A Wounded Name

by Dot Hutchison

There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet".

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Retellings, Romance, Fiction, Ghosts

311 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

Dot Hutchison is the author of A Wounded Name, a young adult novel based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, and the adult thriller The Butterfly Garden.

With past experience working at a Boy Scout camp, a craft store, a bookstore, and the Renaissance Faire (as a human combat chess piece), Hutchison prides herself on remaining delightfully in tune with her inner young adult.

She loves thunderstorms, mythology, history, and movies that can and should be watched on repeat.

For more information on her current projects, visit www.dothutchison.com or check her out on:

Tumblr https://www.dothutchison.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/DotHutchison

Reviews

[Kat Heckenbach · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm nearly done with this novel. And I'm writing my review now for a reason: I've hit that point where the novel has gone from completely breath-taking to I'm not finishing it.

Let me first give you an idea of where I'm coming from. I am both a Shakespeare fan and not a fan. When the stories are broken down for me, I love the plot lines. But I do not dig the old language, and I very, very much do not dig reading plays. And when I was in high school, my English teacher made the class listen to these *horrid* audio dramas of Shakespeare's works that to this day make me feel like nails are scratching across a chalkboard when I think about reading the original works.

That said, the idea of reading Hamlet *in a modern day setting with modern day dialog*--totally jumped on it.

Yes, the story is told from Ophelia's POV, and I found that an interesting choice. Very much a "grabbing for the girlie-romance readers" choice, but still.

And I opened the book and found such beautiful writing. BEAUTIFUL. And it stays beautiful throughout. Really--even at this point, I can say the writing has been consistently beautiful throughout.

But therein lies part of the problem. The writing is beautiful, but homogeneous. It never fluctuates in tone or mood, and after a while it starts to feel....weary.

My other big problem with the story is that it feels like it's being forced to fit the mold of the original story. It felt like wholly its own story at first, and the author's voice and the movement of the plot were seamless, flawless. But about half-way through, it was like the author thought, "Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be telling *Hamlet* and this, this and this happen, and now I need to make that all happen from what I've got so far."

And I must say this, because teen girls are reading this, and Dane is the love interest: If a guy treats you like this, dump him so fast his head will spin.

I'm sorry--but the author is romanticizing an abusive relationship. Ophelia can love Dane despite his emotional pain and madness, but when he uses her sexually to ease that pain, and when he grabs her so hard he leaves bruises and slams her into trees and knocks her on the floor and says abusive things about her--when he chokes her to the point of passing out!--and all she does is swoon over him and, oh, danedanedanedanedane....NO. Just, NO.

I wanted to give the author the benefit of the doubt. I really did. I even asked around to my Shakespeare-fan friends about the level of abuse in the original play, in case I was not remembering correctly. I wanted to be able to say the author was trying to stick to the original. BUT, there is no violence like this in the original. There is room for Ophelia to not be a complete jellyfish, too. And when I came to this point at about 50 pages from the end:

"You should hate me, Ophelia. You should despise me and send me away for what I've done"
He's not the only one who's bruised me. At least Dane's pain is honest.
"When you find out...I don't want to lose your love."
"You never will."

That sunk it. That showed me that the author IS romanticizing an abusive relationship. Everything about Ophelia and Dane is classic abuser/abused. But there is nothing in it--nothing--that says girls should avoid this.

I wish this had been more what Ophelia was going through with her mother, and Dane (Hamlet) be damned. Seriously. I wanted to know more about the bean sidhe and really see and feel the interactions with her mother's ghost. If this had been a story about *Ophelia* and her mother and her own madness and her connection to the fae world--not about the wimpy little thing who defined herself by an abusive jerk--I might have loved this book.

[Nafiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read Hamlet though I do know the Wiki version of it. I somehow never felt the urge to do so. I know it’s a classic and I intend to but somehow I have never gotten around it. Before I started this novel, all I knew about Ophelia was that she really ought to have sucker punched Hamlet at least once and that she drowned.

There’s a beauty to A Wounded Name that I am not going to be able to fully articulate here. Hutchinson has given Shakespeare’s play a modern setting, time wise, but because the actual events take place in a boarding school that is closed off from the other world, it seems to be exist in a time vacuum. I was always surprised when modern accessories such as motorbikes and smart phones were mentioned. They always felt like intrusions into the narrative than prosaic items for daily use. What struck a particularly dissonant chord as far as the time setting is concerned was the status of the female students. While I understand that female education is lacking in certain countries, the type of attitude shown here towards females and education is archaic and not very believable. I don’t understand what purpose it served to have females learn how to be trophy wives without recourse to more academic study. This was at odds with the supposedly modern setting.

That said, the high school students don’t much read like high school students. I don’t think that was the intent of the author. Hutchinson retains the drama, the melodrama, the theatrics, the atmosphere of the original and while some may quibble at the lack of authenticity, I was so in love with the language that I simply did not care.

The novel is narrated from Ophelia’s view point. The melancholy fairly seeps off the page and I bet if you were reading a hard copy, it would wear off through the ink into you. She is cosseted, loved, and thought crazy by her overprotective father and brother. Her mother tried to kill her but she survived so she was left her with a promise. Now she spends her days trying to decide whether to drink her pills and dumb the singing of the sidhe outside or to not take them and sing with the sidhe outside. Her musings, her observances and her narration are all tinged with a madness that you can’t help but surrender to.

Laertes is interesting but I loved Horatio’s quiet strength. He is a lovely character and his presence is more somber than his counterparts but strong for it. Hamlet’s pain blazes like a meteor. Hutchinson manages to make his grief profound without making him annoying especially with regards to his interactions with Ophelia, whom he loves but even loving her, he hurts her. Gertrude is useless and Claudius made me want to throw something at him. Polonius…was sad. Ophelia is far from mad; her reality is just different from everyone else’s. I didn’t find her submissive or stupid. Rather I felt that in the end she was stronger than them all.

The biggest reason I loved this novel was the beautiful writing. Hutchinson luxuriates in the language; she pulls in Shakespeare’s famous dialogues, gives them her twist and presents them to us. Even though I knew Ophelia’s tragic ending, even though I knew what was coming next, the novel was written so exquisitely that the plot seemed entirely new.

I have noticed certain reviews talking about the “bad romance” in this novel and no one is more sensitive to the issue than I. However, I just want to point out that at no time during the book does the subtext ever condone the obviously dysfunctional relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet. The undesirability of the emotions that hold Ophelia captive is often made explicit. She understands that theirs is not a healthy relationship. The subtext does not dress the romance up in sparkles and sell it one to be emulated or desired.

Even if you disliked Hamlet, I urge you to give this one a chance. And if this is your first time to the play and the story, I recommend that you dive right in and prepare to be bewitched.

"How many ways can a heart break? I suspect, because of Dane, I will discover them all."

[Sandy Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

In beautiful and poignant language, Dot Hutchison has brilliantly re-imagined the all-too familiar tale of Hamlet and given Ophelia the voice she had been denied until now. Haunting, atmospheric, and lyrical, her heartbreaking and harrowing narrative captures the complex inner dynamics of a lonely teenage girl, alienated and damaged by the ultimate childhood trauma which forever shaped her relationships with the ones she loves and with the world. In Dot’s deft hands, A WOUNDED NAME will appeal to both Shakespeare lovers and readers who couldn’t get through the original play.

Or maybe I'm biased, since I'm the agent of this book. Don't take my word for it. Pick up the book and see for yourself!

[Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't tell anyone, but the truth is I have never read Hamlet. So, reading A Wounded Name was a bit of an adventure for me and I don't think I experienced it in its entirety, but even so, I really adored A Wounded Name.

A Wounded Name is a very hard book to like. There are some very uncomfortable themes and it's a very dark book. If you prefer not to read books with abuse (emotional and physical) and suicide, this is not the book for you.

