My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As I long time fan of Pride & Prejudice, I found Being Mary Bennet absolutely delightful. I enjoyed every moment of Marnie’s journey to understanding herself and her path.

In P&P, Mary Bennet is the sister you genuinely sympathize with but simultaneously feel embarrassed for! She is also a difficult character to effectively place as a main character because she makes you cringe. (“Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.”) You want to take her by the hand and help her stop being Mary, which is why J.C. Petersen’s portrayal of Marnie was so effective.

I adored how we dig down into why Marnie/Mary is behaving in ways that push others away. What does she truly want? Why does she not think she’ll ever get it? This YA contemporary beautifully explores these questions through the modern version of the Bennet family and with Marnie away at school experiencing new adventures and challenges. I would have loved for the original Mary Bennet to have had the opportunities that Marnie had. Imagine how she could have rewritten herself!

Ultimately, Mary speaks to many of us bookworms. Whether we want to see ourselves in her or not, we may have to admit that we could all learn from how Marnie both embraces Mary and works to discover her own path.


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