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Saving Hamlet
A charming young adult contemporary novel with a little Shakespeare-infused time-travel adventure...and plenty of drama!
Emma Allen couldn't be more excited to start her sophomore year. Not only is she the assistant stage manager for the drama club's production of Hamlet, but her crush Brandon is directing, and she's rocking a new haircut that's sure to get his attention. But soon after school starts, everything goes Emma's promoted to stage manager with zero experience, her best friend Lulu stops talking to her, and Josh—the adorable soccer boy who's cast as the lead—turns out to be a disaster.
One night after rehearsal, Emma distractedly falls through the stage's trap door...landing in the basement of the Globe Theater. It's London, 1601, and with her awesome new pixie cut, everyone thinks Emma's a boy—even Will Shakespeare himself. With no clue how to get home, Emma gamely plays her role as backstage assistant to the original production of Hamlet , learning a thing or two about the theater, and meeting an incredibly hot actor named Alex who finds Emma as intriguing as she finds him. But once Emma starts traveling back and forth through time, things get really confusing. Which boy is the one for her? In which reality does she belong? Will Lulu ever forgive her? And can she possibly save two disastrous productions of Hamlet before time runs out?
Emma Allen couldn't be more excited to start her sophomore year. Not only is she the assistant stage manager for the drama club's production of Hamlet, but her crush Brandon is directing, and she's rocking a new haircut that's sure to get his attention. But soon after school starts, everything goes Emma's promoted to stage manager with zero experience, her best friend Lulu stops talking to her, and Josh—the adorable soccer boy who's cast as the lead—turns out to be a disaster.
One night after rehearsal, Emma distractedly falls through the stage's trap door...landing in the basement of the Globe Theater. It's London, 1601, and with her awesome new pixie cut, everyone thinks Emma's a boy—even Will Shakespeare himself. With no clue how to get home, Emma gamely plays her role as backstage assistant to the original production of Hamlet , learning a thing or two about the theater, and meeting an incredibly hot actor named Alex who finds Emma as intriguing as she finds him. But once Emma starts traveling back and forth through time, things get really confusing. Which boy is the one for her? In which reality does she belong? Will Lulu ever forgive her? And can she possibly save two disastrous productions of Hamlet before time runs out?
368 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
35 people are currently reading
3397 people want to read
About the author
Molly Horton Booth
4 books167 followersMolly Horton Booth teaches English at Bunker Hill Community College, and also writes books about Shakespeare and feelings. She's the author of Young Adult novels SAVING HAMLET and NOTHING HAPPENED both published by Disney Hyperion. She graduated from Marlboro College and went on to get her English MA, studying Shakespeare some more (twist!), at University of Massachusetts Boston. Molly is a freelance writer and editor and has been published on TheMarySue.com, McSweeneys.net, HelloGiggles.com, etc. She directs a lovely, hilarious, and fierce group of homeschooling 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, loaf-of-bread-shaped dog, and small kitty spookyboy. Molly is a Sagittarius sun/Pisces moon/Capricorn rising. You can visit her (please do!) on her website, mollyhortonbooth.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
March 22, 2016
I truly **loved** this quirky, beguiling, wonderful book!
If you think an ordinary sophomore year in high school is hard, try adding a disastrous theater production, losing your best friend, and some accidental time travel into the mix. And Shakespeare. As in, the real Shakespeare, the guy with the goatee and the quill pen and the frilly shirt, walking around in Elizabethan England at the Globe Theater, where you also happen to unexpectedly find yourself.
Put it all together, and Drama Club techie Emma Allen's got a massive problem. But she's not the only one! Everyone in the modern production of "Hamlet" at her high school has issues that seem insurmountable...but the key to at least some of them may lie in the Shakespearean past, or even in the lessons of the play itself.
Author Molly Booth's celebration of friendship, love, drama and coming-of-age is at times a hilarious romp...but it's also a sensitive exploration of how to accept who you really are, in spite of the troubles and misunderstandings of people around you. She weaves parallels between the modern journey of Emma and her friends, with the age-old tale of Hamlet and his perilous, doomed passage into troubled manhood, with a very light --but sure-- touch.
I found myself tense with anticipation of how Emma and her friends could possibly sort it all out. But here's a promise: no one dies at the tip of a poisoned sword at the end.
And to complete my reading joy, Booth's deadpan humor was always waiting in the wings to make me snort-laugh on almost every page.
Highly recommended!
(I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
If you think an ordinary sophomore year in high school is hard, try adding a disastrous theater production, losing your best friend, and some accidental time travel into the mix. And Shakespeare. As in, the real Shakespeare, the guy with the goatee and the quill pen and the frilly shirt, walking around in Elizabethan England at the Globe Theater, where you also happen to unexpectedly find yourself.
Put it all together, and Drama Club techie Emma Allen's got a massive problem. But she's not the only one! Everyone in the modern production of "Hamlet" at her high school has issues that seem insurmountable...but the key to at least some of them may lie in the Shakespearean past, or even in the lessons of the play itself.
Author Molly Booth's celebration of friendship, love, drama and coming-of-age is at times a hilarious romp...but it's also a sensitive exploration of how to accept who you really are, in spite of the troubles and misunderstandings of people around you. She weaves parallels between the modern journey of Emma and her friends, with the age-old tale of Hamlet and his perilous, doomed passage into troubled manhood, with a very light --but sure-- touch.
I found myself tense with anticipation of how Emma and her friends could possibly sort it all out. But here's a promise: no one dies at the tip of a poisoned sword at the end.
And to complete my reading joy, Booth's deadpan humor was always waiting in the wings to make me snort-laugh on almost every page.
Highly recommended!
(I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
October 3, 2016
I'm a sucker for all things Hamlet, so I was beyond excited to get approved for this.
I really liked Emma. Her passion for theatre is new, but it comes across in her actions. The backstory was a little clichéd and perhaps not even necessary. I didn't think soccer or the mean girls were important aspects to Emma's life.
I loved the back and forth. The idea of seeing a show at The Globe with Shakespeare there to have his hand in everything is like a dream come true. Cooke was adorable and the snippets we got from the past characters were intriguing.
Yes, there were definitely parts that were overdramatic, but such is the life in high school. Overall, it was a quick and fun read.
**Huge thanks to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I really liked Emma. Her passion for theatre is new, but it comes across in her actions. The backstory was a little clichéd and perhaps not even necessary. I didn't think soccer or the mean girls were important aspects to Emma's life.
I loved the back and forth. The idea of seeing a show at The Globe with Shakespeare there to have his hand in everything is like a dream come true. Cooke was adorable and the snippets we got from the past characters were intriguing.
Yes, there were definitely parts that were overdramatic, but such is the life in high school. Overall, it was a quick and fun read.
**Huge thanks to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
June 1, 2016
An engaging, quirky, and fun-filled read, SAVING HAMLET was pretty much tailor-made for the recovering theatre major in me. The amusingly painful details of putting together a high school play are deadly accurate, the vibrant (and often narcissistic) personalities that populate the drama club uncomfortably true to life, and the Shakespearean scholarship woven throughout the book is utterly fascinating. Molly Booth writes authentically melodramatic drama kids with such sympathy, it actually helped me let go of some embarrassment I didn't even know I was still holding onto from my own days treading the boards.
