was spunky and intelligent. I loved that her family would embarrass her; it made her that much more relatable. Derek her love interest was a bit blah sometimes but he was likable enough in the...more

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Aug 27, 2011 _yay_ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, bad-boy, first-love, high-school, retelling, 3-stars

Elise Benton is the new principal’s daughter. The Coral Tree Prep students are in an uproar!
It’s not easy finding ones place in a new environment, and on her very first day she’s caught staring at a boy…by the hottie in question himself no less.
Derek Edwards is son to his famous movie star parents first – his own person second. Elise, however, has no clue who’s standing before her. Suffice to say, she’s not amused at his perpetual scowl and rudeness. Totally off-putting! Good thing Elise has her...more Elise Benton is the new principal’s daughter. The Coral Tree Prep students are in an uproar!
It’s not easy finding ones place in a new environment, and on her very first day she’s caught staring at a boy…by the hottie in question himself no less.
Derek Edwards is son to his famous movie star parents first – his own person second. Elise, however, has no clue who’s standing before her. Suffice to say, she’s not amused at his perpetual scowl and rudeness. Totally off-putting! Good thing Elise has her sisters around. Of course, there’s Webster Grant (George Wickham), too. He’s the exact same opposite of moody Derek: Funny, charming, and with an infectious smile. What’s the problem? Everything isn’t like it seems. Pride and Prejudice all the way to happiness!

You all surely know Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen?! This is a retelling. It’s going to be a short review for a quick read:
Epic Fail, to me, is the perfect title, for it was partly epic, but a bit of a failure in certain other aspects. I’ll start with what I didn’t like, only because I want you to leave my blog with a smile on your face.
Elise’s mom was over the top annoying. I didn’t get her at all. Her clingy, overprotective behavior might have been amusing if she had seen the error of her ways at some point. She didn’t. I know the character had to act in a certain way; this story is supposed to be a remake, but the author could’ve toned it down just a little in her case. I was questioning the woman's mental health for god’s sake! Second, the ending didn’t just NOT satisfy me, it also had me banging my head on the table. It came out of nowhere, like a curveball, and threw me for a loop. It’s more about how and when it happened than the ending itself. I was fine with the way things turned out. However, I hated that it was over and done with so suddenly. For a second I asked myself if part of the ebook was missing. I was on such a lovey-dovey high, just to come down from it with a bad feeling. It would’ve taken no more than two or three more chapters to make me happy. The abrupt ending had me in a foul mood.
The good: Whereas the mom was a pain in the ass, I liked daddy Benton a lot.
La Zebnik definitely made this story her own, yet, at the same time, gave it a very pointed Pride and Prejudice touch. She stayed true to Austen’s work, but modernized it to fit today’s young adult reader’s needs. Pimp my Austen! People who are familiar with the classic will instantly notice the skillfully implemented similarities. If you don’t? That’s okay, too. An enjoyable read nonetheless.
All the characters were well developed and had high recognition value. Elise (Elizabeth Bennet), even if blinded by the villain of the book, was very likable. A bit shy, concerned about her sisters’ wellbeing, and someone who could be trusted. Her emotions felt real, so it wasn’t difficult to connect with her. It’s interesting to see how she dealt with her new circumstances. A new state, new town, new school, … The setting changed, but the family dynamics clearly stayed the same.
As for Derek (Fitzwilliam Darcy), I liked his wary self. Why, you ask yourself now? Because he had every reason to be suspicious of most people. The poor guy had a lot of weight on his shoulders. It couldn’t have been easy to constantly see himself as - and feel like - a piece of meat in a tank full of piranhas.
The author did a great job of showing me, as the reader, his change of heart. Once he realized that Elise was probably the most genuine girl at all of Coral Prep, he didn’t waste any more time. Very sweet dialogue. Loved Elise’s spunk! Her sister Juliana (Jane Bennet), too, fell in love with someone. Chase Baldwin (Charles Bingley) wasn’t just the ying to her yang, but also happened to be Derek’s best friend. Their love didn’t feel like a subplot, though. Instead, it enriched the main storyline. Lots of drama! A fun summer read. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get over my disappointment in the ending. 3 stars to Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik.

