Passion, romance, drama, humor, and tragedy intertwine in this compulsively readable debut novel, told by a strong-willed, modern-day Ophelia.”
The literary nerd in me loves Shakespeare and all of the retellings/references to his works. When I heard the initial buzz about Falling for Hamlet I was so excited. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but Hamlet is one of my favorites so I knew it’d have to be great!
The book is told in alternating sections between a live TV interview, interrogations about her involvement/her possible treason, the occassional text messages between characters, and her telling the story. Ophelia is brilliantly written. She loves Hamlet and does everything she can to help him. She is living in the castle with her dad and Hamlet’s family, a not so easy task with his dreadful mother. Hamlet’s spiral into insanity happens at a great pace. My heart ached for both of them, as the story of Hamlet is definitely not a happy one. There was humor in Falling for Hamlet and it was a much needed giggle at times!
Some of the references will not make since if you aren’t familiar with Hamlet, that being said I believe it would be an enjoyable read even for those not. It’s the sort of book that keeps you hooked from page one. It’s fast-paced, but not in a bad way. I managed to finish it in a few hours, because I simply couldn’t put it down.
I received my copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.