Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monstersby Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen
What is it about:
As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels?
What did I think of it:
You may know by now that I enjoy reading mash-ups where classic stories are given a paranormal edge by adding zombies, werewolves and what not.
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is a worthy addition to my growing collection of mash-up books I think.
Winters does a great job adding tentacles, sea monsters and other fishy things to Austen's story about a mother and her three daughters. I really enjoyed the extra adventure and drama Winters contributed and I will confess I think Winters does an even better job of fitting his text to the original as Grahame-Smith did with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
What I did have trouble with is Austen's original story. I will confess the romance in this book doesn't make sense to me at all! I had two favorite characters and I really felt sorry for them by the end of the book as both were matched with people I think didn't deserve them. (And yes: I checked the original story and there it didn't make sense to me either.)
All in all a very enjoyable mash-up with a disappointing romance.
Why should you read it:
It's got tentacles and sea monsters!!