Booth's heroine, the endearingly self-conscious student stage manager Emma Allen, has a lot on her plate; trying to juggle temperamental actors, a controlling director who is losing control, a best friend whose life is falling apart at the seams, and a three-car pileup of cute boys she can't stop crushing on, she's pretty overwhelmed; and all that is before she accidentally time-travels back to Elizabethan England, encountering William Shakespeare himself. What she learns from the past she brings back to the present, stepping up to the plate repeatedly, rescuing her friends and finding her confidence at the same time. She's capable and intelligent, ultimately realizing that not all three of the boys she likes are actually worthy of her attentions, and a lot of young women will find her character's journey inspiring.
One of the things I found most refreshing about this novel was the fact that Emma is not an actor. There's no shortage of books, movies, TV shows, etc, celebrating young people who overcome adversity and find their voice while building up the courage to perform; but techies rarely get their fair share of accolades for all the work that they do, and Booth deserves a round of applause for turning the spotlight (see what I did there?) their way.
If you like drama, time travel, or magical realism - or, really, just sweet and smartly-written romantic comedies - this book's for you.
Booth's heroine, the endearingly self-conscious student stage manager Emma Allen, has a lot on her plate; trying to juggle temperamental actors, a controlling director who is losing control, a best friend whose life is falling apart at the seams, and a three-car pileup of cute boys she can't stop crushing on, she's pretty overwhelmed; and all that is before she accidentally time-travels back to Elizabethan England, encountering William Shakespeare himself. What she learns from the past she brings back to the present, stepping up to the plate repeatedly, rescuing her friends and finding her confidence at the same time. She's capable and intelligent, ultimately realizing that not all three of the boys she likes are actually worthy of her attentions, and a lot of young women will find her character's journey inspiring.
One of the things I found most refreshing about this novel was the fact that Emma is not an actor. There's no shortage of books, movies, TV shows, etc, celebrating young people who overcome adversity and find their voice while building up the courage to perform; but techies rarely get their fair share of accolades for all the work that they do, and Booth deserves a round of applause for turning the spotlight (see what I did there?) their way.
If you like drama, time travel, or magical realism - or, really, just sweet and smartly-written romantic comedies - this book's for you.
May 8, 2019
Fantastico! Brava! Bravo! Encore! Zugaben! ...and all that good stuff!
Quirky, interesting characters! Emma, Stanley, Lulu, Josh, Brandon, Cooke, Wick, Haddock, and the bard himself -- this was definitely a character driven story.
Emma is shy and insecure, but I find that endearing. I was rooting for her to get a chance to come out of her shell and discover her potential. I liked and could identify with her. She is not very confident in her surroundings and in her actions at first, but she is totally secure in who she is (or at least who she wants to be). I had no doubt that she has enough confidence (and family support -- her mom is great!) to bloom.
I liked Josh from the start, but I grew increasingly fond of him as the story went on. I appreciated his sincerity, honesty, and genuineness. I loved Stanley and Cooke! Both energetic, quirky, original, and fun! Lulu's still quite immature, and a drama queen, but she's talented and can learn from her mistakes. And Wick. Wick is just wonderful. He helps Emma find the confidence she lacks by giving her a chance to prove herself.
Clues were dropped from the very start and then throughout about what had caused Emma's transition from beloved soccer star to insecure drama geek (her words, not mine ;) ), and I had tons of fun chasing after those clues to discover the true Emma.
I really loved this story! What a fun idea! Vibrant, vivid, and diverse characters, whom I really felt I got a chance to know . Good character development and lots of it! Lots of fun surprises! Super! Encore!
I received a copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Dystopian/Sci-Fi > Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth -- Starting August 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Quirky, interesting characters! Emma, Stanley, Lulu, Josh, Brandon, Cooke, Wick, Haddock, and the bard himself -- this was definitely a character driven story.
Emma is shy and insecure, but I find that endearing. I was rooting for her to get a chance to come out of her shell and discover her potential. I liked and could identify with her. She is not very confident in her surroundings and in her actions at first, but she is totally secure in who she is (or at least who she wants to be). I had no doubt that she has enough confidence (and family support -- her mom is great!) to bloom.
I liked Josh from the start, but I grew increasingly fond of him as the story went on. I appreciated his sincerity, honesty, and genuineness. I loved Stanley and Cooke! Both energetic, quirky, original, and fun! Lulu's still quite immature, and a drama queen, but she's talented and can learn from her mistakes. And Wick. Wick is just wonderful. He helps Emma find the confidence she lacks by giving her a chance to prove herself.
Clues were dropped from the very start and then throughout about what had caused Emma's transition from beloved soccer star to insecure drama geek (her words, not mine ;) ), and I had tons of fun chasing after those clues to discover the true Emma.
I really loved this story! What a fun idea! Vibrant, vivid, and diverse characters, whom I really felt I got a chance to know . Good character development and lots of it! Lots of fun surprises! Super! Encore!
I received a copy of this book from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
BUDDY READ: Dystopian/Sci-Fi > Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth -- Starting August 2016
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
July 9, 2023
This read like an early 2010s teen drama, and I mean that in a good way. It was quirky, fast paced and fun but also so bizarre and nonsensical at times, like how characters after traveling to the past/present don’t question it at all and don’t seem half as baffled as they should be given the circumstances, not to mention the fact that we never learn how they’re able to time travel in the first place. It’s just weird.
3.25/5
3.25/5
April 18, 2016
Ahh...theatre geeks, Shakespeare, time travel...what's not to love about this book? High school sophomore Emma Allen is an ex-soccer player who recreated herself as a member of stage crew after a disastrous incident during her freshman year. She is still working out the kinks of her new identity when she falls through a trapdoor in the stage and finds herself in 1601 in London, England. In fact, she finds herself in the Globe Theatre during the first production of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
As she begins to travel back and forth in time, she must work out the tension caused by two crushes, one on modern day Brandon and one on Alex from the 1600s.
This was a very fun read. It has it all: romance, adventure, fluid gender roles, etc. What an entertaining read!
As she begins to travel back and forth in time, she must work out the tension caused by two crushes, one on modern day Brandon and one on Alex from the 1600s.
This was a very fun read. It has it all: romance, adventure, fluid gender roles, etc. What an entertaining read!
September 1, 2016
So much fun! Pretty much makes me regret not being a theatre kid in high school! RTC
April 9, 2018
2.5 stars
It's a shame that I didn't like this since the synopsis had me so hooked and intrigued. Time travel and Shakespeare, what could be better than the combination of the two?! I was really hoping it'd stay the same throughout the book, but it didn't, unfortunately.
One of the big problems I had in this was the time travel as it is never explained. The time travel occurs with no explanation on how it occurs and why it occurs - it just happens. I would have liked to see more of a fantasy element with the time travel by including more information on how it was occurring as well as why it was a thing. Also, how can Emma take people back and forth with her to and from different time periods? Also unexplained. I did, however, like the scenes where the time travel was used, though, and I thought that it was used with meaning, not for means or usage of pure fun or entertainment like I feel like a lot of books involving time travel end up being about.