Beware of Spoilers!
Two of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “…you’ll be buying your own one-way ticket to Loserville City. – Is that near Dorktown village? […] I was hoping to see that just once before I die.”
° “Not his fault? I repeated. How can you be an accidental jerk?”(less)

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Sep 08, 2011 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Epic Fail... to me this book was an epic fail indeed. I did not like this book. The characters were boring. The storyline went all over the place. At time, I almost wished we could read more about Juliana and Chase because Elise and Derek were so boring.

There's just too many things I didn't like in this book. How the parents were so controling and old fashion. For example, the girls all have a cell phone but they can't use it at school or at home!?!? So I guess that gives them the ride back fro...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, romance

26/12/12 - Finished a re-read today, and it was just as enjoyable as the first read.

***

Just finished reading this today - I know, weird right?? I VERY RARELY read books that quickly, even easy-to-read ones like this - and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I don't know if I even realised when I bought it that it was a modern-day take on the Pride and Prejudice story by Jane Austen. But that's what it was.

As I read on I kept encountering characters whose names were similar to characters' names fr...more 26/12/12 - Finished a re-read today, and it was just as enjoyable as the first read.

***

Just finished reading this today - I know, weird right?? I VERY RARELY read books that quickly, even easy-to-read ones like this - and I have to say I really enjoyed it! I don't know if I even realised when I bought it that it was a modern-day take on the Pride and Prejudice story by Jane Austen. But that's what it was.

As I read on I kept encountering characters whose names were similar to characters' names from the Austen novel. Elizabeth Bennett becomes Elise Benton. Jane Bennett is Juliana Benton. Okay, so Derek Edwards doesn't really fit Fitzwilliam Darcy, but Derek has a D...and Darcy has a D... :P At first I was confused by the character of Webster, who I imagined must be the equivalent of annoying (and super gross) cousin Mr. Collins (ya know...Webster's...Collins...). But eventually he made himself pretty clearly a match for Mr. George Wickham.

I thought LaZebnik did a great job of making the little sister Layla (a.k.a. Lydia!) super annoying. And yet I also could sympathise with her sometimes, because of how she was the not-quite-baby sister being left out by her two older sisters. Luckily for Layla, her life turned out much better than Lydia's in P&P, at least in my humble anti-Wickham opinion.

The girls' mother, as the annoying new principal everyone hates, was a good match for Elizabeth and Jane's mother in P&P, except that she was more intelligent. She was still very embarrassing and annoying. I felt so sorry for Derek every time she said, "Please thank your parents for the use of their limo!" and he was like, "It's not mine," in pained tones.

I love modern-day takes on Austen stories, whether they're in novel form or film. It's probably 'cause I get a kick out of figuring out how the writers have matched the stuff in the Austen stories up to modern day equivalents. Like in this one, instead of hand-written letters sent by carrier pigeon (okay, that's a slight exaggeration), the characters exchange emails. And instead of the headstrong chick turning down an offer of marriage, she turns down an offer of a date to the dance. With equally earth-shattering results, of course.

All in all, I really enjoyed the read, and now I move on!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Penelope rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: published-2011, reviewed-books

It hurts to write this review, because I was so excited for this book. I love everything Jane Austen, and when I read modern versions of Pride and Prejudice, it just makes my heart happy.

Sadly, this one didn't quite do the trick for me.

While the characters were supposed to be modern versions of Jane Austen's characters, most of their personalities were too different. Elise (Lizzy's modern counterpart) began the story as a girl unsure of herself who let herself be bullied around by two other char...more It hurts to write this review, because I was so excited for this book. I love everything Jane Austen, and when I read modern versions of Pride and Prejudice, it just makes my heart happy.

Sadly, this one didn't quite do the trick for me.

While the characters were supposed to be modern versions of Jane Austen's characters, most of their personalities were too different. Elise (Lizzy's modern counterpart) began the story as a girl unsure of herself who let herself be bullied around by two other characters, and who even felt inferior when Derek (Mr. Darcy's counterpart) ignored her or brushed her off. Jane Austen's Lizzy would never have felt inferior in those situations! Later in the story Elise's personality starts to show and she is a much more interesting and funny character, but she is still full of self-doubt and has little sense of self worth...until she gets the guy. Yeah....

