Saving Hamlet

Description

From School Library Journal Gr 7 Up—With her short new haircut and black clothes, Emma is ready to put her soccer days behind her and join the ranks of theater geeks as stage manager for her high school's student-directed production of Hamlet. However, when her best friend Lulu loses the lead to inexperienced soccer star Josh, problems begin. Already feeling vulnerable after her parents ground her for kissing a girl, Lulu snaps when Emma starts coaching Josh and then breaks off their friendship. Even worse, Emma discovers that Brandon, her crush, is gay, so her romantic prospects seem doomed. Perspective comes when Emma falls through an onstage trapdoor, traveling back in time to Elizabethan England, where she becomes assistant bookkeeper to Master Wick during a Globe Theatre performance of Hamlet. Seeing Shakespeare himself in action, she learns much about stagecraft and the true meaning of the play, knowledge that helps her salvage her school's and the Globe's productions and clarifies her romantic feelings. The well-paced narrative should have wide appeal for teen thespians. Although the initial premise seems a bit far-fetched, the major characters are well drawn and believable. The added time travel layer allows Booth to provide historical and interpretive information about the play, thereby making Shakespeare's poetry comprehensible. Less savory parts of Elizabethan life are included to help Emma realize that, despite her travails, she belongs in modern times. VERDICT This nicely plotted story with a strong female protagonist deserves a place in most YA collections.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence Read more Review "I love, love, love SAVING HAMLET. I love its characters--smart, sassy, irreverent--and its gender-bending both in the 21st and 17th centuries. I love its intelligent take on high school theater geeks. And I know just which granddaughter is getting a copy of this book." ―Jane Yolen, author of The Devil's Arithmetic, Sword of the Rightful King, Owl Moon* "Fans of the Bard will relish this evocative and witty time-travel tale. . . . As enlightening as it is enjoyable, this whimsical novel deserves applause of its own."―Publishers Weekly, starred review"Emma is an easy-to-root-for heroine whose struggles will resonate with teens, drama geeks or otherwise. . . . A fun, imaginative debut."―Booklist* "This entertaining and original novel deals not just with growing up, but with a fresh and different interpretation of 'to be or not to be.'"―Kirkus Reviews, starred review Read more About the Author Molly Booth is the author of Saving Hamlet and Nothing Happened and a total Shakespeare nerd. In high school, she was a stage manager for three different community theatres, which almost killed her. She graduated from Marlboro College and went on to study more Shakespeare (twist!) at University of Massachusetts Boston. Molly is a freelance writer and editor and has been published on TheMarySue.com, McSweeneys.net, HelloGiggles.com, and various other websites. She cohosts a Bard-centric podcast, Party Bard, and directs a lovely, hilarious, and fierce group of homeschooled teen Shakespearean actors. Molly lives in Massachusetts, where she spends a lot of time with family and friends, and the rest attending to her queenly cat and loaf-of-bread-shaped dog. You can visit her online (please do!) at mollybooth.com. Read more