As for Emma, the MC, I wasn't a huge fan of her. I wanted her to be someone that I felt a connection to, but I didn't feel a strong one there. Some of the things that Emma had said at times were flat-out just stereotypical and I do not like stereotypical people who make assumptions all the time. I hate when people go on and on and on about something, in real life or in a book, and in Saving Hamlet Emma went on and on and on about liking someone for virtually the course of the entire book. It just got annoying for me and I started to find myself eye-rolling any time it was mentioned.
I will say, however, that I did appreciate all the theatre lingo, terms, etc. used throughout were all used correctly. While I may have not of connected with Emma like I was hoping, I did definitely connect to this side of things.
(I want to preface this next little section/paragraph by saying that I am ALL for LGBT+ rights, HOWEVER, I did not like its placement in the story, and it is part of the reason why I gave it a 2.5-star rating, so it deserves to be noticed in this review. Now that that is clarified, let me explain:)
In the beginning, especially, Booth kept putting such a STRONG emphasis on LGBT+ relationships (mainly gay and lesbian) that it just got to the point where it a.) distracted the plot, b.) sounded preachy, and c.) felt so strained, it was unnatural. I appreciate Booth trying to include LGBT+ elements into Saving Hamlet, but unfortunately, the way Booth incorporated the used of LGBT+ was not a success in my eyes.
I hate romance. I have never been able to get into romance and whenever it comes up in a non-romance story I am reading I immediately cringe. Bottom line is romance NOT my cup of tea. Why am I bringing this up? Well, Saving Hamlet features romantic tension with SO many guys to the point where it was unrelalistic, annoying and overdone for/to me.
The writing and narration were okay. There were some sentences pieced together incorrectly that I had to stop and re-read to make sense of, and sometimes the narration, being from a girl who was a sophomore in high school, felt jumbled and all over the place, making the narration confusing at times.
All in all, for as interesting as a premise of this was, I didn't like this. Even though I was the intended audience for this, it still didn't strike something with me. I'm not sure if I want to check out some of Booth's other works after how this one sat with me.
This wasn't bad, it was alright, but it was definitely not good, that I can tell you.
It's a shame that I didn't like this since the synopsis had me so hooked and intrigued. Time travel and Shakespeare, what could be better than the combination of the two?! I was really hoping it'd stay the same throughout the book, but it didn't, unfortunately.
One of the big problems I had in this was the time travel as it is never explained. The time travel occurs with no explanation on how it occurs and why it occurs - it just happens. I would have liked to see more of a fantasy element with the time travel by including more information on how it was occurring as well as why it was a thing. Also, how can Emma take people back and forth with her to and from different time periods? Also unexplained. I did, however, like the scenes where the time travel was used, though, and I thought that it was used with meaning, not for means or usage of pure fun or entertainment like I feel like a lot of books involving time travel end up being about.
As for Emma, the MC, I wasn't a huge fan of her. I wanted her to be someone that I felt a connection to, but I didn't feel a strong one there. Some of the things that Emma had said at times were flat-out just stereotypical and I do not like stereotypical people who make assumptions all the time. I hate when people go on and on and on about something, in real life or in a book, and in Saving Hamlet Emma went on and on and on about liking someone for virtually the course of the entire book. It just got annoying for me and I started to find myself eye-rolling any time it was mentioned.
I will say, however, that I did appreciate all the theatre lingo, terms, etc. used throughout were all used correctly. While I may have not of connected with Emma like I was hoping, I did definitely connect to this side of things.
(I want to preface this next little section/paragraph by saying that I am ALL for LGBT+ rights, HOWEVER, I did not like its placement in the story, and it is part of the reason why I gave it a 2.5-star rating, so it deserves to be noticed in this review. Now that that is clarified, let me explain:)
In the beginning, especially, Booth kept putting such a STRONG emphasis on LGBT+ relationships (mainly gay and lesbian) that it just got to the point where it a.) distracted the plot, b.) sounded preachy, and c.) felt so strained, it was unnatural. I appreciate Booth trying to include LGBT+ elements into Saving Hamlet, but unfortunately, the way Booth incorporated the used of LGBT+ was not a success in my eyes.
I hate romance. I have never been able to get into romance and whenever it comes up in a non-romance story I am reading I immediately cringe. Bottom line is romance NOT my cup of tea. Why am I bringing this up? Well, Saving Hamlet features romantic tension with SO many guys to the point where it was unrelalistic, annoying and overdone for/to me.
The writing and narration were okay. There were some sentences pieced together incorrectly that I had to stop and re-read to make sense of, and sometimes the narration, being from a girl who was a sophomore in high school, felt jumbled and all over the place, making the narration confusing at times.
All in all, for as interesting as a premise of this was, I didn't like this. Even though I was the intended audience for this, it still didn't strike something with me. I'm not sure if I want to check out some of Booth's other works after how this one sat with me.
This wasn't bad, it was alright, but it was definitely not good, that I can tell you.
August 6, 2016
Well that was pretty fun and adorable (even though some things were left a little unresolved for my tastes). I kinda loved that I forgot that this contemporary YA had a twist with the time-travel and whatnot, because, when it happened, I was pretty pleasantly surprised. I loved that there was some diversity within the book and that it even had characters learning more about the fluidity of sexuality and some of their own ingrained sexism (Emma not thinking a boy could play Ophelia and then learning just how well a guy could play that character). I liked the friendships between the characters, even when they started to fracture and break, because it was believable (if a touch dramatic but they're in high school and theatre nerds so that scans). Emma was an enjoyable narrator to ride along with, even when she made mistakes or didn't speak up for herself enough; I really related to her and could see a lot of myself in her (as I was in high school, maybe not as much now). I loved how involved the kids were with trying to understand the text and their characters and just their interpretations, especially Lulu's take on Ophelia. That was some A+ critical reading/acting (and I wish we'd gotten to do more of that during my high school theatre career because it's just so fascinating to try and break down what the character's thinking or what the playwright might have been thinking and to then let that colour your performance). Overall this was just a really fun romp of a contemporary/fantasy YA that is perfect for theatre nerds and anyone who loves Shakespeare.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2017
This book gave me so many reasons to love it. Theatre, Shakespeare, and admirable characters, it all came together to create a terrific novel.
I love books about theatre, because I find theatre kids to be some of the greatest ones to ever be. The theatre is a place of acceptance and togetherness. People of many talents come together to create something special and enjoyable. This book was no exception.
It was comforting to read through Emma's perspective. It is true that she did things I found startling and questionable at times, but I found the experience worthwhile. I enjoyed reading about her work as a stage manager. I always find that the "behind-the-scenes" people never really get the appreciation they deserve. This book both proved that, and tried to reduce it. Emma's role and abilities proved to be very important throughout the storyline. Which was something I found very nice.
I must admit that I did not think that I would enjoy Emma's travels back into the time of Shakespeare. However, It managed to allure and charm me in the end. I can not be sure of the authenticity of the authors writing, but I found it especially charming and eye-opening. I enjoyed how it intertwined with the modern plot.