The other characters were either flat, and showed hardly any personality beyond what we are told should be there, or were outright obnoxious. The romance between Chase and Juliana (Mr. Bingley and Jane) happens outside of the scenes in the book, so they seem to fall in love after just a few class periods. The romance between Elise and Derek starts out promising (he's very much like Mr. Darcy in the beginning), but quickly turns typical. Average, at best. Something about the story kept me reading all night long, so it's not without redeeming factors, but I still felt like something was missing.

The good points of the book are the fantastic modern parallels to Jane Austen's day. Some of them were very clever and I applaud the author's ability to take what Jane Austen saw was wrong with the time period, and relate it to what is wrong in our time period, too. I also really liked the relationship between Elise and Juliana. They didn't get along perfectly, but they talked to each other and helped each other throughout the story.

Overall, this is a very quick read that boasts some cute scenes with the main characters. If you think you will be able to keep this separate from Pride and Prejudice in your mind, you should definitely give it a try.

This review was originally published on my blog. Read the full review at: The Reading Fever.(less)

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Nov 11, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: harper-collins

Originally posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

Epic Fail is such a fun novel, one that will lift your spirits and give you the pick-me-up you're looking for! While it's light, humorous and very entertaining, the author manages to slip in a few serious and emotional scenes too. You'll speed through this book very quickly, being sucked into the engaging Pride and Prejudice-like story. Derek Edwards keeps himself at an arm's length away from everyone, always assuming the worst in people. It's not...more Originally posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

Epic Fail is such a fun novel, one that will lift your spirits and give you the pick-me-up you're looking for! While it's light, humorous and very entertaining, the author manages to slip in a few serious and emotional scenes too. You'll speed through this book very quickly, being sucked into the engaging Pride and Prejudice-like story. Derek Edwards keeps himself at an arm's length away from everyone, always assuming the worst in people. It's not hard to understand, since his parents are the most famous celebrity couple in the world. Slowly, Elisa proves herself to be a true friend, not after his popularity or money, and we have ourselves a lovely beginning to a friendship, folks! Gee, I wonder where this will lead……

Elise is a fantastic character. She manages to keep her head straight, be responsible and fun in the chaos she calls her family. She and her three completely different sisters transfer to Coral Tree Prep, a fancy school where - wait for it - her father is a maths teacher and her mother is the new strict principal. Could high school get any worse? At times I felt like strangling every single one of her family members but thankfully, Elise's humour is endless. Her sarcasm and lighthearted wit is refreshing and will put a smile on your face for sure!

Now…the boys. Oh what a dilemma Elisa has gotten herself into. At first, she only has to deal with a hardened Derek, but then Webster Grant steps onto the scene! He's your typical nice guy, but Derek seems dead set on hating him. Of course, we think Derek's overreacting but maybe his accusations have merit… You won't have any idea about what the true story is until the end! Yes, even this fun romance has a mystery! I really did love both guys and the story the two share… *gasp* Unexpected!

The ending is lovely. It couldn't possibly end without a happily ever after but it's really all about the journey! Loved the plot and loved the characters - more please! I'm really looking forward to reading whatever Claire's got in store for us next. I'm quite sad that Epic Fail is a stand-alone! I could definitely spend some more time with this fun and dynamic cast of characters.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2011 Adi (Reading in the Windowseat) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read-list, own-on-paper, class-young-adult, genre-romance, lovehate-lovesong

Cute. Light. Easy.

Ever since I saw the cover a half year back I wanted to buy the paperback. When I read the annotation I was all in, thinking it will be a sweet, funny YA - I never asked for a good modern-day teen love story, I was even in the mood for going along with corny, but the book was a surprise. It is not corny. It is not complicated - actually cute, light and easy describe it best. There was just not enough to captivate, not as much laughter-inspiring words as I expected.