What makes Hutchison's retelling different from most retellings (whether they are Shakespeare retellings or not) is the atmosphere. Most authors try to modernize their retelling by making the overall story lighter, but Hutchison definitely did not. A Wounded Name is morbid and disturbing and it makes your skin crawl while reading it. At risk of sounding a bit cliche, I must say that there is honestly no light in this book.

The writing in this book is something that makes two distinct groups of readers - those who loved it and those who hated it. It really depends on how flowery you can handle your language. Personally, I thought the language fit the book perfectly, even if it did at times make reading incredibly slow. The language felt like it was straight out of a Shakespeare play.

One mountain to overcome while reading this book is the fact that you will not like anyone in the book. This isn't a retelling where Hamlet is a lovable character and you can relate to Ophelia. At some parts of the book, you'll want to scream because there just isn't a character that is truly likable except for maybe Horatio, though he is a very minor character.

This will work for some people, but for others it won't. A lot of the reviewers hate the fact that the characters are disgusting, but I didn't find it that detracting from the story. I can completely see why people don't like how the characters are so detestable but it wasn't that big of a problem for me.

The famed relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet is portrayed in a dark, foreboding manner. It's the exact opposite of a healthy relationship. It's built on emotional abuse with a tint of physical abuse. It's disturbing and disgusting, yet oddly addictive. As repulsing as it is, it also makes you want to keep reading.

I do not think that Hutchison, in any way, condones this relationship and no where is it implied or stated that it is something you should want. It's portrayed in an ugly way that in no way is meant to show an ideal or even moderately healthy relationship. Ophelia fawns over Hamlet, but it is also incredibly clear that he is not sexy or amazing anywhere but inside Ophelia's head.

According to what I've heard, A Wounded Name follows the original play very closely. Instead of the original setting, A Wounded Name is set in a tight-knit boarding school. While the boarding school theme is incredibly overused and dull at this point, I didn't mind it too much in A Wounded Name. The way the author fit the royal family of the original into the ruling family at an elite school was very well done.

In all, I really loved this absolutely fantastic retelling. It's not a book for everyone and a lot of people will, and already do, not like it but I think it's definitely worth reading if you see yourself enjoying this type of book.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Publication Date: September 1, 2013
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet".

What I Liked:

This book is stunning! Immediately after I finished it, I thought to myself, "I can't read anything, after reading this book!" Of course, the book that I read right before this one (The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson) was FANTASTIC, and the book that I read right after this one (All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill) was AMAZING. So, I was in good shape.

I read Hamlet in high school, as part of the English curriculum at my school. While I didn't necessarily hate it, I wasn't all that impressed with it. But I did read it, and then re-read it (to study for the test, of course). So, I was pretty familiar with the play.

This book is pretty spot-on, in terms of how it works with the play. It's told in the perspective of Ophelia though. I always like Ophelia the most, and felt bad for her, in the play. This book exemplifies exactly why I liked her and felt bad for her. Sure, Hamlet was going crazy. But he totally dragged Ophelia down with him.

This story is set in the modern world in a boarding school. The "King" is the Dean, and he is dead. The "Queen" is like, the great hostess or whatever, which is why she felt the need to marry Claudius. Claudius inherited the position of Dean, and Gertrude stayed the hostess of the school.

Hamlet - Dane, as he is called in this book, is the male protagonist of the story, and Ophelia is the female protagonist of the story. In Hutchison's story, there is no doubt that Dane and Ophelia were in love. Whenever he got upset, or angry, or crazy, Ophelia would go after him. Ophelia would lend her comfort to him. Ophelia would let him do anything to her, in order to help him cope with all the insane changes in his life.

Basically, she let him kiss her, touch her, bruise her, drag her off on his motorcycle... to comfort him. I'm not okay with a guy hurting a girl, unstable or not, but I see why she let him. She always let him take the comfort he needed from her, in whatever form. This makes her passive, which I hate, but I understand her reasons.

Hutchison includes fae in this story. Ophelia can see them, see them dancing and singing when the Dean of the school ("King" Hamlet) died, in the graveyard, and so on. Apparently, Ophelia's (and Laertes') mother is fae? And she wants Ophelia to join the fae at the bottom of the lake. That's part of the story as well, but it wasn't in the original play.

We all know how the story ends. And by the end of the story, we're expecting the ending to happen. It's not like the Titanic, where we're all like, HOW COULD HE DIE?! The ending is expected, and fits seamlessly into the story.

If you read nothing else, READ THIS: the writing style of this book is absolutely GORGEOUS. Hutchison weaves a beautiful story with precision and perfection. There was this one line towards the end of the book, at the beginning of Chapter 38 that mentioned "Claudius dripping poison", but referring to Laertes - it was so perfectly placed, and it alluded to the poisoning of the King/Dean. I was so very impressed with the quality and brilliance of Hutchison's writing.

What I Did Not Like:

I already mentioned that I hate masculine violence against women. Dane bruises and hurts Ophelia - unintentionally - many times. While I think this is a necessary aspect of the story (it TOTALLY added to the story, in a good way), some people can't get past that.

One thing that really irked me was the constant switches in speech. One moment, I'm convinced that this is a historical fiction novel. The next moment, we're talking motorcycles and cars and cell phones. That confused me. I mean, Hutchison regressed women's rights (which is fine), but then, we're in the modern world. And then, one minute, all of the characters are talking all fifteenth-century formal, then they're talking modern day. I was confused! Which is it?!

I also never got a clear understanding of the whole fae deal, and what Ophelia's mother is, and what Ophelia's mother wanted Ophelia to do. The fae aspect was NOT explained well enough for me. It was vague, and usually I can get through vague, but not this time.

Would I Recommend It:

I would (though I've seen otherwise). But make sure you read the "did not like" section first.

Rating:

3.5 stars -> rounded up to 4 stars. I've been a huge fan of Hutchison for quite some time, and I'm happy to say that I liked her debut. Keep writing, lady!

[Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This may come as a shock, judging by the mediocre average rating of this novel and the extremely valid 1 star reviews that top the GR page, and it certainly was a shock to me, but... I actually liked this novel. Quite a lot. Having said that, let me be clear on something: I would not recommend this novel to anyone, because all those 1 stars reviews are completely right: this is an extremely depressive novel that features what's probably one of the most disturbing, despicable and unhealthiest relationships I've read about, along with some pretty infuriating characters to boot. I can see why that wouldn't work for most readers, but, ironically, those were the things I loved the most about the novel.

Most YA retellings of classical works of fiction, - as opposed to fairy tale retellings, which give the authors a lot more room to make the stories their own -, struggle with capturing the essence that made the original a classic, like Great, most of them never actually succeed at convincing the reader of the connection between what they present and the work and author they are trying to honor, like Of Monsters and Madness, and even less do they ever manage to make a good case for the necessity of this retelling, like Thorn Abbey or Ashes on the Waves, but I actually think Hutchinson managed to do every single of these things beautifully. I honestly believe that Hutchinson captured the spirit of Shakespeare's Hamlet because she really understood the work, from the story to the characters, and portrayed them as they really are in all of their twisted glory. She didn't try to break the bones of the story to reset them into what she wanted the story to be, and she didn't reshape the characters to her convenience. She filled in the gaps in the story, rounded up the characters and brought a timeless story into our own times, but it stayed Hamlet from a different and, I would argue, necessary point of view. That is not to say that the story always worked, particularly in this setting, but Hutchinson achieved the impressive feat of capturing the essence of Hamlet and making it feel like Hamlet.

This book is told from Ophelia's point of view. We all know how this story ends, we know the events and some of us even know the monologues by heart, but all of that, in no way diminished my enjoyment of the novel or made me any less excited about reading what would happen next. The book is certainly slow and undeniably depressive. This is not an entertaining book, and definitely not a feel good novel. This is a sad, depressive, bleak work that's heartbreaking and sorrowful every step of the way. Being down in the dumps while reading this novel is not entirely optional. The book is written in such a way that it drags to down to the depths of Ophelia's despair and it is almost impossible to break from that.

