Customer Reviews

Shakespeare's Secret

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is about a girl named Hero (named after a character in Much Ado About Nothing), who moves to a small town near Washington, DC. There, Hero becomes embroiled in a mystery involving a missing diamond and a potential link between Anne Boleyn and Edward De Vere (thought by many to be the true, secret author of Shakespeare's plays). I enjoyed the historical detail of this book, and also the strong friendship that develops between Hero and the older woman who lives next door, Mrs. Roth.

One thing I struggled with regarding this book was what age range would enjoy it. I borrowed it from the Library, where it was classified as a young adult book. My first instinct was to disagree with this. Shakespeare's Secret is a relatively quick and easy read. It's also quite light as mysteries go (no murder, no physical danger). However, I can see why librarians would classify it as a young adult book. There are references to illegitimate children, and suggestive comments are written in the boy's bathroom (though the exact nature of the comments is not spelled out). Still, I personally think that the book is most suitable for 9 to 12 year olds who like mysteries, rather than for teenagers. I don't think that it holds up as well as a children's book for adults, unless they happen to be Shakespeare buffs. I saw the "twist" coming well in advance. (Of course, I read a lot!)

Overall, I think that this is a great choice for the early middle school reader who likes mysteries. I don't think that the adolescent interactions ring quite as true as those in two other books that I've read recently: Down the Rabbit Hole : An Echo Falls Mystery and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief - Book One. However, I did like the voice of Hero very much (moody and pessimistic, but able to get excited over solving a Shakespearean mystery). And it's refreshing to see a story in which the heroine has a stable family behind her (have you noticed how orphan-hood almost seems a requirement in books some days?). And I love books that get kids thinking about other books. So I recommend this one.

This review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 13, 2006.

Shakespeare's Secret is a brisk middle-grade mystery with a simple premise: a sixth-grade girl learns that the house her family has just moved into may be hiding a million-dollar diamond. That idea alone is worthy of a good kid lit mystery, but the diamond didn't belong to just anybody - it was a de Vere family heirloom - as in Edward de Vere, the man some scholars believe may be the real author behind the works commonly attributed to William Shakespeare.

The Shakespearean mystery is unimportant to the discovery of the diamond, making it feel a bit of a separate academic pursuit. Regardless, it was this part of the mystery that I thought was the strongest and most interesting, and it's a fabulous introduction to a few interesting characters from Elizabethan England. My biggest problem with the story was that none of the characters really had anything at stake; if the diamond went unfound, none of their lives would really be all that different.

Still, it's extraordinarily rare that I read a book in one sitting (as I did here), which speaks well of Broach's fluid, easy style and swift, action-filled story. This book is often compared favorably to Chasing Vermeer, and it doesn't hurt that both have fabulous covers by Brett Helquist. Frankly though, I found Shakespeare's Secret to be superior.

Hero and her older sister Beatrice were named for characters in Shakespeare's play "Much Ado about Nothing." Arriving in a new town, Hero is facing a school year as a new kid with jokes and questions about her name. Unlike Beatrice, Hero is not socially adept and does not make friends easily. She does become acquainted with their older next-door neighbor, Mrs. Roth who tells her about the Murphy Diamond, a valuable gem that might be hidden in Hero's house. Surprisingly she is also befriended by a popular 8th grader, Danny who is the son of the city's police chief who is also fascinated by the diamond's where-abouts.

Hero discovers a mysterious connection between the diamond, Anne Boleyn and Shakespeare's plays which fires her imagination.

This plot is cleverly drawn with historical details and intrigue. Hero and Danny are searching for more than a diamond and the reader is hoping they find their heart's desire.

I truly enjoyed this novel. The mystery is very satisfying. One can hope it would also excite a reader's interest in Shakespeare.

My mom called me for dinner but I just couldn't put the book down. Flipping after page after page I couldn't stop reading. This book Shakespeare's Secret was truly a page turner book. After learning about Hero,then her family, the mysterious boy, her neighbor, and many other interesting characters I couldn't stop reading about the diamond and where it's hidden. When I finished the book I knew i would never forget this wonderful book. I have it next to my bed and it is a comfort when I read it.

