Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell is back in the book conversation. It is being highlighted by NYPL and a movie adaptation from Academy Award winning director, Chloé Zhao is in theaters now. 
If you missed this book when it first came out, here is the review I have on Goodreads to help you understand the appeal of the book ASAP.
Again, you do not have to read a book to understand if a reader will like it, not do you have to read the book to know what else to suggest to someone who did enjoy it. 
As I say in Rules 4 and 5 of my 10 Rules of Basic RA Service:

4.   Write down adjectives about what you read; plot you can find.

Why you like the book NOT what happensWork to get down to "three words"

5.   Read ABOUT books widely, so you can suggest widely

Reading ABOUT books is MORE important than reading a book.Becky’s newsletters of choice: LJ, PW, Shelf Awareness, Book Riot

In this example, you would have found out about Hamnet as a movie and featured title for NYPL by following those newsletters. And, I am helping you understand why someone would like the book, not what happens by sharing my appeal/adjective based review. 

So I did 4 and you are doing 5 (both with those newsletters/reading this blog and by reading about the appeal of Hamnet from me)

Remember being a great Readers' Advisor has nothing to do with how many books you read, but rather how you use resources-- including working together and reading widely about books. You will never read all the books, so stop making that your goal. You cannot accomplish it AND it is not as helpful as you think.

Click here for my review of Hamnet via Goodreads or just look below:

Three Words That Describe This Book: character driven, complex, atmospheric

This part of the plot description and a suggestion by my friend Steve is why I first downloaded this audiobook from Libby:

"Award-winning author Maggie O'Farrell's new novel breathes full-blooded life into the story of a loss usually consigned to literary footnotes, and provides an unforgettable vindication of Agnes, a woman intriguingly absent from history."

This is why go read this book-- to see an author's take on how things that have never been discussed, the support behind one of the greatest authors in all of western literature, how that could have affected his work.

That part is there, but this book is 5 stars for me because of how O'Farrell tells the story. Specifically Agnes and Hamnet these characters are built meticulously and compellingly, as is the historical detail. 

This story is told through those characters and through their eyes. We see the specific of the family but also the reality of the time. Their povs are layered in too, but in a way that is not immediately obvious. It is not as if the story ends from one pic and picks up with the next. And yet, it is not so disjointed that you cannot follow. It is a layering. Each time the pov changes the story is enhanced and as a reader, you follow O'Farrell-- wanting to know what is coming next, all the while knowing it is not going to end well, but still, you want to keep going.

The scene of Agnes watching Hamlet being performed is one of the most moving scenes I have ever experienced in a story. The whole book built to this one moment. We know it is coming. We know Hamnet will die from the start, we know Hamlet will be written and be a huge hit, changing the history of literature forever, but to show us, the reader, Hamlet through the eyes of poor Agnes, seeing it for the first time, without all of our historical knowledge was amazing.

Please remember, most readers will be well versed in Hamlet so the awe and sadness and originality, and bewilderment of Agnes, to feel that took skill and work on O'Farrell's part. I for one appreciated it greatly. 

Due to the way the story is written-- listening is best in large chunks. This is not a story you can pick up and put down easily both because you want to read dit and because it is complex. The voice of the narrator was pleasant and I found myself wanting to return to her. She painted the picture and embodied the novel for me.

Readalikes: I am seeing people comp it to MATRIX by Groff which I read and I can definitely agree on that, but it also reminded me of other reimagines of literary figures and their work like MARCH by Brooks.

But it also reminded me of NICKEL BOYS by Whitehead. That one is based on a true, terrible event. It is complex, character centered, and atmospheric. You get immersed into the world with characters who are standing for real people. I also listened to NICKEL BOYS last year.