This is a beautifully written novel, with a lovely, evocative and lyrical prose that I had a really hard time tearing my eyes away from, and Hutchinson put it to really good use in breathing life into Hamlet's most innocent victim: Ophelia. I felt like the really gave dimension to this character, and most importantly, managed to give her a duality that she lacked in Shakespeare's original. Here, Ophelia was no less a victim than she was in the original, but she was also not as innocent, incapable or foolish. She certainly allowed herself to be manipulated by Hamlet and her feelings for him, but there was a degree of willingness and determination from her in Hutchinson's retelling that painted the character in a new light. I really liked how Hutchinson played with Ophelia's madness and she used it to create a world of impossible things that still felt possible. I liked how the lines blurred between reality and fantasy and how that helped to create the atmosphere of the story.

The novel also attempts to give a lot more depth to the rest of the characters, which I greatly appreciated, for in Shakespeare's original there had been very little space to explore other characters besides Hamlet. Here we get a more introspective look at Gertrude, and maybe get some understanding of why she acted the way she did, even though it can't possibly excuse her, and we see more of loyal Horatio. What I liked the most about the characterization in this book is that, while it went a lot deeper than in the original, it didn't break away from the original, it didn't change the essence of the characters in any way and actually felt quite natural to them. There were a couple of characters that didn't really work for me, particularly Polonius, who felt very inconsistent in characterization and whole actions later on in the novel felt disjointed from the character he had been in the first half of the story. But mostly, the characterization really worked for me, especially Hamlet, who I felt Hutchinson captured beautifully.

There's a bit of an issue with the modern setting of the novel and the narration, dialogues and customs of the characters. This would've probably being an issue for me under other circumstances, but I honestly think it worked well here and that it was done on purpose. It will definitely feel disjointed at points, but I quite liked the juxtaposition of the modern setting with the narrative style, the dialogues and the ideals that the characters embraced. I feel like that helped to maintain the Shakespearean feeling of the novel. Had Hutchinson forsaken that and opted for a more modern style, I feel like the novel as a whole would've lost its appeal, its originality and beauty, and would've ended up being yet another Shakespeare retelling for me. That's particularly strange considering that that's the very reason why I didn't like Baz Luhrman's Romeo+Juliet, for I felt the juxtaposition in that movie grated on my nerves, but for some reason, I feel like the author made it work in this format.

I was a bit uncomfortable with the visualization of women in the novel, but, really, this is a pretty faithful Hamlet retelling, which is an appallingly sexist play all by itself, so I can't praise the faithfulness of this novel one second and then hold it against it the next. But it would also be a lie to say that this novel is sexist in its own right. Quite the contrary, actually. Hamlet's claims that his mother is a whore for marrying his uncle is about 60% of his psychological issues in the original play. If Hutchinson had done away with that, a very important aspect of his madness would've been lost. Countless books have been written about Hamlet's obsession with his mother's sexuality, hell, I wrote a freaking essay on it in one of my literature classes, so it would've done the original a disservice to ignore that part. Moreover, the novel makes it particularly clear that Hamlet is not a character whose judgement is to be trusted, for Hamlet is pretty much the pinnacle of inconsistency and selfishness. Aside from that, Ophelia's comments about being a good girl are nothing but the indoctrination forced upon her by this outdated institution that's trying to cling to the ideals of the past. Hutchinson actually makes a point out of portraying just how wrong these ideals are by mentioning several times in the novel that there's another school trying to get Elsinore Academy to change its curriculum for girls and make it as challenging as the boys so that they can grow into their own people and not somebody else's wife and support, an idea both Ophelia and Hamlet support later on in the novel.

And finally, the abusive relationship. There really isn't much I can say about this, for clearly, it is a sick a relationship as I've ever read about. Normally, this type of relationship would've immediately earned a 1 star rating, maybe a rant, but here it made sense. We are talking about classical characters who are famous for being so very fucked up. It makes sense that the author would've chosen to portray a relationship between the two about as fucked up as them, especially when one considers the fate that awaits these characters. I wouldn't have made sense for the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet to be portrayed in any other way. And I personally never felt like the author was supporting this type of relationship, like she was trying to paint it in a positive light or to even imply that it was acceptable under any circumstances. Unlike other novels that romanticize abusive relationships, this one didn't try to surgarcoat the ugliness, didn't try to make it sexy or made the characters heroes for going along with it. On the contrary, the most sensible characters, the ones portrayed in a positive light in the novel, repeatedly told Ophelia and Hamlet just how fucked up the whole thing was, and even Hamlet and Ophelia were pretty much aware that this was horrible, that their relationship was doomed and that it was a sick, ugly thing. The novel portrayed the relationship as it was, without any discernible encouragement on its part. Not every novel that features a disturbing, abusive relationship is trying to make it out as a beautiful, positive thing, though that certainly is the tendency in YA and NA nowadays. The author makes the reader aware every step of the way that this relationship is a hideous, abusive thing that spelled the doom for the main character because she refused to walk away from it.

Okay, wow, I feel like I just wrote a thesis on this novel, so if you read this review all the way to the end, thank you for sticking with me. I just had a lot of things to say about this novel because I honestly believe Hutchinson did a fantastic job, and in light of the mediocre rating and bad reviews, I felt like I had to explain myself. This book just felt right to me. I did a wonderful job at capturing the essence of the original Hamlet, and it was honest with how it portrayed the characters and the plot. The author never tried to make out of this characters something that they were not. They were ugly, selfish, weak, cowardly and twisted beings that did ugly, selfish, weak, cowardly and twisted things to each other, and that's what makes Hamlet the classic it is, and I wholeheartedly believe that A Wounded Name succeeded in honoring Shakespeare's Hamlet just the way it deserve to be honored.

[Rabiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://iliveforreading.blogspot.sg/20...

Wow. I was totally BLOWN AWAY by this book! I studied Hamlet in school last year, and I honestly thought it was one of the best of Shakespeare's plays that I've read. He's brilliant with his works and every single word practically leads to something else. That's why I must admit I was in total English-analyzation mode when it came to A Wounded Name.
First off, I was completely drawn to that cover. GORGEOUS. I could gaze at it for hours and hours and never be bored with it. I think it really represents Ophelia physically as well as her character's traits. Anyway, as I was saying, I was captured by the cover, and I knew no matter what, I had to read this book... for the sake of the cover. Later on after I got approved to read this one, I found out that it was a Hamlet retelling. I was so pumped! I love, love, LOVE Hamlet and I thought this would be a brilliant take on it. Turns out, I was totally right.

This book actually took me a while to get through because it was a pretty long book, and also at times I found myself drawn into and lingering on the gorgeous language that Dot Hutchison uses. I felt that this book was really accurate when it came to a retelling. The underlying meaning which is apparent in Hamlet after many hours of reading and re-reading and reading it over again, studying endlessly and looking at Shakespeare's choices, came through in this book. For example, the character of Reynaldo in this book was completely the same as the character in the original. I freaked out with glee when it says he "pawed" through Ophelia's contents. This could seriously be taken as a literary text to study for further reading for Hamlet just because Dot Hutchison makes all the choices that embody the original play whole-heartedly.
There was only one tiny part of the book that I didn't like which was the fact that a lot of the lines are practically straight out of Hamlet, just slightly modernized. Since this is a contemporary retelling, I thought it was weird that characters would actually say lines like that, because I mean, come on– which teenager talks Shakespearean English in this day and age? I just thought that it took a little away from the whole concept of a modern retelling, even though it did bring out a more literal meaning of the original text. It was almost as if the lines were completely translated into a language that we today could read with ease and understanding. Maybe it's just me, but oh well. This was the only thing I didn't enjoy from the text.

