Emmett
Ratings3
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.5
A modern-day gay Emma, with the spikey social critique of Austen plus the lush over-the-top romance of Bridgerton.
Emmett Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly eighteen years in the world with very little to distress or vex him.
Emmett knows he’s blessed. And because of that, he tries to give back: from charity work to letting the often irritating Georgia sit at his table at lunch, he knows it’s important to be nice. And recently, he’s found a new way of giving back: matchmaking. He set up his best friend Taylor with her new boyfriend and it’s gone perfectly. So when his occasional friend-with-benefits Harrison starts saying he wants a boyfriend (something Emmett definitely does NOT want to be), he decides to try and find Harrison the perfect man at Highbury Academy.
Emmett’s childhood friend, Miles, thinks finding a boyfriend for a guy you sleep with is a bad idea. But Miles is straight, and Emmett says this is gay life – your friends, your lovers, your boyfriends – they all come from the same very small pool. That’s why Emmett doesn’t date – to keep things clean. He knows the human brain isn’t done developing until twenty-five, so any relationship he enters into before then would inevitably end in a breakup, in loss. And he’s seen what loss can do. His mother died four years ago and his Dad hasn’t been the same since.
But the lines Emmett tries to draw are more porous than he thinks, and as he tries to find Harrison the perfect match, he learns that gifted as he may be, maybe he has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to love.
Modern and very gay, with a charmingly conceited lead who is convinced he knows it all, and the occasional reference to the classic movie Clueless, Emmett brings you lush romance all while exploring the complexities of queer culture—where your lovers and friends are sometimes the same person, but the person you fall in love with might be a total surprise.
Reviews with the most likes.
This had some humor to it but ultimately wasn't really my cup of tea. By nature retellings of classics are going to be sort of predictable so the job is to make the new twists interesting enough or to make the characters compelling enough that you are happy to be along for the ride even when you know the final destination. And IMO this didn't quite hit the mark. May appeal more to younger readers especially ones hungry for queer romance.
3.5 stars. I confess that I never read Jane Austen's [b:Emma 6969 Emma Jane Austen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1373627931l/6969.SY75.jpg 3360164], but I have seen the movie Clueless approximately 387 times, so my basis for comparison of this queer YA adaptation is a bunch of rich, entitled California 90's teens. (“As If!”) Actually, there's not much difference in settings between the movie and Emmett, except the book is a lot more queer, and the titular character's mom has died more recently. Handsome, rich, popular nice guy Emmett has declared that he will not date until age 25, because his brain won't be fully developed until then. That doesn't mean he can't have sex, of course. When his current f*ck buddy, Harrison, tells Emmett he wants a boyfriend, Emmett has the brilliant idea of finding the perfect partner for him. If you've seen the movie (or read the book), you know that things go a bit haywire from here. Rosen has a lot of fun with his adaptation. The Elton equivalent is a perfect himbo who's all about social media followers, Tai/Harriet (RIP Brittany Murphy) is sweet but nerdy, and Murray & Dionne's male/transfeminine counterparts (who aren't really in Austin's novel) are annoyingly affectionate. The book effectively explores how Emmett's unresolved grief over his mother's death has resulted in his insistence on making everyone around him happy (even if his meddling is disastrous) while avoiding the pain that he would likely experience if he had a boyfriend. It's also a celebration of queer relationships, and the freedom of not having to conform to heteronormative standards. Unfortunately, Emmett's relationship with the guy he won't admit to liking (Josh/George Knightley) is antagonistic for so long that the mutual confession of feelings in the last ten pages of the book doesn't feel genuine. (Maybe if Emmett's crush looked more like Paul Rudd...). Tl,dr: Emmett is a well-written, clever adaptation of a classic, got me in the feelz for everything but the romance plot, would definitely read more by Lev A.C. Rosen.