As an adult reader of young adult and middle-grade novels, I found this a compelling read. The historical background on Shakespeare, Anne Boylen, and Elizabeth I is fascinating, the action keeps moving along, and the characters are likeable. However, I am puzzled over the age of the intended audience. There are several adult themes presented: adultery and beheadings (with regard to Anne Boylen), the description of a wanton woman as one who sleeps around, infertility, and more. Yet the main character is a 6th grader! Young readers tend to prefer books about characters their own age or slightly older, yet I would hesitate to give this book to my 5th grader because of the flirtation with these themes. As a parent and former librarian, I think the best target audience would be 9th and 10th graders, yet the book is almost too simple and the characters too young to hold the interest of high schoolers. Perhaps this book is best left to adult fans of children's fiction.

I got an advanced copy of the book, and i was just blown away. it was so mysterious and fun. i really learned a lot from reading it. i think that Elise is a great author and can't wait to read more of her books. I am not the kind of person who loves reading, but this book, i could not put down!

who knows? maybe they'll make a movie of it! (it was that good!)

I really liked this book because it was full of surprises and mystery. If you love mystery, secrets, and excitement, Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach is the book for you.

In this book, Hero is a 6th grade girl and is shy and has a hard time making friends in her new school. Things seem really bad. But, she is fascinated to find out that the Murphy's Diamond worth a million dollars might be hidden right in her house! Mrs. Roth, a nice old lady who lives next door, tells her about the diamond and seems to know a lot about it. They try to figure out where it might be hidden using some clues, but nothing seems to make sense. When Hero makes friends with the most popular boy in 8th grade, Danny, Hero learns a secret about Mrs. Roth. By the end, they all learn a secret about Shakespeare! (There are more secrets, but I won't tell you what they are.)

To find out the secrets, the answer to the mystery, and where on earth is the diamond, READ THIS AMAZING BOOK!!!

Elise Broach has written a engrossing and compelling mystery about a girl who realizes her house may be the key to secrets about the past--and if Shakespeare actually was the author of his famous plays. It is written with a bittersweet sort of simplicity, brief but descriptive, using more advanced words rather than several drab words that some author's use an inadequate amount of times to make a story more 'descriptive'.

The main thing I would say about this book is to not judge it by its cover or title. When I got this book out of the school library, I was completely oblivious to the plot. I couldn't read the summary on the back because the bar-code sticker for scanning the books into the computer was over most of it, so I plunged in without any idea about the general plot. I was expecting an older author trying to make Shakespeare

'fun' by giving some snappy dialog and some weak mystery with no general point. I figured the novel was about a necklace (the cover) and a girl, who I figured was actually from the 1600s. I feel terrible that I had such a incorrect idea about the book--I started and noticed that the technology, clothing, et cetera proved me completely wrong about the time period, and my overall idea on the book before I read it.

I would definitely recommend this book to any child 9-13 that enjoys a simple mystery. This book will probably interest even the pickiest reader. I absolutely couldn't put it down, and I finished it in two sittings (Or 'lyings', because I was in bed). Older readers, or more advanced ones, may predict the book before they finished--I did, but I didn't mind. The book got me thinking, which will help me when I need to predict things in future books that are more complex. This would also be a good book for an audience of, perhaps, fourth or fifth graders, preferably in a literature circle. It is a good book to discuss, and perhaps the children will relate to the characters.

--Willow, aged 11

In every way, this is a terrific novel. Hero is a bright, thoughtful, funny girl whose anxieties and sufferings in middle school will resonate with every reader. But the most impressvie thing about Shakespeare's Secret is the story. The plot weaves details of English history and Shakespeare's life together with the suspenseful search for a missing diamond. It is a riveting story that kids will love. My seventh and fourth graders couldn't put this book down once they'd started! It is one of those special books that becomes an instant favorite. Highly recommended.

Yes I know what you are thinking. This is going to be a boring book about Shakespeare's writings. Well it's not even close; Shakespeare's Secret is adventurous and kind of a mystery. Hero the main character is in sixth grade. She moves around a lot so she never has many friends. She isn't like her sister who can make friends on the spot. It takes her a little while. This time was the same, she was teased all the time about her name. Her parents had no idea about this problem and they thought that her and her sister loved . Well she didn't like it at all.

One day something weird happened. She went over to her neighbor's house, Mrs. Roth an elderly lady, and she told Hero of the "Murphy Diamond" a very important jewel that was in her house and after her family moved in it was gone. With help from Mrs. Roth and a cute eighth-grader named Danny they set off to find the jewel.

It's a quick read because I couldn't put it down. There are no boring parts; it gets right to the point. It's a really good book for sixth seventh and eighth graders. Elise Broach has a really good way of giving detail and setting the mood. She may even change your perspective on Shakespeare's writings and if he wrote them. PR17