Northanger Abbey - Val McDermid
This contemporary retelling of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey (my favourite of Austen's novels) is actually a lot of fun. Though McDermid's dialogue is not good - stiff and unfunny, a bad imitation of Austen's sharp, balanced prose style - and the concerns of Austen's teenage characters don't translate well to those of modern teenagers (because, seriously, who gets married at 17 any more?), the actual updating of the plot is lively and colourful, and making Twilight the modern equivalent of eighteenth century camp Gothic horror is a masterstroke. A fluffy, frothy read, great for a relaxing break from life.
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