There was one...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Fred rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tammara Webber fans, Abbi Glines fans

Recommended to Fred by: Laura YA indie princess

I really enjoyed this, it was funny and sweet, with the classic impediments to high school relationships - stupid misunderstandings, misconstrued behaviors, sabotage by sibling, and embarassing parents. And a good guy who seems bad and a bad guy who seems good, and some dramatic situations in which their true natures are revealed. One thing I really liked about this was that the two MC's didn't just get together on the last page and swoon over each other - they actually spend some time together...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Swetha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, i-ve-got-a-pocket-full-of-sunshine, ya

A book that I finished in a matter of hours and enjoyed. A light read, basically. Helps when you have nothing else to do. Four random facts about the book :

1) I liked Jules better than Elise.
2) I liked how their family is portrayed the way families actually are.
3) I hated how the sisters never included Layla though she is irritating. Come on, she feels leftout.
4) It's weird to say I liked the book because of this one line, but that's how it was.
' Isaac wasn't the kind of kid to stand around g...more

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Feb 04, 2013 khungkhing rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

"Epic Fail" was so cute. I couldn't stop reading it even if I wanted to. It casted a spell on me; it made me turned page after page.

I loved Elise, Derek, Juliana and Chase. I even liked Webster guy despite a complete jerk he was (since I didn't expect him to be that bad). For the story, I loved that this book wasn't only value about the romance but also families and friendship as well. I felt the chemistry between Elise and Derek even though they both tried to deny their own feeling. It was like...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 08, 2012 April*procrastinator and proud* rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was okay but there were too many flaws. Like the author just let Webster get away with what he did and was doing, nothing happened to him, he just lived his life as a future pedophile... ugh
and I think there could've been more romance for a romance/comedy novel. It was funny, but the humor was mostly sarcasm. Which gets old after a while. And the male lead, yeah i liked him. But I didn't love him. I want to love the male leads, but he was a little flat. I think the author could've made him mo...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Homewood Public Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Elise Benton is a pretty normal teenage girl, but her life is turned upside down when her family moves to California and she is enrolled in the elite prep school, Coral Tree Prep. Her new school is filled with the children of A-list celebrities, who are just as glamorous as their famous parents. Elise just doesn’t fit it. Now add in the fact that her mother is the new principal and Elise has a one way ticket to outcastland. When Elise’s older sister catches the eye of Chase, one of Coral Tree Pr...more

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May 20, 2013 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Woah. I dont know what to say...

Well, Epic fail is a pretty good book. I like the characters and think that almost all of them are fully developed, except maybe Kaitlyn and a few others. Its a good book, but I expected more.

I dont know - there is something missing. Its a modern day take on Pride and Prejudice, and written really well. I like the uncertainty Elise has towards Derek, an the connection between them is really good and brings a lot more to the story. The chemistry between Juliana and...more

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May 13, 2013 Izia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adorable-characters, feel-good, i-like-it, just-ok, romance, sweet-hero, ya

I want to make an intelligent review about this book but I can't find anything else to say except that this book is... CUTE. Sort of.

It's the kind of book you read without having to think much about it. It's entertaining and if you've read Pride and Prejudice, then you can pretty much get the gist of the story.

There is nothing spectacular here and I find the writing too juvenile, which, I conclude isn't really a bad thing because it's obviously marketed towards the younger audience. I cannot rea...more

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May 08, 2013 Kayde rated it 4 of 5 stars

Epic Fail
By Claire Lazebnik
Review Written by Kayde Boesch

The book Epic Fail was written by Claire Lazebnik. Epic Fail is about the son of Hollywood's royalty, Derek Edwards, who is pretty, much prince of the school. As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must sit by at lunch girl. When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she...more Epic Fail
By Claire Lazebnik
Review Written by Kayde Boesch

The book Epic Fail was written by Claire Lazebnik. Epic Fail is about the son of Hollywood's royalty, Derek Edwards, who is pretty, much prince of the school. As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must sit by at lunch girl. When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

I would say that this books genre would be a drama and romance. The reason why it’s a drama is because one sister becomes jealous of the other, and they kind of feud over that. Also because the school is so preppy like this quote shows that, “Everyone at Coral Tree Prep was good-looking. Really. Everyone. I didn't see a single fat or ugly kid all morning. Maybe they just locked them up at registration and didn't let them out again until graduation.” But its definitely a romance because of Derek wanting to be with Elise, but Elise falls for kind of the nerd Webster.

