For Shakespeare lovers only.
How Shakespeare may have intended Ophelia’s back story, if readers can trudge through the unrelenting moroseness.
The Headmaster of Elsinore Academy is dead, and his son, Dane (formally known as Hamlet Danemark VI), wants revenge. Ophelia narrates this somber Shakespearean retelling set in the present day. It’s clear from the beginning that Ophelia, a product environmentally and genetically of a mother who committed suicide, has mental illness of her own. In her world, spirits of the dead and other fantastical beings make frequent appearances. Hutchison satisfactorily explains the overbearing, patriarchal “trophy wife traditions” of Elsinore and how this environment influences Ophelia’s choices, as well as Gertrude’s possible motives. The emphasis, however, is on Ophelia’s dark (and unfortunately, tedious) descent into madness, exacerbated by her relationship with Dane, who is battling his own demons. Perhaps the original Edward and Bella, the teens’ sexual relationship turns abusive as Ophelia’s initial bruises escalate into more violent acts. Readers may cry out for adult intervention, but the author remains true to the original story. Although Hutchison mentions phones and computers a few times, she does little to make the story feel contemporary. An odd mix of modern and transformed Shakespearean speech adds to the effect. As the novel continues, it loses its creativity and becomes strictly a Hamlet remix.
For Shakespeare lovers only. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4677-0887-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Review Posted Online: April 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2013
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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