Something Wicked (Hardcover)

by Alan M. Gratz (Author)
Key Phrases: bagpipe competition, clan team, sgian dubh, Madame Hecate, Sheriff Wood, Highland Games (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up—Horatio Wilkes, the teen sleuth from Something Rotten (Dial, 2007), takes on another case in this contemporary reworking of Macbeth. He's attending a Scottish Highland Fair atop a mountain in Tennessee with his old buddy Mac, Mac's controlling girlfriend (named Beth, no less), and their families. Horatio doesn't like Beth, and his friendship with Mac becomes even more strained after a palm reader predicts that Mac will win the Highland decathlon and become "king of the mountain." When Mac's grandfather Duncan, the mountain's owner, is murdered, Horatio gradually discovers that Mac has slipped into madness and resorted to violence to make the prophecy come true. The insane obsession of Shakespeare's character doesn't translate well into modern times here because Mac's motives are weak, and the insanity they cause seems a bit of a stretch. Horatio talks and acts more like a 30-something P.I. than a teenager, and it's hard not to wonder where his parents are when he is severely beaten up and works with police to solve the murder. This story has some fun aspects, but the literary references will be lost on all but those well-versed in Macbeth. The narrative is riddled with sexual innuendo and smart-alecky metaphors that will soon become tiresome to even the most sarcastic teen readers.—Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School Library, Loveland, CO
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From Booklist
In the first Horatio Wilkes novel, Something Rotten (2007), Shakespeare’s Hamlet provided inspiration for a mystery set in contemporary Tennessee, featuring Horatio, a teen detective with a smart mouth and a cunning mind. In this sequel, Horatio goes to Mount Birnam near Pigeon Forge to attend the Highland Games with his old friends Banks and Mac as well as his bestenemy, Mac’s girlfriend, Beth. Drawn with affection as well as humor, the colorful Scottish-heritage background makes a distinctive setting for this fast-paced novel. The Mac/Beth wordplay may be a groaner, but in general the narrative is so witty (and occasionally laugh-aloud funny) that the murders, when they come, seem truly shocking and out of place. Readers familiar with Macbeth will catch references that others may miss, but enjoyment of the novel does not depend upon knowledge of the play. From the author of Samurai Shortstop (2006), this unusual mystery combines violence, sometimes-wry and sometimes-bawdy humor, and down-to-earth teen concerns. Grades 9-12. --Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Dial (October 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803736665
• ISBN-13: 978-0803736665
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #859,315 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Awesome Read, October 22, 2008

By	Reader McRead (New York) - See all my reviews

This book has it all - mystery, murder, snark, wit, and a touch of romance. Horatio is a very cool character and one I want to read more about. This is a modern retelling of Macbeth but you don't need to know the play to enjoy the book. It is a whodunnit in its own right and has these amazing one-liners that make you laugh out loud. Read it!

4.0 out of 5 stars Horatio Wilkes does it again, November 1, 2008

By	Tracy Barrett (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

In this entertaining mystery, Horatio Wilkes (who made his debut in Gratz's Something Rotten) returns to detecting when a man is murdered at a Scottish Games festival. The mystery works beautifully even if the reader is clueless about MacBeth, but those how know the play will have fun finding references to Shakespeares' work. Horatio is a wisecracking, snarky kind of guy, but only in the style of a smart and irreverent teenager. He's a sympathetic character who loses his heart easily and has a strong sense of right and wrong, loyalty and friendship, and readers will root for him to unravel the crime.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story!, October 27, 2008

By	A. Pohren (IA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Horatio Wilkes makes his follow up appearance in Something Wicked (his first being in Something Rotten). In this hard to put down tale, Horatio is attending the Scottish Highland Fair with his best friends Mac and Banks. Things go horribly wrong that first night, with the brutal murder of the game's founder, Duncan MacRae. Duncan's son's name, Malcolm, is written in his father's blood right beside his dead body, making all indications that Malcolm is the killer.

However, something just doesn't add up and Horatio is going to find exactly what is going on. His best friend, Mac, and his "evil" girlfriend Beth, are acting even stranger than normal. Both Mac's and Beth's fathers, who just happen to be business partners, are acting very suspiciously. Exactly what is going on and who is really the murderer? Horatio plans to find out and hopes to make a mysterious acting "pixie girl" his.

Something Wicked is a wonderfully written and entertaining story. Considered to be geared toward young adult, I would put the age to be 14 and up. I think that boys of this age would especially enjoy the story. As just a warning, there are some sexual overtures (though nothing remotely explicit) and swearing. That being said, I greatly enjoyed Mr. Gratz's work and found him to be a wonderful storyteller. The characters were very well written and I especially enjoyed the character of Horatio - he was intelligent, kind and belivable.

The story was very smooth and hard to put down. For those who have not read Something Rotten, the first in this series, you can easily understand Something Wicked and not feel lost. I can say this with confidence, as I did not read Something Rotten prior to this and had absolutely no trouble getting into this story.

I recommend Something Wicked to anyone looking for an entertaining story and I greatly look forward to reading more by this author!

*overall rating: 4/5