Ophelia's character in the original play text, to be frank, is pretty sad. I feel really sorry for her because she's always having to obey the commands of her father Polonius and her brother Laertes. Her character in this book is pretty much the same, except we do see her growing and maturing into someone who can't be pushed around as much as before. She still has that position of being more in the background, even so in this book where she's the main character. However, the fact that Dot Hutchison is able to turn that around and make her a character who can easily blend into the background, missed by almost everyone and hear everything that happens around Elsinore Academy, is absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed looking at the events that come across from her perspective, as it gives us her take on what happens between the first and second family, as well as her unraveling the mystery of how Hamlet died and that Claudius is to blame.
I'm a sucker for Hamlet's character (the younger) in the main text, and Dane was a perfect embodiment of his character. Wild, reckless and the bad boy, he's got the passion to play the character that the original Hamlet was. I also loved Horatio's character–and loved the slight twist on his character in this book–because he was always there for Dane and Ophelia, headstrong, and truly "the best of them". The fact that all the characters (apart from Dane) keep their original names really helped me to connect A Wounded Name to Hamlet.

A Wounded Name was gorgeous, seductively enthralling, and dark. It's clearly a book that all fans of the original will enjoy, as well as people who want something other than a happy ending. Breathless and mesmerizing, Dot Hutchison's debut has undoubtedly nailed it spot-on.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a A Wounded Name this week and was not disappointed. It is a Hamlet retelling from Ophelia’s POV. Which isn’t totally unheard of, I have three other books that do the same thing. However this is the difference, in those other three books Hamlet is such a likable romantic interest and Ophelia doesn’t die at the end.

I found this book to be much more like I pictured the play to be. First off (no this isn’t a spoiler go read the damn play) she dies at the end of this book, drowns in the lake. Second off Hamlet and her relationship is full of agony, anger, love, lust and tragedy. Many might be upset because their relationship is abusive, however in context it needed to be. By pretending to be mad Dane (Hamlet) actually becomes crazy and Ophelia can do nothing more than soak up his pain. She feels this is the only way to help him. Also in this tale Ophelia has always been a little crazy. She sees ghosts, she sees the Faerie World and her mother tried to drown them both when she was eight, I mean she commits suicide to be a ghost fairy woman just like her mama.

Now I am not saying Dane hurting her was ok and neither was his begging her to “not let me do this to you.” However it played its role quite well in establishing their relationship and characters. In the play Ophelia is portrayed as a perfect daughter with a slight wild streak and the author kept that idea with this retelling.

I also enjoyed that there was the allusion of Dane and Ophelia having sex. Most YA novels either don’t include it or gloss over it.

This book was magic and beautifully written, it weaved together teen drama and a modern setting with the Bard’s (in my opinion) best work.
The characters were great, the setting spoke of power, beauty, murder and madness.

My one complaint was the theme; the theme of this book was flowers and the color purple. Now this part was pretty good I enjoyed the talk of flowers and the use of color.…however the author used the word bruise probably 100 times. She used it as a color description, a feeling description and then with the actually definition as a mark on the skin. There are so many other lovely ways to say purple; violet, lavender, plum, wine, grape, orchid etc…etc... I get that bruise is a darker idea of purple with pain intertwined, but it got repetitive.
Aside from Dating Hamlet which was a happily ever after version of Hamlet, this is my favorite retelling to date.


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[April Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first picked up this book because I love the artist who did the cover. Now that I have read my way through the story, I'm in love with the words as well. It has the feel of the original Hamlet telling, whimsical, lyrical, devasting and all. While it might not be as modern feeling as the setting, I loved it for that.

I enjoyed seeing the story told from Ophelia's perspective. How messed up both she and Hamlet (Dane) are. It flushes out some of what could have been going on in the background of the original play. The relationship is not a healthy one, but that is part of the whole tragedy of Hamlet.

Full Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI_jh...

[Thalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the review on my blog:
http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/6...

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

La prima cosa che mi ha colpito di A Wounded Name è stata la cover, cosi delicata ma allo stesso tempo abbastanza intensa da attirare subito la mia attenzione tra i tanti titoli di Netgalley. C'è qualcosa in quell'immagine-nella ragazza che sembra quasi camminare sull'acqua, un attimo prima di affondare, nel modo in cui è rivolta al laghetto, come se non avesse paura di ciò che l'aspetta, nei fiori che stringe al petto e nell'abito bianco che sembra gridare innocenza-che ti cattura e che ti spinge a voler scoprire la sua storia, la storia di Ophelia.
Dopo secoli in cui è stata in silenzio, questo personaggio trova finalmente una sua voce per raccontare la tragedia di cui ha fatto parte, in un libro appassionante, fresco e delicato che infesterà irrimediabilmente la mente di ogni lettore.

Come dice la trama, sappiamo tutti come questa storia finisce. Avendo recentemente riletto Amleto, riuscivo ad anticipare quasi ogni scena, eppure non riuscivo a staccarmi dal libro.
A Wounded Name è, come struttura, abbastanza simile all'opera a cui si ispira, ma allo stesso tempo è su molti piani lontanissimo dalla storia originale.
La Hutchison ha aggiunto piccoli elementi, dettagli e caratterizzazioni che hanno reso A Wounded Name un libro unico, profondo e che esplora in modo meraviglioso il personaggio di Ophelia, per la prima volta viene posta in primo piano, rivelando una personalità tormentata e sofferente che sfiora la pazzia.

L'amore non può essere follia. Poi, penso che si, è dolce e doloroso e logorante, un modo di affogare cosi deliziosamente che non ti accorgi nemmeno che hai bisogno di ossigeno.

Ophelia è sempre stata considerata da tutti "la figlia di sua madre", folle e malata, nonostante i suoi continui sforzi per diventare la brava ragazza che suo padre e suo fratello hanno sempre voluto. Ma le pillole che prende giornalmente non le impediscono di vedere i fantasmi che si aggirano inquieti per l'accademia di Elsinore, le Bean Sidhe che gridano e si disperano contro le mura della scuola per la morte del direttore Amleto, o sua madre che di tanto in tanto emerge dal lago in cui si è tuffata e in cui ha perso tutta la sua umanità per ricordarle della promessa che Ophelia le ha fatto, e che presto dovrà portare a termine.
Ma anche Dane, il figlio del direttore, ha fatto una promessa al fantasma di suo padre, una promessa che ha intenzione di mantenere a tutti i costi.
Dane sembra l'unico a comprendere Ophelia, e Ophelia è per Dane l'unica a Elsinore Academy che è capace di condividere ed alleviare il suo dolore per la perdita del padre. Ma il suo piano di vendetta lo conduce in una spirale di rabbia e pazzia, in cui presto trascinerà anche Ophelia e tutte le persone che lo amano.

La Hutchison ha caratterizzato in modo meraviglioso tutti i personaggi, a partire dalla protagonista. Ophelia è una grande osservatrice, ha sempre preferito rimanere nelle ombre e guardare ciò che accade intorno a lei in silenzio, senza mai prenderne veramente parte.
Cerca disperatamente di essere la figlia che suo padre vuole, la buona sorella che tutti si aspettano sia, e infine la ragazza di cui Dane ha bisogno, ma presto realizza che non può fare a meno di arrendersi al suo destino e attenersi alla promessa fatta a sua madre.

"Sei l'unica cosa che è reale" dice alla fine. "L'unica cosa che rende tutto questo reale, che mi fa sentire reale. Ho bisogno di te, Ophelia. Ho bisogno di sapere che non andrai via." Ma io non sono mai stata quella che va via. Sono sempre stata la ragazza che aspetta che gli altri tornino, perché non ho nessun altro posto dove andare.