Personally, I have a great liking for speaking that is of the "higher end", so I got a big kick out of reading the words of a certain effeminate young man. Speaking of young men, I was glad to see how Emma was able to safely navigate her way through teenage feelings. There were many things going on in her social life, and I liked how she handled it.
My favourite thing in this novel was how effortless the LGBT+ representation was. It's always nice to see that in a book not specifically revolved around that topic.
I love books about theatre, because I find theatre kids to be some of the greatest ones to ever be. The theatre is a place of acceptance and togetherness. People of many talents come together to create something special and enjoyable. This book was no exception.
It was comforting to read through Emma's perspective. It is true that she did things I found startling and questionable at times, but I found the experience worthwhile. I enjoyed reading about her work as a stage manager. I always find that the "behind-the-scenes" people never really get the appreciation they deserve. This book both proved that, and tried to reduce it. Emma's role and abilities proved to be very important throughout the storyline. Which was something I found very nice.
I must admit that I did not think that I would enjoy Emma's travels back into the time of Shakespeare. However, It managed to allure and charm me in the end. I can not be sure of the authenticity of the authors writing, but I found it especially charming and eye-opening. I enjoyed how it intertwined with the modern plot.
Personally, I have a great liking for speaking that is of the "higher end", so I got a big kick out of reading the words of a certain effeminate young man. Speaking of young men, I was glad to see how Emma was able to safely navigate her way through teenage feelings. There were many things going on in her social life, and I liked how she handled it.
My favourite thing in this novel was how effortless the LGBT+ representation was. It's always nice to see that in a book not specifically revolved around that topic.
July 3, 2019
This book was... odd. I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was the plot all over the place and some of the writing a little weird and unrealistic? Absolutely. Was there relatable characters and an enjoyable story. You bet. There’s so much going on in this that I don’t know how to feel. The love interest was sort of confusing sometimes, and some events dragged on for a little too long. But the character growth was great and a lot of them were very lovable. I thought, for the most part, it portrayed the stage crew and theater experience very well. So much so that I almost had a panic attack thinking about my own school show. However, a character did say the Scottish play, which is the biggest no in theater. It’s not the best thing I’ve ever read but it certainly wasn’t the worst. I adore Hamlet with all my heart, so I might be a little biased. But I don’t think you need to be a super fan of Hamlet to like the book. However, sweet Horatio was only mentioned eight times and it was only in passing comments. That’s not what my boy deserves after dealing with Hamlet’s bullshit. Also they hinted at Hamlet having an Oedipus complex, which is nasty. Overall I thought this was an ok book all around and it was a very fun read. I feel like I should end this with a Shakespeare quote but I feel like that’s too much.
February 4, 2017
This book is about Emma Allen the stage manager for her high school's production of Hamlet. One night after rehearsal Emma falls though the trapdoor on the stage and ends up in the Globe Theater in 1601. She becomes the stage manager for the original Hamlet. She also has lots of drama with her friends. Lulu (Ophelia in the play) is angry at Emma for not giving her the part of Hamlet (she was really good and should of got the part). Josh (Hamlet in the play) is really bad and asks Emma for help. Later he falls in love with her. Brandon (Emma's crush and the director of the show) is playing hard to get and later we find out he is gay and this makes Emma a little sad because he will never truly love her.
I really really really like this book! It has lots of drama which is always good. It has some Shakespearean history which is interesting. You probably would not understand the book if you are not an actor, techie or know the play Hamlet but if you are just one you will love this book. In the first three chapters there is some mild cussing but there is almost none in the rest.
I really really really like this book! It has lots of drama which is always good. It has some Shakespearean history which is interesting. You probably would not understand the book if you are not an actor, techie or know the play Hamlet but if you are just one you will love this book. In the first three chapters there is some mild cussing but there is almost none in the rest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2016
Where do I even begin to talk about how much I hated this book.
I'll start I guess by saying that the protagonist, Emma Allen, was WAY too into other people's sexuality and was incredibly homophobic some times. Seriously she was SO obsessed, her gaydar was the absolute worst and her reasons for why she thought people were gay or not we're so closed minded it drove me bonkers.
The author says that she loves Shakespeare, yet seems to have a less than basic understanding of his life, what he was like, and about his shows. Good lord, the author also has stage management experience yet NOTHING that happened in this book is how a real high school theatre production works.
It's amazing I made it through this book, I truly disliked it and I hope I never find myself reading this monstrosity ever again.
I'll start I guess by saying that the protagonist, Emma Allen, was WAY too into other people's sexuality and was incredibly homophobic some times. Seriously she was SO obsessed, her gaydar was the absolute worst and her reasons for why she thought people were gay or not we're so closed minded it drove me bonkers.
The author says that she loves Shakespeare, yet seems to have a less than basic understanding of his life, what he was like, and about his shows. Good lord, the author also has stage management experience yet NOTHING that happened in this book is how a real high school theatre production works.
It's amazing I made it through this book, I truly disliked it and I hope I never find myself reading this monstrosity ever again.
February 7, 2018
4.7⭐️
This was really good!!! I didn't know if I would like the time traveling part but I did!!! This I think is going to be the book I'm writing a review on for school.
4.8⭐️
Still loved this as much as last time
This was really good!!! I didn't know if I would like the time traveling part but I did!!! This I think is going to be the book I'm writing a review on for school.
4.8⭐️
Still loved this as much as last time
September 15, 2020
4.2/5 stars, full review to come! We all know that “putting on a shakespeare play” is my favorite literary trope of all time, so what did you expect?
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5
December 9, 2017
The moment I read the synopsis for Saving Hamlet I was so hooked that I moved it to my priority list to read .. I mean, time travel and Shakespeare what more do I want ?
Unfortunately, I didn't quite enjoy this book, I don't know why .. it felt so scattered all over the place and the plot wasn't moving smoothly .. Emma's character is not clear and her motives are so vague that I barely related to her .. she cries for an old guy she met yesterday and she doesn't care that her best friend is suffering in her life .. the time travel was a nice touch but I really don't understand the whole Cooke\Josh thing !! the story ended in a very anticlimactic way that I checked if I had all the pages of the book right
overall .. it was an 'Meh' book and I expected much better
Unfortunately, I didn't quite enjoy this book, I don't know why .. it felt so scattered all over the place and the plot wasn't moving smoothly .. Emma's character is not clear and her motives are so vague that I barely related to her .. she cries for an old guy she met yesterday and she doesn't care that her best friend is suffering in her life .. the time travel was a nice touch but I really don't understand the whole Cooke\Josh thing !! the story ended in a very anticlimactic way that I checked if I had all the pages of the book right
overall .. it was an 'Meh' book and I expected much better
August 12, 2018
"I don't understand why you'd want to date the jerk who's ruining our school's production."
I think... if I were in a good mood back then, I would have had enjoyed this book a whole lot more often. The first half was dreadfully painful to read when you're in a bored mood. However, the gripping second half of this debut saved me from losing the interest to read it further.
Saving Hamlet depicts like an another mix-up, retelling trying to make the story as anticipating and whimsical as Furthermore. But the cover tries so damn hard to make it look exactly like one. Many would mistake as only just another drama commentary read. Meanwhile, Emma Allen may be put to a tight hold when it comes to dealing with romance. Two Hamlet plays depend on her right now. Especially from the past...