Overall, I loved reading Epic Fail. It definitely brightened by day, and even though it was one of those books where I knew exactly how it would end, I couldn't stop reading. Epic Fail was a fun and adorable book, and I definitely suggest it to anyone in need of a pick me up. I like how the author was able to make it be how High School is today to me.

One thing I didn't like about this book is that it was pretty much the same theme and plot of Pride and Prodigious. Also that Epic Fail was predictable; I always knew what was going to kind of happen next, and how it was going to end. It was an easy to read, yet it went really fast and was pretty short. So if you like a big book that has good detail this book probably isn't for you!

Epic Fail takes place in the present time, with real life high school experiences, and with the issues that occur. It is the same as our time frame right now. The theme is about the real life struggles that students go through, with their family, friends, and workers. It shows the love everybody has for each other. This is a good book overall, and I think you should read it if you have a good understanding of things.
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Apr 22, 2013 Jholianny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lo devoré, realmente lo devoré. Definitivamente no porque sea uno de los mejores libros solo lo devoré.

La historia se me hizo como muy parecida a la de Orgullo y Prejuicio, ya saben, adaptada al siglo XXI. Elise, que vendria siendo Elizabeth, se dejo llevar por los prejuicios y las mentiras de Webster e inmediatamente logro sentir un fuerte resentimiento hacia él, con él me refiero a Derek no a Webster, sobre todo cuando pensó que el tenia algo que ver en que Chase le hubiera mandado esos mensa...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Christie ♥ The Shadower's Shelf ♥ rated it 1 of 5 stars

This gif pretty much sums up what I want to do to Elise.

She is a total bitch. She's selfish, judgemental, annoying and much too dramatic. Her little sister, Layla, might be annoying, but she has no right to keep her out of everything! My brother (who is, in fact, highly annoying) still knows most of my secrets. I don't like it when he's left out.

Derek isn't any better, either. I don't get it. Why do people like him? He's a rude bastard who doesn't bother trying to make friends.

This whole book is...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Gillyb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: An adorable and breezy modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Not exactly the deepest thing in the world, but delightful and hilarious.

Originally posted at Writer of Wrongs

The story: Considering the fact that Epic Fail is walking on hallowed ground, this is a pretty enjoyable read. I am always both excited and leery when I hear about books about or inspired by Jane Austen. As previously established, I'm a hardcore Janeite. Pride and Prejudice and I go way back. And in general, I lo...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Kate (Kisskitkatey) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Epic Fail is hilarious.

Elise and her family transferred from Massachusetts to California. She is not sure what to expect with the life they have to face. During her first day at her new high school, she's blown away by her school mate's standard in life. Everyone is almost wearing designer clothes, have expensive cars and they are beautiful. Especially Derek, a popular handsome guy whose parents are both famous Hollywood actors. She knows she likes him but couldn't figure him out.

I was so surpri...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik → Start date: October 31, 2012	15	20	Nov 02, 2012 07:15am
One Million Pages...: June MBOM - Epic Fail	6	26	Jun 07, 2012 09:30pm
Jane Austen Sequels: Epic Fail, by Claire LaZebnik	1	36	Jan 08, 2012 03:04pm

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About Claire LaZebnik

THE TROUBLE WITH FLIRTING is now available! It's a lighthearted romance loosely based on Jane Austen's MANSFIELD PARK (with a twist). If you liked my first YA novel EPIC FAIL, you'll like this one. And come visit my Facebook author page. We have book giveaways, news about book signings, and fun discussions about pretty much anything. Check it out! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Claire-...

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Quotes from Epic Fail

“No one's family is normal. Normalcy is a lie invented by advertising agencies to make the rest of us feel inferior.” — 153 people liked it

“I got lost in him, and it was the kind of lost that's exactly like being found.” — 90 people liked it

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