La sua relazione con Dane è tormentata e dolorosa, e il loro amore è condannato a finire tragicamente, ma non si può fare a meno di sperare, durante la lettura, in una soluzione o in una qualche sorta di happy end.
Dane è uno di quei personaggi che ami e odi allo stesso tempo. Il dolore e la rabbia lo distruggono sempre di più, giorno dopo giorno, e trascina sempre più persone con sé, perfino il lettore che viene irrimediabilmente travolto dalla sua pazzia.
Ci sono momenti in cui è il ragazzo di cui Ophelia si è innamorata, quel ragazzo dolce e protettivo che vuole prendersi cura di lei e tenerla lontano dal pericolo, e altri in cui lui stesso diventa il pericolo, momenti in cui non fa altro che usarla senza nemmeno rendersene conto, portando via la sua innocenza e la brava ragazza che tentava a tutti i costi di diventare.
Eppure Ophelia non può fare a meno di perdonarlo, ogni singola volta.

Horatio, il migliore amico di Dane e Ophelia, è stato uno dei personaggi che ho amato di più.
Più volte la protagonista dice che lui è "il migliore tra noi tre", ed è vero. E' ben lontano dalla follia che travolge Dane e che lentamente si insinua anche in Ophelia, e non condivide la maggior parte delle loro scelte, eppure le accetta, cerca di prendersi cura di Ophelia e ama segretamente Dane, anche se sa che lui non potrà mai ricambiarlo.

Sono una cicatrice nella luna, una fragile creatura con ombre sotto gli occhi che affogano nei sussurri dei suoi capelli color notte. Sono una ferita vivente sull'anima. Sono un fantasma che non ha lasciato il suo corpo all'eterno riposo. Sono una cicatrice, e Dane è chi mi ha fatto diventare cosi.

Lo stile della Hutchison è bellissimo, e fin dalla prima pagina me ne sono innamorata, come testimoniano le diverse citazioni che ho inserito nella recensione. Sono rimasta davvero sorpresa che questa fosse il suo primo libro, il suo stile è cosi delicato e ricercato che all'inizio mi sembrava impossibile che non avesse scritto nient'altro.

Voto, 5 stelline!A Wounded Name è un libro meraviglioso, è pazzia, è bellezza, è tormento, una dolce ossessione per chi, come me, ama le storie tragiche e tormentate prive del classico lieto fine e che aleggiano nella mente anche dopo aver voltato l'ultima pagina.

[Kelley Stoneking · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this was Dot Hutchison's first book! I've read a few of her "Collector" series, which were excellent.

Hamlet is one of my favorite plays to teach, so this was a fantastic read for me. Yes, I knew how it ended, but this story is told from Ophelia's point of view. It was interesting seeing things from a different perspective since she is "expected" to be more of an observer (the boarding school, Elsinore Academy, is decidedly misogynistic).

This book's atmosphere was moody and dark, as befits a tragedy. Hutchison deftly filled in the "blanks" we are not shown in the play. The story was very violent, at times, but in ways that I wasn't expecting, so that was a bit of a shock. The writing was almost poetic in places; I got the feeling Hutchison had hidden layers to her writing. And it was fun to recognize lines and see how Hutchison reworked the actions in the play to fit a modern setting.

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have lots to say. I'll come back and say it later. This was not a perfect book, but it's so beautiful, and if you know the play really well, it helps a lot. Any time anyone gives the female characters in a Shakespeare play an actual voice, I'm there for it. It's definitely a YA. Highly recommend.

[Krys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wounded Name is a debut novel by Dot Hutchison releasing this September. The book is a contemporary retelling of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. I'm going to presume that many of you know the original story so I will not completely rehash it. I prefer instead to talk about Hutchison's brilliant take on it. The book is told in first person from Ophelia's point of view as she shares the events leading up to the tragic end of the Prince of Denmark. It is a title that I expect to hear more about, particularly since the early responses have been so favorable. I'm not even going to tease on this one - I loved it... every word. I thought it was fantastic.

This book... wow... this book.

Ophelia Castellan has always feared that she would succumb to her dead Mother's legacy, a grim future of madness and promiscuity. The fears are not isolated to her alone. Her Father, Polonius, and older brother, Laertes, maintain an ever-watchful vigilance over both Ophelia's virtue and sanity. But they never factored Hamlet Danemark VI, known as Dane to his friends, into the equation.

Dane's father, the head of the illustrious Elsinore Academy, has died suddenly. This sends Elsinore into an uproar, but none are as shattered as Dane. Dane is stricken by this and in his grief he turns to Ophelia for comfort. This single act sets off a series of events that will draw them both to the brink of madness and beyond, particularly when Dane comes to learn that his father's death may have been prevented.

I was immediately drawn into the world that Hutchison was painstakingly recreating. Within a page I knew that I was going to like her style. Her writing is solid, beautiful, and rife with deliciously quotable passages. Her use of metaphor and word-play is perfect. I found myself rereading lines and sharing them aloud to others amazed that this was her first novel. The level of craftsmanship that went into this is unbelievable. It's obvious that this book has been a labour of love for her. It shows with every nuance in characterization, with the attention to thematic elements, and, most importantly, in the wild, runaway chemistry between Ophelia and Dane.

Here Ophelia is gorgeously rendered; the dynamic woman of myth and fantasy that Shakespeare only hinted at. Hutchison gives her so many new levels - she's troubled, she's sneaky, she's loyal and she's kind. She's also devoted and strong and weak and knows her limitations. She is the heart and soul of the play and in this book she finally gets the spotlight that she has deserved for the last four centuries. One feels every emotion as if they were there with her, holding her hand and spurning her into the water yourself. My heart broke repeatedly for her with every foreshadowed allusion to her end and then broke again... and again... and again.

There's a chaotic beauty to her relationship with Dane. Dane himself is a masterpiece of characterization, a wondrous glitch. Dane is the kind of man that a reader sympathizes with despite his obvious and distasteful flaws. Dane is self-absorbed, he's singularly minded, and he's manipulative without realizing that he is. He's the ultimate user and Ophelia is merely the drug that he abuses... and abuses her he does, both mentally and physically. There are some haunting, brutal, painful scenes in this book. And yet the reader forgives him just as Ophelia does, accepts that he has his problems, and let's him get away with his callous whims. It's not that he's a particularly good boyfriend or anything, far from it. He's gets away with murder... until he doesn't. And he drags Ophelia along for the ride, every tragic turn of it.

This is the love story that I love to read; a doomed one. I'm a sucker for torturous beauty and impossibilities when it comes to romantic plot lines. To me there is no better romantic ending than two lovers who don't live happily ever after. This play has always fulfilled that element for me in multiple ways. Hutchison's execution of this tragedy goes beyond my expectations. I gritted my teeth for the entire book but my lips were still smiling. It's such a rough ride but it's worth every heart-wrenching, aching second. I'm not sure who Hutchison was writing this book for but I swear she was directing it at my kind. I'm so in love with her words.

I encourage fans of Laini Taylor, April Lindner, and Tessa Gratton to go immediately and pre-order this book. I think you won't be disappointed. This is a definite favourite of the year. It's going on my shelves and never leaving them.

5 out of 5 stars.

- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Lab, and Netgalley.)
15-year-old Ophelia lives with her father and her brother following her mother’s suicide, at the illustrious Elsinore Academy, where her father holds an important position.

The headmaster of Elsinore Academy has just died though, and while most think it was a heart attack, Ophelia and the groundskeeper know the truth – Hamlet was murdered.

With Hamlet’s body barely in the ground, his younger brother Claudius steps into his place, not only becoming the new headmaster, but also marrying Hamlet’s widow Gertrude.

In his grief and anger at his mother and uncle’s actions, Dane - Hamlet’s son, takes an interest in Ophelia, against her father’s wishes, but also begins acting bizarrely, leading people to think that he is going mad.
What is wrong with Dane? Did Claudius really murder Hamlet? And are the ghosts of Hamlet that Ophelia sees really real?



This was an interesting story, but I did get confused in places.

