The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet review

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

Author: Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia

Based on the youtube sensation The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries may have started as a school project for Lizzie, but it is soon much more. Overnight, Lizzie is an internet celebrity as people watch her vlogs, then debate, tweet and tumblr about her and her sisters, beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. Then rich, handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his friend William Darcy, and things really start to get interesting, but not everything happens on-screen… Lizzie has a secret diary. This secret diary.

Expanding on the web series that’s captured the imagination of millions, and now you can read Lizzie’s diary, watch her YouTube videos and check out Pinterest, Tumblr and Twitter pages of the people in her world. Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, become part of the sensation that reimagines the Pride and Prejudice

My review:

My thoughts on the book:           SPOILER ALERT

I have to admit that I hadn’t watched the YouTube videos before reading The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. I remember reading about them on the Penguin Teen Australia facebook page and how much they enjoyed them but I never watched them myself. Well I can officially say now that I have watched them and am as in love with them as the Penguin Teen people were. I must also admit that I have never read Pride and Prejudice or seen any movie adaptions but upon reading  The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet I would like to.  So comment with any adaptions that you have seen and loved.

I didn’t really know what to expect upon starting the book but was pleasantly surprised to find that I became quite fond of the storyline and the characters. I love stories that have the diary element in them and found this one to be one of my favourites. The diary entries felt like a normal person was writing them and told the most important bits of Lizzie’s day and not the little trivial things that a lot of people put, like I had pizza for lunch and it was nice. The authors have made it so easy for people to love the book as the storyline just flows and you are never left bored even with the one word or one sentence diary entries.

I think what makes the book the most are all the different characters. Lizzie and her two sisters are all so different and I can totally relate to that because my three sisters and I are all so different, but I think being different makes the family dynamic more exciting. You all don’t like the same things so there is a wide range of topics to discuss when together and you all fall for different people. Also their mother was a complete hoot and I couldn’t stop laughing at her theatrics about her daughter’s love lives. I loved the rich Bings and the Darcy’s (especially William’s sister Gigi) and thought that they brought a great dynamic to the book.

The relationships that Lizzie has throughout the book kept me flipping the pages and I must admit that by the end of the book I hated George Wickham for what he did to not only the Bennet family but also what he did to the Darcy family. When we first meet George he seems so nice and caring and you can’t help but fall in love with him but he is the complete opposite, rather crude and manipulative and I am so glad that Lizzie threw him to the curb where he belongs. William Darcy wouldn’t be my cup of tea however, he just seems a bit old fashioned and quirky for my taste and I was a little surprised that Lizzie ended up with him.

Favourite character: Lizzie is a very strong character and is very set in her ways until it is pointed out to her that maybe she should have a look at herself and how she conducts certain aspects in her life. She changes so much throughout the book and can see where she has made mistakes in her life and tries to rectify them. Lizzie is very protective of her family and friends and once she sets her mind to something she tends to follow through to the end.

My rating: 5/5

I really recommend looking up the videos that inspired this book.