First off, this book is predictable enough to point out that Brandon is officially *ahem* *ahem* gay. Just through a specific chapter and the obvious gestures, everyone assumes to the oblivious Emma that Brandon is who what he seems after one incident of not lending the role of Hamlet to a girl.
"I know Brandon is your mega-crush, but he's a little sexist."
"....Mama, Brandon is totally gay."
And Cooke can literally speak up "straight-grammar English." Sure the time-travel takes place in the early 17th century but what's really the real purpose? What's the point of having the supporting characters back at the 1600's speak through "Elizabethan English" rather than using normal English language in which this book greatly lacks.
"Thou guessest right," Cooke quipped. "Anyway, Master Shakespeare told us all the story of Hamlet before our rehearsal. That's how the company knows the play before we perform it. But we must remember many plays, and after a while they blend together, like a great painting of plots."
It's hard to easily believe that I've been swept to the Globe Theatre experience in London. It really lacked the depth of excitement and adventure. And this book thinks that time-travel back to the past felt like a normal routine a main character would do if ever to stay away from her problems.
Anyways, I could never forget the humour banter exchange between Cooke and Stanley. That has got to be the only main highlight of this entire read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2016
I loved so many things about this book. The narrator's kick-ass personality, resilience, and goofy sense of humor. The hardcore Shakespeare/theater geekery. The believable relationships, both friendly and romantic. The matter-of-fact treatment of cross-dressing, LGBT characters, and theatrical gender fluidity. The deft juggling of a contemporary story with an awesome, wish-fulfilling time travel subplot.
But most of all, I love that this is a book about a teenage girl who learns to DO SOMETHING and do it well and with AUTHORITY. Specifically, Emma learns to be a stage manager—a traditionally masculine trade that isn't as glamorous as acting, but is every bit as necessary (if not more) to a successful show. I love how Booth emphasizes the hard work of putting on a play—with all the nitty-gritty details—and shows us how Emma overcomes past failures to take her place confidently running the show. I love that her mentor lives in the seventeenth century.
Yes, there's also romance in this book, and it's cute and swoon-worthy. But Emma's priorities are always clear: The show must go on, just as it did in Shakespeare's day. I think teens who love theater (and some adults, too) will swoon over this book. And for high schoolers struggling with their first reading of Hamlet, it'll be a helpful eye opener, because it lays out the play's most basic interpretive challenges in everyday, accessible language.
I just wish I could SEE the opening-night production described here, because it sounds like a night of theater no one would soon forget. I was so happy to read this book as part of an ARC tour.
But most of all, I love that this is a book about a teenage girl who learns to DO SOMETHING and do it well and with AUTHORITY. Specifically, Emma learns to be a stage manager—a traditionally masculine trade that isn't as glamorous as acting, but is every bit as necessary (if not more) to a successful show. I love how Booth emphasizes the hard work of putting on a play—with all the nitty-gritty details—and shows us how Emma overcomes past failures to take her place confidently running the show. I love that her mentor lives in the seventeenth century.
Yes, there's also romance in this book, and it's cute and swoon-worthy. But Emma's priorities are always clear: The show must go on, just as it did in Shakespeare's day. I think teens who love theater (and some adults, too) will swoon over this book. And for high schoolers struggling with their first reading of Hamlet, it'll be a helpful eye opener, because it lays out the play's most basic interpretive challenges in everyday, accessible language.
I just wish I could SEE the opening-night production described here, because it sounds like a night of theater no one would soon forget. I was so happy to read this book as part of an ARC tour.
December 10, 2016
Grade: B+
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for any YA book that is a retelling of or incorporates Shakespeare. So Saving Hamlet was right up my alley. (Plus the main character shares my name, so I mean, it was a given that I'd have to give this book a try.)
I loved that Emma was younger than most YA characters, which meant this book was highly relatable for younger YA readers. Also, the book explored friendship troubles, which I thought was a great topic. Lulu was a tad annoying, to be honest, and Emma was presented like she was always in the right, but I did like the dynamics between them.
The time travel bits never had a clear explanation, but I liked how it all worked and how Emma found herself through working with the Lord Chamberlain's actors.
Boy-wise, Josh was definitely my favorite, so I'm glad how things worked out in that department. Brandon was annoying, and Cooke was just a little too perfect. The drama with the soccer team seemed a bit underdeveloped to me, and the stuff with Emma's former teammates seemed a bit cliche and overly dramatic. Also, I really hated that Stanley called Emma "Mama." It pulled me out of the story every time he did it and grated on my nerves.
Mild language. Nothing explicit in either the romance or violence department.
The Verdict: If you love Shakespeare, this is a must-read!
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for any YA book that is a retelling of or incorporates Shakespeare. So Saving Hamlet was right up my alley. (Plus the main character shares my name, so I mean, it was a given that I'd have to give this book a try.)
I loved that Emma was younger than most YA characters, which meant this book was highly relatable for younger YA readers. Also, the book explored friendship troubles, which I thought was a great topic. Lulu was a tad annoying, to be honest, and Emma was presented like she was always in the right, but I did like the dynamics between them.
The time travel bits never had a clear explanation, but I liked how it all worked and how Emma found herself through working with the Lord Chamberlain's actors.
Boy-wise, Josh was definitely my favorite, so I'm glad how things worked out in that department. Brandon was annoying, and Cooke was just a little too perfect. The drama with the soccer team seemed a bit underdeveloped to me, and the stuff with Emma's former teammates seemed a bit cliche and overly dramatic. Also, I really hated that Stanley called Emma "Mama." It pulled me out of the story every time he did it and grated on my nerves.
Mild language. Nothing explicit in either the romance or violence department.
The Verdict: If you love Shakespeare, this is a must-read!
December 15, 2016
Okay so I want to just start of by saying I'm a sham of a Shakespeare nerd because the one play I'm not crazy familiar with is Hamlet. However, this book makes me want to go dig up my mom's old college copy and read it over and over again before re-reading this brilliant debut novel of Molly Booth's.
When I first started it, I thought it was cute. Emma is the dorky theatre kid I wish I was in 10th grade and her friends are equally as dorky and dramatic. There were little things that erked me about her (off-handed comments on bisexuality or being gay over things that don't actually mean someone is gay) but I let it slide because she's a 14-/15-year-old kid.
But then the real story begins with time travel and Shakespeare and the sweetest kid in the world (for those who have read it, yes I mean Cooke) and all of the gets Emma to grow up and develop as a character. It's a book about self-discovery and growing up and changing. It's about passion and emotion. It's a coming-of-age story that I'm like 8-years too old for but I was still able to connect with Emma so deeply.
I really hope that Booth writes a sequel because I literally just finished the book and I already miss everyone in it.
When I first started it, I thought it was cute. Emma is the dorky theatre kid I wish I was in 10th grade and her friends are equally as dorky and dramatic. There were little things that erked me about her (off-handed comments on bisexuality or being gay over things that don't actually mean someone is gay) but I let it slide because she's a 14-/15-year-old kid.