Ophelia was quite an odd character. She clearly missed her mother, and she clearly loved Dane, but otherwise she was pretty strange. At one point I wondered if her mother had been some kind of Fae, as she appeared to her and spoke to her in the water where she died, whilst at other times I wondered if she had merely been delusional.
Ophelia herself was on multiple medications to try and control what her family thought of as delusions, whilst in reality she may have had some kind of sight, as she heard fairies, and communed with the dead. Ophelia was quite an odd girl though, with pretty strange thoughts and ideas, and it was easy to get sucked in to her madness.

Some of the other characters in this book really shocked me. Even the idea that a man would kill his own brother to take his position and wife is such a betrayal to me, that I was really quite shocked by just how cunning Claudius could be.
Dane, who did really seem to love Ophelia, in turn seemed equal parts passionate and mad, and it was often difficult to guess his next move.

The storyline in this book is supposed to be a retelling of ‘Hamlet’, although I unfortunately haven’t read Hamlet to be able to compare the two! I do have some idea of the story though, and this didn’t stick exactly to the same storyline as the original.
I found the storyline in this book okay, but it did confuse me in places. I think that the amount of madness and delusions in the story really blurred the lines between what was really happening, and what Ophelia or Dane only thought was happening, which made the story quite confusing at times.

The ending was what I expected to some extent, mainly because the image of Ophelia drowning is quite a famous one, but I was confused as to exactly what happened to lead her to that point. I’m not sure if I missed something or whether I was just confused, but I’m not really sure how we got to the ending we got. I am now quite interested to read the original Hamlet though to find out how it happens in that. Another thing that I will say though, is that I don’t believe that Ophelia’s death is the end of the story in the original, where as it this it is, so I think it’s almost as if the ending from Hamlet is totally missing in this one.

The writing in this one was quite reminiscent of a Shakespeare story, and I thought that the air of madness and mystery was done well throughout. I was unsure about the year and setting for this retelling though, as there were mentions of very modern things, whilst the way that people behaved and spoke was very old-fashioned. I was also unsure of the setting, as I think Hamlet was originally set in Denmark, whilst this seems to be set in America? Both the setting and year were really poorly done, and I found this a bit annoying.
I did like this story overall though, although I think it is maybe supposed to be the kind of book that you puzzle over.
Overall; an interesting, if slightly confusing, retelling of Hamlet.
7 out of 10.

[Erin Arkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wounded Name is based on the story of Hamlet but told in the voice of Ophelia. Of course we all know the tragic ending to the story but Dot Hutchison gives us a new perspective and writes it so beautifully I was immediately drawn into this book. As I sit here wondering what I could possibly write that will do this book any sort of justice, I keep thinking that anything I write will pale in comparison to actually reading it.

The story itself should be familiar and even if you have not read/seen Hamlet, you should be able to understand what is going on here. Told in modern time but with a private school, Elsinore Academy, as the backdrop, the story progresses as you would expect.

The characters here are so well done and Hutchison made me feel all of the pain and emotions each of these characters were going through. From Ophelia’s sadness, pain and feelings of abandonment to Dane’s guilt, anger, and madness; I felt every one of these through the pages.

Ophelia is the central character here and due to her being “her mother’s daughter”, her father and brother don’t trust her to care for herself and believe her to be insane. Ophelia is smart, observant, and loyal…sometimes to her own detriment but I really loved her. I also just wanted to give her a great big hug. Her father (Polonius) didn't really pay attention to her unless he wanted something and her brother (Laertes) was a big hypocrite who annoyed me throughout the entire story. When Dane leans on her after his father’s death, she feels needed and she enjoys that feeling regardless of what happens whenever she is around him.

Dane…even I was caught up in his madness. It was hard to see at times where he was being real versus where he was putting on a show. I have a love hate relationship with Dane. He was such a damaged character and had so much anger. There were times where he was so protective and caring toward Ophelia but then he would turn into someone (or thing) else. He was abusive and put her in danger and she forgave him for it every single time. The line that says it all – “Yes,” he says simply. “you need someone to protect you from me.”

Horatio is the steady character of the book and I thought he was very well done. He loves Ophelia and tries to care/protect her from herself as well as others. Horatio also loves Dane and knows that Dane will never love him in the same way.

As I mentioned, nothing changes with the outcome of the story here and you probably know what happens. Despite the tragic ending, I loved this. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good book that has a perfect happily ever after ending but if that is what you are looking for, put this one down and back away. If you are drawn to books (like me) that have flawed and complex characters, a wonderful story and beautiful writing, this is something I would encourage you to pick up when you can.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the ARC.

This review can be found on my blog Fic Fare:

[Zemira Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamlet's my favorite Shakespeare tragedy. His other work combined together can't top this masterpiece. So when I first saw someone was publishing a retelling I just had to have it. Not everyone has the talent and the guts to try out to integrate Shakespeare into their work. Dot Hutchison did an outstanding job.

Ophelia is one of those characters in Hamlet I didn't care for. She was spineless and pretty much everything I don't like in a woman. My heroines need to be strong and independent but A Wounded Name's Ophelia made this well-known story interesting and made me like her even though she was still weak. She tries so hard to please her father, to be a good, obedient daughter and great wife one day to some yet unknown gentleman. She takes pills which are trying to get rid of the apparitions she keeps seeing all around. Her life flips upside down when Dane's father, Hamlet senior dies.

After Hamlet's death, his brother marries Dane's mother and gets the title of the super intendant which only makes Dane angrier so he starts doing all sort of crazy things around the campus. His two best friends, Horatio and Ophelia are there by his side and are trying to comfort him. Dane's rage and bitterness leaves Ophelia bruised after his every episode. On the positive side, he doesn't remember anything but it doesn't stop Ophelia from allowing him to abuse her after their every secret meeting. OK, I'm gonna stop here and not discuss the plot any longer because most of you know what happens in the end.

Even though I didn't like Dane/Hamlet in A Wounded Name he did redeem himself in the end. He acted like a spoiled, proud, revengeful, ambitious, mad brat most of the time and he didn't treat his friends well even though they were always there for him. Was he always like this or did I miss something when I first read Hamlet all those years ago?

I just have to mention the incredible work Dot did with the setting. The lake, the graveyard... You people can't miss this book! You'll regret not getting to know the paranormal aspect of this story. Bean nighe, scary looking washer ladies which dance and sing around the lake whenever it's time for someone to die. I had to look up the term bean nighe and I wished I didn't because those pictures will haunt me tonight, when I go to sleep.

A Wounded Name is a book full of unfulfilled promises, revenge, death and madness with a beautiful, lyrical writing which will captivate everyone. I can't wait to see what will Dot Hurchison come up next. Truly an unforgettable book.

You can read this review and much more on my blog, YA Fanatic.

[Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I could not have picked a better book for my first readers' choice review. If my recommendations keep being this awesome, I may just have to read nothing but recommendations from you guys!

A Wounded Name is a retelling of Hamlet. I'm a huge Shakespeare buff so maybe that's why I loved this one so much but I know for a fact that that is only part of the reason. The story was part of the draw for me but that's not what really hooked me. The writing and the characters are what really got to me with this one. To be completely honest, there wasn't a single thing about A Wounded Name that I didn't like.

First off, I have to mention the writing. It's absolutely gorgeous writing. Some of the best I have ever read, for sure. If nothing else about this book appeals to you, read it for the writing alone. It's worth it. Dot Hutchison is one of those writers who could write a phone book and I would read it.

The second best thing about A Wounded Name would have to be Ophelia and the rest of the characters. A Wounded Name is told from Ophelia's perspective and you really see the story in a whole different light. Ophelia is a little bit crazy (literally) but I couldn't help but love her. She's been through so much in life that I just wanted something good to happen to her. She's one of those characters who truly deserves a happy ending. Same goes with Dane (Hamlet). He's a very messed up young man but you can tell that he really is a good person. He does so much to hurt the people he loves but he doesn't really mean any of it. He's lost and confused and mourning his dad. I felt so bad for both him and Ophelia. Really, the only character I didn't feel bad for was Claudius. Dot Hutchison made him into the perfect villain. He wasn't too evil but there wasn't anything good about him, that's for sure. Also, I can't not mention Horatio. I loved him. Ophelia hit the nail on the head when she said that he was the best of them all.

