Cooney tackles a heady project and pulls it off in this retelling of Macbeth from a 14-year-old girl’s point of view. Young Mary lives as the ward of Lord and Lady Macbeth, whom she idolizes. When her father is executed as a traitor, Mary’s future looks grim. Meanwhile, visiting King Duncan is mysteriously murdered. Banquo’s inept son Fleance takes a shine to Mary as both become insiders to Shakespeare’s unfolding tragedy. At last, Mary finds herself trapped in the final siege against King Macbeth. Always building her trademark thrilling suspense, Cooney not only has written a romance quandary, she’s contrasted the lives of rich and poor while tempting her fans to read one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays. Teachers should pounce on this for its easy introduction to Shakespeare and its depiction of history. Young readers simply will enjoy the suspense. (Fiction. YA)
