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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/826458.Persuading_Annie?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Persuading Annie" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178726725m/826458.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/826458.Persuading_Annie?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Persuading Annie</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/117879.Melissa_Nathan">Melissa Nathan</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33081509?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 4 of 5 stars I always say I don't like chick lit (and movies). That's not entirely true. What I don't like about chick lit (and movies) is that moment near the end where it gets awkward and embarrassing and then it gets cheesy and embarrassing. And I'm left gagging and my whole enjoyment of the tension the first half is ruined. But if the story could skip over the awkward and cheesy phases and go straight to happy ending, well then I could like said chick lit (or movie). As evidence I enter exhibit A. 
 
 I actually liked this story enough to stay up late into the night to finish it. Maybe that's because it's a remake and stories just don't have the complexity they used to. I love modern remakes of old classics. This one is a modern-day retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion and it was fun wondering how she was going to translate the guy who wanted to save the family name by marrying his cousin, the girl who fell off the stairs, the conversation Captain Wentworth overheard in the drawing room, and how this girl would dutifully obey her elders and reject the love of her life.
 
 While all the scenarios she does come up with to answer the classic dilemmas are modern (such as an unexpected pregnancy that initially prompts the engagement) Nathan does follow the storyline considerably well, adjusting minor characters and storylines into other ones when needed. At times it was this idea of a shadowed plot that pulled me along, knowing this is where the characters were headed more than my belief in its natural progression. Not that it's ever unbelievable, it just occasionally would have felt an odd turn in the story or a strange action from a character. But overall I loved the choices she made to update the novel.
 
 There are a handful of f-words and a few non-descript sex scenes (as well as some entertaining banter) to modernize this tale, but overall I loved it. I was worried they'd be revenge sex in this book that would make me cringe, but gratefully it's pretty clean. The kissing isn't mushy, the dialogue is often funny, and the characters are quite colorful. Austen presented her less than stellar supporting cast without judgment, but here we get the full force of selfish, shallow, deviant, conniving, haught of couture. Characters I can truly despise. 
 
 I wanted to wring Victoria, or at least strip her of her wealth and leave her homeless; her relationship with Charles was one of my favorites to watch unfold. Not that I didn't love Jake, of course I did, but I enjoyed the craziness of the spoiled rich kids just as much. George was so much more shallow of a father and Divina such a stronger gold digger. I loved the addition of Cass, a character not in the novel but giving Annie a much needed best friend and confidant, and felt for her challenges in life. Surprisingly my only two characters sometimes hard to target were Susannah the loving but sometimes shallow godmother and Annie who seemed reserved and easily controlled at times and sarcastic and defiant at others, but then again I can relate to that dexterity. I loved the cast in all my disdain of most of them. 
 
 I haven't enjoyed chick lit this much in a long time. This book is for all you closet chick-lit lovers out there who like me could like it if it weren't so obnoxious and unreal. Read this one. You'll like it. At least I did.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/542037?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Annalisa's review
rating:

bookshelves: book-club, chick-lit
recommended for: girls
status: Read in September, 2008

I always say I don't like chick lit (and movies). That's not entirely true. What I don't like about chick lit (and movies) is that moment near the end where it gets awkward and embarrassing and then it gets cheesy and embarrassing. And I'm left gagging and my whole enjoyment of the tension the first half is ruined. But if the story could skip over the awkward and cheesy phases and go straight to happy ending, well then I could like said chick lit (or movie). As evidence I enter exhibit A.

I actually liked this story enough to stay up late into the night to finish it. Maybe that's because it's a remake and stories just don't have the complexity they used to. I love modern remakes of old classics. This one is a modern-day retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion and it was fun wondering how she was going to translate the guy who wanted to save the family name by marrying his cousin, the girl who fell off the stairs, the conversation Captain Wentworth overheard in the drawing room, and h...more I always say I don't like chick lit (and movies). That's not entirely true. What I don't like about chick lit (and movies) is that moment near the end where it gets awkward and embarrassing and then it gets cheesy and embarrassing. And I'm left gagging and my whole enjoyment of the tension the first half is ruined. But if the story could skip over the awkward and cheesy phases and go straight to happy ending, well then I could like said chick lit (or movie). As evidence I enter exhibit A.

I actually liked this story enough to stay up late into the night to finish it. Maybe that's because it's a remake and stories just don't have the complexity they used to. I love modern remakes of old classics. This one is a modern-day retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion and it was fun wondering how she was going to translate the guy who wanted to save the family name by marrying his cousin, the girl who fell off the stairs, the conversation Captain Wentworth overheard in the drawing room, and how this girl would dutifully obey her elders and reject the love of her life.

While all the scenarios she does come up with to answer the classic dilemmas are modern (such as an unexpected pregnancy that initially prompts the engagement) Nathan does follow the storyline considerably well, adjusting minor characters and storylines into other ones when needed. At times it was this idea of a shadowed plot that pulled me along, knowing this is where the characters were headed more than my belief in its natural progression. Not that it's ever unbelievable, it just occasionally would have felt an odd turn in the story or a strange action from a character. But overall I loved the choices she made to update the novel.

There are a handful of f-words and a few non-descript sex scenes (as well as some entertaining banter) to modernize this tale, but overall I loved it. I was worried they'd be revenge sex in this book that would make me cringe, but gratefully it's pretty clean. The kissing isn't mushy, the dialogue is often funny, and the characters are quite colorful. Austen presented her less than stellar supporting cast without judgment, but here we get the full force of selfish, shallow, deviant, conniving, haught of couture. Characters I can truly despise.

I wanted to wring Victoria, or at least strip her of her wealth and leave her homeless; her relationship with Charles was one of my favorites to watch unfold. Not that I didn't love Jake, of course I did, but I enjoyed the craziness of the spoiled rich kids just as much. George was so much more shallow of a father and Divina such a stronger gold digger. I loved the addition of Cass, a character not in the novel but giving Annie a much needed best friend and confidant, and felt for her challenges in life. Surprisingly my only two characters sometimes hard to target were Susannah the loving but sometimes shallow godmother and Annie who seemed reserved and easily controlled at times and sarcastic and defiant at others, but then again I can relate to that dexterity. I loved the cast in all my disdain of most of them.

I haven't enjoyed chick lit this much in a long time. This book is for all you closet chick-lit lovers out there who like me could like it if it weren't so obnoxious and unreal. Read this one. You'll like it. At least I did....less

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message 1: by Dixie

09/28/2008 08:26PM

OK, you talked me into it. I'm adding it to my 'to-read' list...

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message 2: by amy m

09/30/2008 10:15AM

it must be good for you to give it 4 stars. I haven't even started.

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message 3: by Hannah

10/02/2008 11:19AM

I do think it was a good adaptation, I will have to agree with you there. I felt so bad for Charles- I thought for sure in this modern adaptation that he would divorce her or something. And how funny that you could relate to Annie's 'dexterity' and for me that made her so unbelievable! I can't wait for the discussion :)

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message 4: by Annalisa

10/02/2008 12:05PM

Hannah, I did find her character unbelievable. I'm just saying I can't be too judgmental because I can be the exact same way: sassy and outspoken to someone and then easily persuaded by others.

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