Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Annelie Geissler
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational

BEING MARY BENNET

J.C. Peterson

Marnie Barnes is convinced she is the long-suffering protagonist of her life, just like the characters in all her favorite books.

But a main character isn't the forgotten middle child of their family, nor does their love interest see them as only a friend. And then a series of Marnie-induced disasters forces her to confront the devastating truth: Marnie has more in common with Mary Bennet - the utterly forgettable middle sister - than effervescent Elizabeth Bennet. Determined to reinvent herself, she enlists the help of her bubbly roommate and opens herself up to the world - leading lady style. And between new friends, a very cute boy, and a rescue pup named Sir Patrick, Marnie realizes that being the main character doesn't mean rewriting your life entirely, just finding the right cast of characters, the love interest of your dreams, and, most important, embracing your story, flaws and all. JC Peterson is a YA writer based in Denver, CO. She grew up surrounded by the lakes in Michigan and earned her degree in journalism from Michigan State University. She's steadily worked her way west, living for a stint in Oklahoma City (fewer lakes but more buffalo) before settling in Denver (fewer buffalo but more mountains). JC writes witty young adult novels about found family and fans of cardigans. When not writing, she loves to hike, shop + eat local, and travel with her husband and two children.

Available products
Book Published 2022-03-15 by HarperTeen

Comments

Literary references, friendship, family drama, adorable dogs - this book has it all! It is full of realistic characters whom readers will be rooting for.

I really appreciate that this narrative shows how deeply ingrained certain patterns can be and that breaking them is still possible... I love this little hedgehog of a book, which suggests that in some ways one might wish to be very different from Mary Bennet but in others, Mary Bennet (and Marnie) is kind of awesome.

With its blend of insight-driven personal growth, heartwarming friendship-turned-romance, and dashes of vicarious embarrassment, this is the perfect novel for any reader who wishes they were a heroine but secretly identifies more with background characters. Marnie is compellingly real, even at her most unlikable, and the story cleverly balances her most disagreeable moments with insights into the familial slights and self-doubt that created them. An utterly authentic, captivating story, this novel will reward readers with a well-earned happy ending full of family, friends, and romance.

While her self-deprecating humor is part of the story's appeal, there's also something endearing about watching this earnest character do what has to be done, even if she risks making a fool of herself in the process. A promising first novel.

BEING MARY BENNETT is a PopSugar's Best YA of 2022 and on the Forever Young Adult Best List