My Name is Not Peaseblossom

Shakespeare

by Jackie French

A FRESH REINTERPRETATION OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM BY THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN'S LAUREATE

Titania rose to her feet. 'What is going on here, Peaseblossom?' she demanded.

I bowed to her. 'I apologise, Your Majesty. But I'd rather be known as Pete.'

'Pete?' She frowned. 'That's no name for a fairy.'

'No, it isn't,' I said, meeting her eyes.



At Court, he's known as Fairy Peaseblossom, a servant to the Queen.



But as Pete, he prefers pizza to sugar plums and denim to daffodils. He wants to choose his own life too. But how can he when a fairy's sole duty is to obey the all-powerful Queen Titania?



This is Shakespeare's popular and delightful comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' with an added army of Amazons, a sea serpent and a selkie called Gaela, who luckily for Pete makes the best pizza in the world.



It is also a story of the intrigues of the Fairy Court, of vampire plots to dominate the world and of impossible loves that might just come true. Not with enchantment, but when two hearts thread together making a magic of their own.





PRAISE FOR JACKIE FRENCH'S SHAKESPEARE SERIES

'Jackie French enriches Shakespeare's plot with well-rounded characters, convincing additional people and interesting back stories ... an absorbing novel' - Magpies magazine on Third Witch

'The tenderness and beauty French injects into the text is mesmerising ... Evocative scenes, tangible smells and sounds combine to immerse the reader in a carefully designed plot that both stays true to the classic play, and also uncomplicates things for the younger reader' - Kids' Book Review on I am Juliet

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Young Adult

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2019

About the author

Jackie is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator and the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2014-2015. She is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors, and writes across all genres - from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction. In her capacity as Australian Children’s Laureate, ‘Share a Story’ will be the primary philosophy behind Jackie’s two-year term.

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite excited to read this book as it was “A mid summer night’s dream” retelling. The story was quick to read and the transition between fae world and real world was particularly interesting however the story traveled at the same pace from beginning to end. If you’re looking for a book that grabs you with intensity, this isn’t it.. this book is something you would read to bridge gaps between reads or when you need something light to read after a draining day. It was funny and it was interesting.. I also enjoyed the Shakespearean references which reinforces this is a Shakespeare retelling. Special thx to Harper Collins Publishers for sending me an Advanced Review Copy of this book.

[Rebecca Fung · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice bit of fun but not nearly as good a Shakespearean retelling as Ophelia: Queen of Denmark which I loved and I felt really got into the head of the character and retold the story giving it a very fresh perspective.

I suppose there is also the point that I like Hamlet a lot more than A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In My Name is Not Peaseblossom, there are some fun ideas. The idea of a selkie who runs a pizza shop being involved in the story is good, and bringing in all sorts of other mythical characters is a fun romp though it may seem to be a bit chaotic. However the story seems, well a bit like the original Shakespeare, more about the fun light chaos and not really about some of the questions French tries to dig at like the nature of real love.

Some of the crazy ideas seem to get touched on but don't go too far, they're just there for a bit of a laugh.

Nice but it didn't hold my attention so much.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

You need not be a fan of Shakespeare to enjoy this fast and delightful story. Temperamental Fae royalty, worker faeries whose marriages are arranged thanks to love potions, a male Fae character with an itch to time travel, a chance meeting while he does, a war averted and an intriguing pair of mythical creatures who step in to save the day. All in all a gem.

[Lucythereader · Rating 3 out of 5]

(In my opinion) Turning out to be more of a fun romp than moving discussion of the free will of humanity, My Name is Not Peaseblossom was quite a nice light read with its fair dose of time
and space travel, random romances and pizza.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the references to midsummer nights by Shakespeare. This is a quick, easy read. I enjoyed the comparisons between the Amazon and the future but would've liked more depth.

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[*✧ daniella ✧* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars.

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good introduction to Midsummer’s Nights Dream, but not a book that I’d read for any other reason.

[CATastrophe]

DNF for now,

Not in the mood to read this book at the moment, but I’d like to continue. Just don’t have any plans to finish it this year.

[Percy · Rating 2 out of 5]

very meh

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant Shakespeare adaptation by my favourite Australian author.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the twist of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Great characters.

[Anjali (This Splendid Shambles) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins NZ for the review copy.

While I haven’t read anything by Jackie French before, she sure knows how to spin a Shakespeare play into an interesting retelling. She’s covered quite a few of the plays and characters of the Bard’s, including Juliet and Ophelia, as well as other notable historical figures in her books over the years, but My Name is Not Peaseblossom is the most recent.

Read the full review on This Splendid Shambles.

[Tiarna Georghiou · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was delightful! It was whimsical, funny, and a lovely retelling of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. This book was quick to read and exactly what I needed after a crazy week!