But then the real story begins with time travel and Shakespeare and the sweetest kid in the world (for those who have read it, yes I mean Cooke) and all of the gets Emma to grow up and develop as a character. It's a book about self-discovery and growing up and changing. It's about passion and emotion. It's a coming-of-age story that I'm like 8-years too old for but I was still able to connect with Emma so deeply.
I really hope that Booth writes a sequel because I literally just finished the book and I already miss everyone in it.
January 11, 2017
A truly unique book, refreshingly written from the perspective of a theatre techie instead of an actor. Emma's sense of humor and thoughts noted on the page made her character very relatable. Shakespeare fans (and all) will love the time travel portions - Molly's passion for the Bard and the time period comes shining through! There were fewer super serious YA issues overall - coming out to unsupportive parents being the most intense. Molly expertly writes the comparison of Emma's positive, nurturing family, in sharp contrast to the banishment her best friend's parents impose on their daughter. Saving Hamlet would be as appropriate for younger teen/pre-teen readers as well as high schoolers and beyond. I like how Molly gave the teenagers full responsibility for their play, the problem solving along the way, and the consequences. The teacher/director met with the student production team here and there, but was quite hands off for a traditional high school age performance. Highly recommend to those looking for something different. I look forward to a possible sequel (?) - hopefully one involving Alexander Cooke and Will Shakespeare!!
July 4, 2016
It's not just that Booth has created a fun, original spin on time travel, or Shakespeare, or drama kids. It's that she has done this was humor, heart, and a cool, fun sense of language. This was one of those books where I slowed down because I just needed to savor the complete and thoroughly delightful world this author has created. Encore!
December 20, 2016
Fast, easy to read, and adorable. Perfect for anyone who loves Shakespeare.
May 29, 2017
3.5 stars.
More than anything else, this book was fun. It was an easy, quick read, which was exactly what I was in the mood for. I was really intrigued by this book when I first read the summary- a girl in present day who time travels back to Shakespeare’s time?? Sign me up. I was more interested in the historical aspect of it than the actual Hamlet part of it, and overall, it was basically what I expected, which is to say, it was a good mix of both- with some high school drama. It’s a unique mix of concepts, but I thought this book balanced it quite well.
I realized very quickly that this book wasn’t one that was going to go into the details of its fantasy – it never quite tells you how the time travel occurs or why – but it was easy for me to suspend my disbelief, and I was more interested in the progression of the plot. My favorite parts of Saving Hamlet were definitely the scenes in which Emma traveled back in time and interacted with the Globe Theater actors. I wouldn’t say this is a book to turn to if you’re trying to glean very authentic historical knowledge, but I liked the atmosphere Booth created and the way she interpreted how a production may have been put on in that time period. I liked the sweet nature of it, and it was another area I didn’t mind suspending my disbelief. I also liked how the author used the play of Hamlet and offered different interpretations of the play and its character through her own characters.
This book is mainly about a high school play, and understandably this comes with a plot full of teenage drama. This, I don’t mind, but I do think it went a little over the top. The main character has three different love interests, and that made it hard for me to become invested in her ending up with any one of them. The plot surrounding the drama did feel messy at times and like it was packing a bit too much.
I did feel like this book got a little preachy at times when it came to LGBT issues and sexism. These things were very prevalent to the plot, and understandably so, but I often felt like I was being told, rather than shown. This also presented some confusion for me, because like I said, it was clear where this book stood on LGTB issues, but at times the text would make these vast and stereotypical generalizations about gay people. I tried to attribute it to the characters rather than the book itself, because characters grow, but as these comments cropped up repeatedly from different characters throughout the book, and in flippant thoughts of the main character, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. There was some development in dispelling this by the end, but it didn’t feel entirely clear to me, and these comments paired with the intensity of pro-LGBT themes was a strange combination that irked me at times. But I did like the themes of friendship and “love above all” in this book, and I can understand what the author was trying to get across.
Characters: This book had a fun cast of characters. They were cute and quirky and I particularly liked the way Booth wrote the Globe Theater actors. They were sweet, even though I would have expected them to have been more…sordid and gritty, in real life. I did think there were some characters who could have been developed a bit more, and I found the main character, Emma, to be a bit too passive and wishy-washy at times for my taste, though I liked the portrayal of her anxiety issues, and I liked how she developed because of her participation in the two plays over the course of the book.
While I wasn’t a fan of the romance in this book and found it a bit too messy, I really liked the friendship between the characters. It was sweet and I liked how it developed over the course of the plot. And I definitely learned a whole lot about stage production.
The only real standout character for me was Cooke, the actor who played Ophelia in the 1600s Hamlet. What an adorable guy.
Writing: I found the writing to be okay. It wasn’t great, wasn’t awful. There were some awkwardly worded sequences, but overall it worked and it was easy and quick to read.
Was I satisfied? I mean, if a book like this could be personalized for me, it have been much grittier and more focused on the details of time travel and the historical aspects, BUT, overall, this was a cute, fun book and I was happy to stretch my disbelief for it. The relationship drama was a bit over the top, but I liked it for the Shakespeare and the time travel and 1600s London.
More than anything else, this book was fun. It was an easy, quick read, which was exactly what I was in the mood for. I was really intrigued by this book when I first read the summary- a girl in present day who time travels back to Shakespeare’s time?? Sign me up. I was more interested in the historical aspect of it than the actual Hamlet part of it, and overall, it was basically what I expected, which is to say, it was a good mix of both- with some high school drama. It’s a unique mix of concepts, but I thought this book balanced it quite well.
I realized very quickly that this book wasn’t one that was going to go into the details of its fantasy – it never quite tells you how the time travel occurs or why – but it was easy for me to suspend my disbelief, and I was more interested in the progression of the plot. My favorite parts of Saving Hamlet were definitely the scenes in which Emma traveled back in time and interacted with the Globe Theater actors. I wouldn’t say this is a book to turn to if you’re trying to glean very authentic historical knowledge, but I liked the atmosphere Booth created and the way she interpreted how a production may have been put on in that time period. I liked the sweet nature of it, and it was another area I didn’t mind suspending my disbelief. I also liked how the author used the play of Hamlet and offered different interpretations of the play and its character through her own characters.
This book is mainly about a high school play, and understandably this comes with a plot full of teenage drama. This, I don’t mind, but I do think it went a little over the top. The main character has three different love interests, and that made it hard for me to become invested in her ending up with any one of them. The plot surrounding the drama did feel messy at times and like it was packing a bit too much.
I did feel like this book got a little preachy at times when it came to LGBT issues and sexism. These things were very prevalent to the plot, and understandably so, but I often felt like I was being told, rather than shown. This also presented some confusion for me, because like I said, it was clear where this book stood on LGTB issues, but at times the text would make these vast and stereotypical generalizations about gay people. I tried to attribute it to the characters rather than the book itself, because characters grow, but as these comments cropped up repeatedly from different characters throughout the book, and in flippant thoughts of the main character, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. There was some development in dispelling this by the end, but it didn’t feel entirely clear to me, and these comments paired with the intensity of pro-LGBT themes was a strange combination that irked me at times. But I did like the themes of friendship and “love above all” in this book, and I can understand what the author was trying to get across.