The story is nothing new but like I said, you get to see a different side of it now. Like the synopsis says, you know how this story ends (if you've read Hamlet) but that does not take away from A Wounded Name at all. I didn't read this one because I expected mystery and suspense. I read this because I expected a true to the original retelling and that's exactly what I got.

Overall, you must read A Wounded Name! I can't recommend it enough. I can't wait to see what Dot Hutchison does next!

[A Book Vacation · Rating 3 out of 5]

To see my full review:

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...

Though Hamlet is not necessarily my favorite, Dot Hutchison’s A Wounded Name takes a very interesting look at Hamlet from Ophelia’s point-of-view, interspersing some aspects of fantasy in order to give it a little lighter feel when explaining Ophelia’s final choice in the end. Of course, there are liberties taken and events out of sequence, with Ophelia present for confrontations that she wasn’t present for in the Bard’s play, etc., but overall it’s a good rendition that paints Hamlet in a darker, abusive light, much more so than in the original play, in my opinion. It does end with Ophelia’s death, but it’s not really a sad occurrence as Ophelia is moving on to what seems like a better place, a place brought up time and time again within the novel, adding elements of fantasy and myth where they weren’t originally, but working very well overall.

To be honest, the only issue I really had with this novel was the back and forth nature of the characters’ language. At times it was modern, and at others it took on a more archaic feel, and that was jarring for me as a reader. I really think it should have been all or nothing, and since this is a modern story set in an American boarding school, I would have liked it all to be in modern language instead of morphing back and forth throughout the characters’ discussions.

But overall, A Wounded Name is a good story, and I really enjoyed the element of fantasy that Hutchison added in, especially as the water calls to Ophelia from the very beginning, paving the way for the end. And, the fact that this novel followed Ophelia, giving readers glimpses into her mind and her actions when she’s technically offstage in the Bard’s play was fascinating for me, especially because I’m always interested to know what the other characters are thinking and feeling when I read a novel.

I plan to recommend this novel to my students as we study Hamlet because it really does follow the play quite well and adds insight in places where the play leaves the reader wondering, and I think this might just make them a little more interested in Shakespeare.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Hamlet, so of course I was curious about A Wounded Name. Sadly, there’s nothing new or interesting here. It sticks very closely to the original, which I think works against it. Instead of being about the murder of the King of Denmark, it’s about the murder of the Headmaster of an elite boarding school. Ophelia is one of the students there and can see ghosts, as well as hear the banshees sing for the recently deceased. When the Headmaster’s ghost appears, Ophelia knows something is wrong, and she promises to stand by his son’s side no matter what.

A Wounded Name was just okay for me. I wanted to read an original twist on my favorite Shakespeare play, but all I got was a younger cast in a modern setting. The weirdest part for me was that every single name is the same. This always bothers me, because how can the characters not notice this? Hamlet must not exist in this world, or else they’d all know what was coming or at least think it’s an odd coincidence. Then there’s the dialogue. Sometimes it sounds like modern teenagers, other times it’s very old fashioned. It’s not like Romeo + Juliet where it’s Shakespeare’s words in a modern setting; that would have been awesome. It’s more like a modern twist on his words, and it felt out of place.

I really don’t have much to say about A Wounded Name. There are no surprises. It just exactly follows the original play, with some modifications to make it fit the time and place. I did like getting the story from Ophelia’s perspective, although she was a kind of watered down (pun intended) character. She just lets things happen to her. I guess I was just hoping for more from her than that. But this retelling really doesn’t stray at all, which made it boring despite my love for the original.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Raechel Attaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the classic Hamlet, this story is narrated by Ophelia in the modern day setting of a historic boarding school. If you're at all familiar with the story of Hamlet, then as the inner flap will tell you, "You know how the story ends." What you can't know before beginning the book is how eloquently the author gives voice to a character who has suffered in silence for centuries. A Wounded Name is a tale of a murder, deceit, and loneliness... But mostly it is the story of those so blinded by their own inequities they fail to see the truth in the one girl whom they have dubbed "insane." It is beautiful, it is madness, it is delicate, and strong all at once... Quite simply, it will haunt you in the best way.

I read this ARC thanks to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group, but all opinions are my own :)

[Saz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm always very critical of Hamlet retellings/adaptations (I've read so many, as Hamlet is my favorite Shakespearean tragedy) and at first this book was shaping up to be a diamond in the rough.

The writing was good, I liked the characterizations well enough, but eventually everything spiraled downward. The writing became too disjointed, the story became, frustratingly, too much like the work it's based on and yet too dislike it at the same time. Some artistic choices in regard to the characters I liked but there were a few inaccuracies (or "choices") too egregious for me to really enjoy the book as a whole. And so, another one bites the dust.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so thrown off by the language in this story. It is a retelling of Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view. It took the longest for me to realize it was meant to be contemporary because of the elaborate way of speaking. For me, it went beyond lyrical, because it echoed so much of the original writing. I was compelled by the story and the touches of the otherworldly, but in the end I couldn't get past the archaic speech. The reference to cell phones was the only clue I had that this was modern. I gave it a good go, getting past the midway point but had to put it down.

[kate ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was beautifully written

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7. Ghosts, romance, murder and death, death and death. Very dramatic and poetic. feels like I'm listening to a classic in how it's written. And yes everyone dies!

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a finished copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. I love Hamlet (and Shakespeare in general) and have read a couple retellings of this play. This was by far the best one of the bunch. The writing style is lyrical and beautiful and I absolutely loved it.

Ophelia is the daughter the main administrator at a boarding school. For generations the boarding school has been run by the Hamlet family, but the death of the Headmaster has turned the school on it’s head. One of the most affected people is the son of the Headmaster, Dane, he is beside himself because of his father’s death. When Dane’s uncle announces that he will marry Dane’s mother, Dane is incredibly distraught and seeks solace in Ophelia’s company. However Ophelia has issues of her own, she can see ghosts and fae and has been heavily medicated for a long time to shut down this ability.

This was an absolutely beautiful and tragic retelling of Hamlet. I really enjoyed it, the writing is lyrical and does an excellent job of echoing the original play. Many famous parts of the play are quoted word through word throughout and I enjoyed that.

At first it was hard to figure out the era the book was set in. The language the story is told in is very lyrical, flowery, and a bit archaic. The men are very protective of the girls, and the school is raising girls to be society wives so they aren’t allowed to take the same classes as the boys. Additionally Ophelia is always in dresses. However, there are things like cell phones, antidepressants, birth control pills, etc mentioned in the book. So I finally deduced that this book is set in modern times.

Ophelia however, is not necessarily living in the same world as everyone else. She is somewhat isolated in the boarding school, she sees faeries, and is heavily medicated..which makes her somewhat dissociated and passive. I think the archaic language the story was told in really shows how very dislocated from the rest of the world Ophelia is, it also does an excellent job of echoing Hamlet...while being easier to read and grasp than Hamlet.

I know other readers have complained about the archaic language and writing style, but I absolutely loved it. I thought it was cleverly done. It conveys the dreaminess of Ophelia’s existence while also exposing readers to a beautiful writing style conveys the feeling of Shakespeare without being as hard to read as Shakespeare is.

Ophelia is such an interesting character and I loved that this story is told from her point of view. Her love and need for Dane is so genuine, yet so wrong. Both Ophelia and Dane dance back and forth over the line of insanity and this was incredibly well done in this book. I loved hearing from her point of view why she supported Dane and why she let him use and abuse her so. Her and Dane don’t have a healthy relationship and it was interesting to see that admitted and explored.

I was also impressed with how similar the boarding school situation was to a kingdom, a very traditional and elite boarding school was actually an excellent way to tell this story. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it all worked beautifully.

