Pride and Popularity By: Jennie James

Pride and popularity is a modern day spin off of the Jane Austin novel, Pride and Prejudice. This book follows the amazing story line that Jane Austin had written. I was caught up in Rachel's head. I would find my self through out the day wondering what would happen next. The only thing that detracts from this book is the writing is very corny. Like one of the main characters , Taylor, is so unbelievably cocky sometimes, then he can be extremely humble in other instances. But over all it follows the original story line very well.

In this book you follow Rachel Elizabeth Hart, and Taylor Darcey Anderson. Notice that their middle names are the same as the two main characters in the Jane Austin novel.Taylor Anderson is a popular guy that every girl is drooling over. He doesn't really want any of those girls he wants the one girl in the world who isn't dreaming of being with him. Rachel has always hated the "in crowd" because at her old school a popular guy broke her heart.

The story starts out with Rachel's first time meeting Taylor. It was at a basketball game.Where Taylor acts super cocky and that totally turns Rachel off. That was when Rachel had just moved to that town when she was fourteen. After that the story comes to the modern day which is her last year of high school. Rachel is convinced that this is going to be the best year ever because she has finally gotten a class with her two best friends. That was until Taylor also has that class and decides to sit right next to Rachel. Over the next couple of weeks Taylor enjoys flirting with Rachel, while Rachel is just boiling with anger towards him. Her two best friends keep trying to convince her that Taylor actually likes her, but Rachel won't buy it.

In the mean time Rachel meets this super cut guy ,Blake. They soon become an item. Rachel brags about this to Taylor( just to get him off her back.) It just so happens that Blake works for Taylor's dad. Once Taylor finds out that they are an item, Taylor tries to get Blake fired.When Blake tells that to Rachel her anger towards Taylor is even stronger that before. She asks why Taylor had tried to get Blake fired. It ends up that Blake is Taylor's cousin. He had lived in another state, but he had gotten prosecuted for taking advantage of a fifteen year old girl. When Rachel finds this out she understands why Taylor had acted like he had. Rachel doesn't exactly hate Taylor any more but she doesn't necessarily like him.

Rachel decides to take a job as a ballet teacher. Who would you know signs up, Taylor's little sister. At first Rachel is very distressed about having her in her class. But it ends up being fine, and she ends up really liking Taylor's five year old sister. His little sister shows Rachel a side of Taylor she has never seen.

A couple days later Rachel receives a call from a very distressed Taylor. Blake had arranged to meet up with Rachel's sister. Rachel could not believe it. Rachel's sister was fifteen . They had arranged to meet in the park in front of Rachel's house. When Rachel found our she ran out her door and too the park. At first all she see is her sister on the swings, and then she sees him Blake walking towards her sister. Rachel runs and full on tackles Blake. She starts punching him. Just then Taylor comes up and takes Blake away. Rachel now really likes Taylor. Not only had he protected her from Blake but he had also protected also her sister from Blake.

In the end Taylor and Rachel slowly fall in love and end up becoming an item. They end up going to two different colleges that are still close to each other. They were really a perfect match all along.

This book is a great read. It is kind of a chick book but it is a great story.I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

By: Lauren Winkel