Characters: This book had a fun cast of characters. They were cute and quirky and I particularly liked the way Booth wrote the Globe Theater actors. They were sweet, even though I would have expected them to have been more…sordid and gritty, in real life. I did think there were some characters who could have been developed a bit more, and I found the main character, Emma, to be a bit too passive and wishy-washy at times for my taste, though I liked the portrayal of her anxiety issues, and I liked how she developed because of her participation in the two plays over the course of the book.
While I wasn’t a fan of the romance in this book and found it a bit too messy, I really liked the friendship between the characters. It was sweet and I liked how it developed over the course of the plot. And I definitely learned a whole lot about stage production.
The only real standout character for me was Cooke, the actor who played Ophelia in the 1600s Hamlet. What an adorable guy.
Writing: I found the writing to be okay. It wasn’t great, wasn’t awful. There were some awkwardly worded sequences, but overall it worked and it was easy and quick to read.
Was I satisfied? I mean, if a book like this could be personalized for me, it have been much grittier and more focused on the details of time travel and the historical aspects, BUT, overall, this was a cute, fun book and I was happy to stretch my disbelief for it. The relationship drama was a bit over the top, but I liked it for the Shakespeare and the time travel and 1600s London.
November 5, 2017
4.5 stars.
I always knew I would love Saving Hamlet. I mean, with a synopsis like that, what's not to love? Even though time-travel novels aren't really my thing, and Hamlet isn't my favourite Shakespeare play, I have a real weakness for YA Shakespeare books, and this sounded like one of the best ones available. My expectations going into it were sky high as a result, yet it somehow managed to live up to them. This book is just so joyous. It's a celebration of theatre and friendship and finding yourself. It's so, so funny at times, but there are also moments which absolutely break your heart. And, all the hardcore Shakespeare fans out there, fear not: this book does not use a performance of Hamlet as a mere plot device. This book lives and breathes Hamlet; the characters are obsessed with it, and the author's intricate knowledge of the play is obvious. I'm not enough of a Shakespeare nerd to comment on the accuracy of everything that the book draws upon, but I can say for certain that none of the Shakespeare aspects of this book are done halfheartedly. If anything, I feel like my knowledge and enjoyment of Hamlet has increased after reading this book, which is testament to its enthusiastic, loving engagement with the play. If you like Shakespeare and also like YA, then I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. There's just so much to love here.
My biggest concern going into Saving Hamlet was the time-travel aspects of it. As I said before, I'm not a huge time-travel fan, and I wasn't sure how Booth was going to explain it and/or neatly fit it in with her narrative about a modern day high school play. Those worries persisted most of the way through the book - although I enjoyed all of the scenes in the Globe, I felt early on that the narrative felt a little bitty, hopping between past and present without a clear reason for doing so. However, the links between past and present become clearer and clearer as the book progresses, and the ways in which Emma's journeys to the Globe are rounded off are so lovely and moving. Without unnecessary detours into the realm of sci-fi or over-explanation or bad attempts at justification, Saving Hamlet weaves time-travel into its conventional contemporary YA plot with ease, and adds something really special to the story.
Not gonna lie, the contemporary YA plot of this book kind-of-sort-of reminded me of High School Musical (only without the singing) because a good chunk of it revolves around a popular, sporty guy trying out for a play and landing the lead role, much to everyone's surprise. Even though there's a lot more to the story than that, I felt it was worth pointing out, because, really, what could be better than a Shakespeare/High School Musical crossover? Ahh.
There's also a really lovely focus on friendship in the contemporary sections (and, to some extent, in the Globe sections, because OH MY GOD EMMA AND WICK). Whilst Saving Hamlet is heavy on the romance, I would say that the key, central relationship at the heart of it is Emma's friendship with Lulu. Certainly, no other relationship in the book moved me quite so much as Emma's with Lulu. Their friendship is sometimes painful to read - both because it goes wrong, and because Lulu is having such a tough time of it anyhow - but, at other times, it's so uplifting and heartwarming and special. These are two girls who really love each other, and I'm always happy to see that in YA books. Then, of course, there's Stanley too, who is an amazing, supportive best friend to both of them, even when they're not friends with each other. This is just such an awesome account of how amazing friendship is?? That's what really stood out to me - even above the theatre and the time-travel and the love quadrangle (more on that in a moment). To me, this is a book about friends, and more specifically friends who bond through a love of theatre. That's quite simply a joyous thing to read about.
There were a few things about Saving Hamlet that I wasn't quite so keen on. First off, I found the fixation on people's sexuality and the inclusion of an 'is he gay or isn't he?' plot-line to create tension a little off. I 100% believe that it was intended good-naturedly, and it really isn't that bad in the scheme of things, but it could have been handled a little better. Just revealing that someone is gay is fine. There's no need to have your characters obsess over it. That being said that, though, there are quite a few moments in this book where characters say or do problematic things, then go onto learn from their mistakes, and I wonder whether Emma's fixation on other people's sexualities was meant to be another example of that. Who knows?
Aside from that, I found the love quadrangle thing a bit much. I realise that it's totally realistic for teenagers to hop between crushes and struggle to interpret their own feelings, but the fact that this book had three love interests... I don't know. I think it was the Cooke thing that I really struggled with. I couldn't quite suspend disbelief enough to look past the fact that he's about 500 years older than Emma, and their relationship creeped me out a little bit as a result. This book would have been fine with just Brandon and Josh in my opinion. Adding another, historical love interest in didn't add a great deal for me, and I think I'd have preferred the book without it.
All that being said, though, I clearly loved Saving Hamlet for the most part. This book had me laughing and then crying within the space of a few pages, and aren't all the best books like that? I also should mention that there's a really good explanation of iambic pentameter in this book which I would highly recommend to anyone struggling with poetic meters (which, for the record, are my greatest weakness as a literature student, explaining why I was so pleased to find a clear explanation in here). There's something in this book to appeal to every young Shakespeare fan, and I wouldn't totally rule it out for those who have never read Hamlet either. Booth includes enough detail for you to get the gist of the play, and it's such a happy, lovely book that there's plenty to enjoy other than the theatre scenes anyway. Basically, I would just recommend this to everyone because I loved it so much. There's not much higher praise I can give it than that.
I always knew I would love Saving Hamlet. I mean, with a synopsis like that, what's not to love? Even though time-travel novels aren't really my thing, and Hamlet isn't my favourite Shakespeare play, I have a real weakness for YA Shakespeare books, and this sounded like one of the best ones available. My expectations going into it were sky high as a result, yet it somehow managed to live up to them. This book is just so joyous. It's a celebration of theatre and friendship and finding yourself. It's so, so funny at times, but there are also moments which absolutely break your heart. And, all the hardcore Shakespeare fans out there, fear not: this book does not use a performance of Hamlet as a mere plot device. This book lives and breathes Hamlet; the characters are obsessed with it, and the author's intricate knowledge of the play is obvious. I'm not enough of a Shakespeare nerd to comment on the accuracy of everything that the book draws upon, but I can say for certain that none of the Shakespeare aspects of this book are done halfheartedly. If anything, I feel like my knowledge and enjoyment of Hamlet has increased after reading this book, which is testament to its enthusiastic, loving engagement with the play. If you like Shakespeare and also like YA, then I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. There's just so much to love here.