There is some magic and paranormal elements to the story as well. Ophelia’s mom is a water faerie, a morgan, and Ophelia also sees ghosts. This all ties into the story very well and fills out Ophelia’s background nicely. I enjoyed these additional elements to the story and thought they added a lot to it.

This is a tragedy folks, there is no happy ending. The whole book you just feel the wrongness building and are waiting for it all to explode. Hutchinson does an excellent job building this tension throughout the story. Even though I knew how the story would end I had trouble putting the book down.

Overall I really really loved this book. As I said...I have read other Hamlet retellings, even from Ophelia’s point of view, and did not enjoy them. This book however was absolutely spot on. It echoes Hamlet very well and even has some quotations and dialogue form the original play. The writing style is absolutely beautiful and does an excellent job of echoing Hamlet while being more accessible. I loved how the archaic language in a modern setting shows you how removed Ophelia is from the outside world. I just pretty much loved everything about this book! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Hutchinson’s future works.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

5 STARS

I remember reading Hamlet in High School and one of the major points that stuck with me was the character of Ophelia. Once I read the blurb for this book, I knew there was no way I couldn't not read it. Hutchison created a modern day retelling of the famous play, taking a new take on old characters. The book is given a voice through the character of Ophelia, where we are able to properly delve into the depth of her character. All in all I thought this was a fantastically amazing book, which left me wow'd.


There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet"

First and foremost the cover is beautiful and so is the title, they immediately drew me in wanting to know more.

I knew from the start what was going to happen, yet I couldn't stop reading. I ended up getting to the last 10% of the book and putting it down for a few days and lingering just because i didn't want it to end. Mainly because I didn't want the main character, which Hutchison had marvelously fleshed out, who I had grown to understand, to tragically leave. I cannot tell you how many times i sat there hoping, with crossed fingers for a different ending, the foreshadowing throughout the book didn't help with that false hope at all.

I loved the way Hutchison wrote each of the characters, you could understand and almost feel their madness, pain, anger and sadness.

Ophelia was beautifully and hauntingly written by Hutchison. The character and the prose of the entire book was fantastic. But in specific Ophelia's depth was on another level. She is smart and watches and knows whats going on around her. She doesn't want to be know as 'her mothers daughter', but her father and brother do not give her a chance and already treat her as if she is insane.

Dane, Dane, Dane. I couldn't help but go along with his 'mad' plan. He was chaotic and flawed and manipulative, used and abused Ophelia, but you couldn't help but sympathize with him. I really think he cared for Ophelia and loved her, but that love was misplaced through his other emotions at the time. He wanted to protect her from the bad and himself.

I felt nervous to finish this book and almost anxious to get to Ophelia's end. Hutchison broke my heart and I would definitely read it over and over again. It takes a great writer to enable a reader to feel for characters the way that Hutchison has, which is an amazing feat in itself. I am so, so glad I read this book. I am still not over it - even knowing how this was going to end - this book is definitely going to stay with me for a while.

[Deidra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok I should really start this review saying that I actually despise Shakespeare. My Brit Lit professor was also an expert in Feminist Theory. It wasn't a good combo, and I obtained a few perspectives that ruined Shakespeare for me. All that to mention that I didn't realize it was a retelling of Hamlet until I had started it. I was hooked at that point anyways. I read some recaps of Hamlet to get the gist. I may despise Shakespeare, but I love Dot Hutchinson.

Now I can't vouch for the original version or the perspectives, but it seems to be that Ophelia didn't get much of a voice. Even though she was a bit "mad", I found her perspective to be beautiful and lovely. The fact that she leans more towards the crazy side brings out the beauty of an unreliable character. The scenes between Ophelia and Dane are palpable with raw emotion, chaos, and rides a turbulent line between pain and pleasure. Despite Dane's flaws, and there are many, the reader can't help but sympathize with him. Ophelia chooses to absorb the pain that Dane expresses in many different ways, many in ways that threaten to destroy each of them.

The writing though. Oh my goodness the writing. The writing just flows in an endless stream of gorgeously constructed phrases. Still there was this control. As I read, I knew she knew what she wanted to do and how she wanted to do it. So I know that Ms. Hutchinson's style is just absolutely fabulous. The story is full of delicious word play that I read over and over at times. My mom probably got tired of hearing me yell "Listen to this line!" over and over again. There are just some kinds of written word that need to be shared with everyone around even if they don't appreciate it the same way.

Low Points: Ophelia's relationship with Dane is a very abusive one. You can excuse it and picture it in many different lights, but it was what we would classify as abusive. I'm not saying it really subtracts from the book, but it is a hard topic to read.

High Points:
Gorgeous writing
A great modern version of Hamlet
Gives Ophelia the voice she deserves
Who Should Read It: Shakespeare fan's will probably appreciate it and fans of sad books. I'd also recommend to fans of Laini Taylor because of the similar style.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dot Hutchison is a talented author - too talented, in my opinion, to be trapped in another author's work. A Wounded Name is a "retelling" (as other readers have put it) of Hamlet. I call it fanfiction. Part of me is glad I didn't know this before I picked up the book, because I probably wouldn't have given it a chance had I known, but it did cause me some confusion when I first opened the book and all of the characters had the same names as those in Hamlet. It took me 4 or 5 chapters before I figured out exactly what was going on.

I didn't particularly like Hamlet when I read it years ago, but there was enough new material here to keep me interested. Hutchison did effectively turn this tragedy into a YA novel. The characters are complex and interesting. It worked well for me until about the half-way point, when Hutchison really started to lay the ground-work for the "tragedy" portion of Hamlet - I knew what was coming and I still didn't like it. The book becomes very, very dark at this point, detailing abuse I don't think was necessary for the story (and am not sure is suitable for younger readers), and Ophelia grows into an evermore frustrating character. You see the strength in her, penned by Hutchison, not Shakespeare (IMO), and it's frustrating she's bound to the same fate Shakespeare determined. There is one character that really shines in this portion of the book: Horatio. I deeply enjoyed how he played off all the characters.

Hutchison's writing is strong and very beautiful, though at times, especially in the later part of the book, a little too convoluted and "Shakespearean" for a novel set in modern times. I'm definitely interested in her future work, but I hope it's something very different from this. A Wounded Name is good, and at times phenomenal, but I don't think I could read it again. I think Hutchison has the talent to soar with a book wholly original and hers, and wish the absolute best for her going forward.

[lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atmospheric, haunting, riveting, this story was everything I wanted and more. I am so, so, so passionate about Hamlet, and oh, this lived up to that madness, and it created an entirely new yet still as compelling madness of its own. The prose itself is gorgeous; Hutchinson has a gift with words. That gift transports us perfectly into the fragile yet magical mind of Ophelia.

It saddens me that the average rating for this is low, but I understand why it would be. I haven't read any negative reviews of this book, but I can guess what parts of it make people uneasy. It's not exactly politically correct--or moral, in the deepest sense of the word. But that's Hamlet. That is the essence of the play, and to eradicate the terrible things would be to diminish the story. Furthermore, it is self-aware. This isn't a book that puts forth horrible things as right things. Maybe the smaller injustices here aren't fought against--Ophelia, after all, rarely stands up for herself, and that is canon--but they aren't ignored, either. The hypocrisy and the wrongness are acknowledged, though perhaps not changed.

In the play, Ophelia is who she is. That personality is reflected in this novel. But Hutchinson gives Ophelia a voice, a chance, a choice. Ophelia is, in one word, phenomenal. She has depth, and despite everything, she is a strong female character.

I also loved how Hutchinson inserted classic lines of the play into the storyline. Sometimes the language seemed out of place, especially for teenagers in a modern setting, but the effect was so wonderful I couldn't help but be charmed.

A Wounded Name is dark. It's unflinching. It's fucked up. But it mesmerized me, when I haven't been mesmerized by a book in so long. It haunted me when I had to put it down. And it left me with such a phenomenal sense of emptiness. It is a fulfilling kind of tragedy, one I'm so grateful for.