Plot Wars: Prom and Prejudice vs. Epic Fail

Hello everyone! The BBS Intern Owyn is BACK with a blogging vengeance!

So, for my first day, I decided to start a series of blog posts called Plot Wars, which will pit two books with similar plots against each other and one shall rise the victor!

The first two books are Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg and Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik. 

VERSUS

The Set-Up:

• Prom and Prejudice focuses on Lizzie Bennett, a piano-playing girl on scholarship at Longbourn Academy. Due to her constant bullying for being poor, she's developed a mistrust and distaste for rich people. And then she meets Will Darcy, a rich man with a mistrust and distaste for poor people. With the huge prom coming up, will they be able to give up their prides and prejudices?
• Epic Fail is about middle-class girl Elise Benton who moves to a new school with her principal-mom and four sisters. Derek Edwards is the son of two famous actors and is pretty much royalty around their school. Unfortunately, her sister falls for his best friend. Is there a way to refuse his amazing smile and embrace his known-enemy Webster Grant?

Similarities:

They are both modernizations of Pride and Prejudice.
-A brooding male lead
-A romance between the friends of the male and female lead
-A character who uses people to get wealth.
-A wealth gap between the leads
-A big event (Prom versus a Movie Premiere)
They're both set in the 2010s

They both have a attention-seeking younger sibling character who falls whim to the guiles and charms of Wickham/Webster (that I despised.)

Differences:

Eulberg's is more obvious about the fact it's a retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Same character names, same plot, just with some modern slang and euphemisms... Yo.

LaZebnik's uses fame instead of richness as the separating factor, making Derek Edwards the son of prominent actors and Elise the daughter of her prep school's principal.

Lizzie's character punches Wickham's character in Eulberg's version (YES BRING ON THE PAIN)

WHO WINS???

I think Prom and Prejudice wins because Darcy was more likable than Derek and less annoyed-sigh-inducing, Lizzie punched Wick, and Epic Fail was too preachy when it came to the way Paparazzi treat celebrities. While I admit it must get annoying, I don't need to hear about how much it sucks. They get free things. No complaining. 

If you want to read a modernization of Pride and Prejudice, then I'd recommend Prom and Prejudice.

Glad to be back!

Owyn

P.S. Check me out on my personal blog The Bookstore Intern Chronicles!