My biggest concern going into Saving Hamlet was the time-travel aspects of it. As I said before, I'm not a huge time-travel fan, and I wasn't sure how Booth was going to explain it and/or neatly fit it in with her narrative about a modern day high school play. Those worries persisted most of the way through the book - although I enjoyed all of the scenes in the Globe, I felt early on that the narrative felt a little bitty, hopping between past and present without a clear reason for doing so. However, the links between past and present become clearer and clearer as the book progresses, and the ways in which Emma's journeys to the Globe are rounded off are so lovely and moving. Without unnecessary detours into the realm of sci-fi or over-explanation or bad attempts at justification, Saving Hamlet weaves time-travel into its conventional contemporary YA plot with ease, and adds something really special to the story.
Not gonna lie, the contemporary YA plot of this book kind-of-sort-of reminded me of High School Musical (only without the singing) because a good chunk of it revolves around a popular, sporty guy trying out for a play and landing the lead role, much to everyone's surprise. Even though there's a lot more to the story than that, I felt it was worth pointing out, because, really, what could be better than a Shakespeare/High School Musical crossover? Ahh.
There's also a really lovely focus on friendship in the contemporary sections (and, to some extent, in the Globe sections, because OH MY GOD EMMA AND WICK). Whilst Saving Hamlet is heavy on the romance, I would say that the key, central relationship at the heart of it is Emma's friendship with Lulu. Certainly, no other relationship in the book moved me quite so much as Emma's with Lulu. Their friendship is sometimes painful to read - both because it goes wrong, and because Lulu is having such a tough time of it anyhow - but, at other times, it's so uplifting and heartwarming and special. These are two girls who really love each other, and I'm always happy to see that in YA books. Then, of course, there's Stanley too, who is an amazing, supportive best friend to both of them, even when they're not friends with each other. This is just such an awesome account of how amazing friendship is?? That's what really stood out to me - even above the theatre and the time-travel and the love quadrangle (more on that in a moment). To me, this is a book about friends, and more specifically friends who bond through a love of theatre. That's quite simply a joyous thing to read about.
There were a few things about Saving Hamlet that I wasn't quite so keen on. First off, I found the fixation on people's sexuality and the inclusion of an 'is he gay or isn't he?' plot-line to create tension a little off. I 100% believe that it was intended good-naturedly, and it really isn't that bad in the scheme of things, but it could have been handled a little better. Just revealing that someone is gay is fine. There's no need to have your characters obsess over it. That being said that, though, there are quite a few moments in this book where characters say or do problematic things, then go onto learn from their mistakes, and I wonder whether Emma's fixation on other people's sexualities was meant to be another example of that. Who knows?
Aside from that, I found the love quadrangle thing a bit much. I realise that it's totally realistic for teenagers to hop between crushes and struggle to interpret their own feelings, but the fact that this book had three love interests... I don't know. I think it was the Cooke thing that I really struggled with. I couldn't quite suspend disbelief enough to look past the fact that he's about 500 years older than Emma, and their relationship creeped me out a little bit as a result. This book would have been fine with just Brandon and Josh in my opinion. Adding another, historical love interest in didn't add a great deal for me, and I think I'd have preferred the book without it.
All that being said, though, I clearly loved Saving Hamlet for the most part. This book had me laughing and then crying within the space of a few pages, and aren't all the best books like that? I also should mention that there's a really good explanation of iambic pentameter in this book which I would highly recommend to anyone struggling with poetic meters (which, for the record, are my greatest weakness as a literature student, explaining why I was so pleased to find a clear explanation in here). There's something in this book to appeal to every young Shakespeare fan, and I wouldn't totally rule it out for those who have never read Hamlet either. Booth includes enough detail for you to get the gist of the play, and it's such a happy, lovely book that there's plenty to enjoy other than the theatre scenes anyway. Basically, I would just recommend this to everyone because I loved it so much. There's not much higher praise I can give it than that.
February 1, 2023
Actually I give it a 3.5
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Not being a fan of "The Bard", (I know, I know- "BLASPHEMY!!!!! BURN HIM AT THE STAKE!!! He's a witch!!!") What can I say? I don't like Dickens either. (Gasp!!! Noooooo!!! Behead this vile demon and place its head upon a stake for all to witness!!)
Anyway, I digress.
Ms. Booth wrote a delightful story of time-travel and the juggling act high school students have to perform. She nailed the emotional turmoil's of the high school environment where peer pressure, popularity and unrequited crushes are all the dramatic "end of the universe occasions", how when you have an argument w/ your best friend it is the most devastating thing in the world.
Her writing style was light and almost melodic in its pace, and the entire romp was good natured fun. She kind of pushed the limits in a few places that detracted from the story, but to avoid spoilers, I will not state them here, you'll just have to discover them on your own.
Though hesitant at first to read it, I am glad I did and would recommend it to anyone who needs a light "feel-good" story to lift their spirits. I will definitely consider reading more of Ms. Booth's works in the future.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Not being a fan of "The Bard", (I know, I know- "BLASPHEMY!!!!! BURN HIM AT THE STAKE!!! He's a witch!!!") What can I say? I don't like Dickens either. (Gasp!!! Noooooo!!! Behead this vile demon and place its head upon a stake for all to witness!!)
Anyway, I digress.
Ms. Booth wrote a delightful story of time-travel and the juggling act high school students have to perform. She nailed the emotional turmoil's of the high school environment where peer pressure, popularity and unrequited crushes are all the dramatic "end of the universe occasions", how when you have an argument w/ your best friend it is the most devastating thing in the world.
Her writing style was light and almost melodic in its pace, and the entire romp was good natured fun. She kind of pushed the limits in a few places that detracted from the story, but to avoid spoilers, I will not state them here, you'll just have to discover them on your own.
Though hesitant at first to read it, I am glad I did and would recommend it to anyone who needs a light "feel-good" story to lift their spirits. I will definitely consider reading more of Ms. Booth's works in the future.
dnf
October 29, 2018DNF at 35 pages. This was part of my Balancing the Books series in September 2018.
I normally try to read at least 15% or 50 pages before I DNF a book but, first of all, because this was a Balancing the Books book, I already started off with the thought of getting rid of it and second of all, I was already annoyed and bored by this at the same time. I feel like this TRIED to be woke but it wasn't.. at all? I don't know, it completely rubbed me the wrong way so far!!
I normally try to read at least 15% or 50 pages before I DNF a book but, first of all, because this was a Balancing the Books book, I already started off with the thought of getting rid of it and second of all, I was already annoyed and bored by this at the same time. I feel like this TRIED to be woke but it wasn't.. at all? I don't know, it completely rubbed me the wrong way so far!!
July 20, 2024
I was just reading it to get it off my TBR because I added it in 2016 but it was good and definitely better than I was expecting as I thought I would have outgrown the story! Definitely fits in the YA genre but it was an easy read and a fun story about going from 21st century and putting on a highschool production of Hamlet to dropping through a trap door to Shakespeare's time and seeing Hamlet performed at the Globe.
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