Sunday, March 19, 2006

First Impressions by Marilyn Sachs

Alice, the middle child in a family of 5, understands what it's like to be forgotten. When reading Pride and Prejudice, she immediately connects with Mary, the forgotten sister and bases her opinion of the novel on her character's impact on the story. When she receives a C on her book report, she is given the chance to reread the novel and write a new report for a better grade. As she reads Pride and Prejudice again, she sees things in a different light. First, she begins by trying to rewrite the story by changing Mary's personality. Then, her life begins to change. She gets her first boyfriend, she learns about true friendship, and her relationship with her parents and siblings change. Slowly, she learns about her purpose in life, as well as the importance of leaving Mary's character the way she is.

I thought that First Impressions was a cute book. It was clever how the author incorporated Pride and Prejudice into this story. I have not read Pride and Prejudice before, and reading this made me want to read the classic. I would recommend this for younger teens, as the main character is younger, but anyone can relate to Alice's problems. This is definitely a book that should not be overlooked.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA