Customer Reviews

Spanking Shakespeare

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

this is an extremely creative and fun young adult book about a 17 year-old guy who is very gifted at writing, but not much else. he's struggling through his senior year in a creative writing program where he has to write a memoir about his life. so the chapters in the book jump back and forth between his actual memoir chapters and his reflections about them and life.

that said, it's another one of the YA (young adult) books that are a good read, but would be difficult for me to recommend to actual teenagers, due to its obsession with masturbation, sex, drug-use and alcohol, and other (very real) stuff. not that i'm a prude who thinks kids should only read christianized (read: sanitized) fiction with falsely scrubbed kids having bible studies.

seeing the author's bio, and that he teaches 8th grade english as his day job, i was instantly a fan. but i kept thinking, as i read, that his book would be somewhat over-the-line for the kids he teaches (let alone the parents of those kids!).

Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. It is one in a long line of things that his parents have done to make his life miserable. The rest of his life isn't going very well either. Shakespeare actually describes his life as a series of catastrophes. Now he is beginning his senior in high school, has never kissed a girl, and has only made two friends. His younger brother, Gandhi, is popular and has a girlfriend. And his parents, well, they are a unique force to be reckoned with.

Now that he is in the twelfth grade, Shakespeare has to do his school's senior project; write a memoir about his life so far. The good news is that Shakespeare is a skillful writer. The bad? How truthful would you want to be if your life was made up of mortifying, embarrassing moments?

In addition to his memoir, Shakespeare is also dealing with the usual high school issues: girls (or a lack of them), sex (or a lack of it), popularity (again--a lack of it), and family. And now his two best friends, Neil and Katie, are hooking up.

SPANKING SHAKESPEARE is a hilariously funny look at the life of a very unique teenage boy. It is written in a dual style; a narrative of Shakespeare's everyday life combined with chapters from his memoir. Author Jake Wizner takes readers through the life of one of the smartest and funniest characters in young adult fiction today. SPANKING
SHAKESPEARE will have you laughing out loud.

Reviewed by: JodiG.

Shakespeare Shapiro is a witty senior in high school who has a lot to say about himself, his family, and his friends. I laughed out loud while I was reading. There are touching moments too, which round out the book nicely.

Shakespeare is writing a memoir, in which he muses about his (unfortunate?) name, his crazy family, and his social ineptitude.

As a former teacher, I can say that this book will appeal to teen girls and boys, and (open minded) parents.

There are few pleasures in life like a book that makes you laugh out loud, so please let me introduce you to one of the funniest books I've read in a long, long time:

SPANKING SHAKESPEARE is about 17-year-old Shakespeare Shapiro, a young man who lives up to both the promise and the weirdness of his name. The book is his senior class English project-a memoir that he's hoping will win him girls. Any girls.

I had SPANKING SHAKESPEARE on my To Be Read pile for months. In fact, I had two copies of it because two different people were so enthusiastic about the book they both shoved it into my hands. "You won't be able to put it down after the first page," each of them told me separately.

Finally one night I accidentally read the first page, and realized those people were so right. I read as much as I could that night, finished it the next day. Fast, hilarious, touching at times--this is a total winner of a book.

Consider this review my version of shoving the book into your hands. I don't get this bossy very often, but seriously, everyone, READ IT.

I have a 16 year old son whom I thought hated reading. Couldn't for the life of me, get him to pick up a book, UNTIL.... "Spanking Shakespeare". What a surprise! (I had him promise to read one book this summer, so he acquiesced). What a surprise1! He could not stop reading this book. He absolutely loved it! His comments were that it was funny, well written and addressed teen issues so it was very relatable. Now he wats the whole family to read it so we could have a book discusion. ALSO,he wants to find other books that have the same parameters, so he could continue to READ!! Thank you Jake Wizner for inspiring my teen to read!!

Shakespeare Shapiro is in his senior year of high school. His best friend keeps a journal of his bowel movements, and Shakespeare has to spend his senior year writing his memoir when what he'd really like to do is just get a girlfriend. This book follows Shakespeare through his senior year and the writing of his memoir.

I really liked this book. It was funny and also contained some serious parts. It reminded me a bit of Gordon Korman's writing, but for a slightly more mature audience. Highly recommended.

I had such fun reading this book. I too laughed out loud and even felt obligated to read portions of it to my husband. This is a book that both young adults and not so young adults will enjoy.

Spanking Shakespeare has the perfect 1st person narrator in the form of Shakespeare Shapiro. S. Shapiro's voice fits perfectly for a teenage boy. Shakespeare, much like the real Bard says what might be embarrassing to some, but says what it is raw, true and real.

There are very few protagonists that capture the essence of being a teenage boy in the way that Spanking Shakespeare does. I have never laughed out loud so much in my life.

If you are looking for a book for a reluctant teenage reader, then this is the book to suggest. Reading this on the Kindle, I got to the end so fast, I didn't even realize I had read the whole book.

Awesome read, unique voice, great YA novel!

Our 16- and 14-year-olds, who are very big readers, loved this book. These readers, who between them read over 150 books per year, called this "one of the best books" they've read.

I think this book is a good companion to those who enjoyed Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini. I like teen books that get a little bit, let's say "fiesty." Anyway, I am 17, and I really liked it.