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Saving Hamlet Hardcover – November 1, 2016

by Molly Booth (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 49 ratings
See all formats and editions
A charming young adult contemporary novel with a little Shakespeare-infused time-travel adventure...and plenty of drama!

Emma Allen couldn't be more excited to start her sophomore year. Not only is she the assistant stage manager for the drama club's production of Hamlet, but her crush Brandon is directing, and she's rocking a new haircut that's sure to get his attention. But soon after school starts, everything goes haywire: Emma's promoted to stage manager with zero experience, her best friend Lulu stops talking to her, and Josh—the adorable soccer boy who's cast as the lead—turns out to be a disaster.

One night after rehearsal, Emma distractedly falls through the stage's trap door...landing in the basement of the Globe Theater. It's London, 1601, and with her awesome new pixie cut, everyone thinks Emma's a boy—even Will Shakespeare himself. With no clue how to get home, Emma gamely plays her role as backstage assistant to the original production of Hamlet, learning a thing or two about the theater, and meeting an incredibly hot actor named Alex who finds Emma as intriguing as she finds him. But once Emma starts traveling back and forth through time, things get really confusing. Which boy is the one for her? In which reality does she belong? Will Lulu ever forgive her? And can she possibly save two disastrous productions of Hamlet before time runs out?
 
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2016
  5. Grade level
    9 and up
  6. Reading age
    14 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1484752740
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1484752746
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—With her short new haircut and black clothes, Emma is ready to put her soccer days behind her and join the ranks of theater geeks as stage manager for her high school's student-directed production of Hamlet. However, when her best friend Lulu loses the lead to inexperienced soccer star Josh, problems begin. Already feeling vulnerable after her parents ground her for kissing a girl, Lulu snaps when Emma starts coaching Josh and then breaks off their friendship. Even worse, Emma discovers that Brandon, her crush, is gay, so her romantic prospects seem doomed. Perspective comes when Emma falls through an onstage trapdoor, traveling back in time to Elizabethan England, where she becomes assistant bookkeeper to Master Wick during a Globe Theatre performance of Hamlet. Seeing Shakespeare himself in action, she learns much about stagecraft and the true meaning of the play, knowledge that helps her salvage her school's and the Globe's productions and clarifies her romantic feelings. The well-paced narrative should have wide appeal for teen thespians. Although the initial premise seems a bit far-fetched, the major characters are well drawn and believable. The added time travel layer allows Booth to provide historical and interpretive information about the play, thereby making Shakespeare's poetry comprehensible. Less savory parts of Elizabethan life are included to help Emma realize that, despite her travails, she belongs in modern times. VERDICT This nicely plotted story with a strong female protagonist deserves a place in most YA collections.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, formerly at LaSalle Academy, Providence

Review

Praise for Saving Hamlet:

"I love, love, love Saving Hamlet. I love its characters -- smart, sassy, irreverent -- and its gender-bending both in the 21st and 17th centuries. I love its intelligent take on high school theater geeks."
―Jane Yolen, author of The Devil's Arithmetic, Sword of the Rightful King, and Owl Moon

* "Fans of the Bard will relish this evocative and witty time-travel tale.... As enlightening as it is enjoyable, this whimsical novel deserves applause of its own."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "This entertaining and original novel deals not just with growing up, but with a fresh and different interpretation of 'to be or not to be.'"―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Emma is an easy-to-root-for heroine whose struggles will resonate with teens, drama geeks or otherwise.... A fun, imaginative debut."―Booklist

"The well-paced narrative should have wide appeal for teen thespians."―School Library Journal

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (November 1, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1484752740
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1484752746
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

About the author

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Molly Booth

Molly Booth

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Molly Booth is a total Shakespeare nerd. She grew up homeschooled in Massachusetts, and spent most of her time reading Tamora Pierce novels and pretending to be Redwall characters with her four siblings. In high school, she was a stage manager for three different community theatres, which almost killed her. She went to Bunker Hill Community College first, and then Marlboro College in Vermont, where she studied writing, literature, and Elizabethan history. While there, she wrote the first drafts of Saving Hamlet. Molly now lives in Massachusetts again, with her cat, dog, and one-eyed rat. You can find her on twitter (@mollygbooth) and Tumblr (muchadoaboutmolly.tumblr.com), and check out her blog/website: www.mollybooth.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
49 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book fun, wonderful, and well-done. They describe the pacing as quirky, beguiling, and engaging. Readers also mention the characters are engrossing.

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EnjoymentPacing
8 customers mention "Enjoyment"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book really fun, wonderful, and well-done. They say it makes an excellent addition to a classroom library.

"I truly **loved** this quirky, beguiling, wonderful book!..." Read more

"As a theater nerd i found this book to be super enjoyable. It doesn't take itself too seriously but is very well done." Read more

"Such a great read. It made me cringe a lot, but only because I felt so deeply for Emma that her embarrassments were my own...." Read more

"This book was so amazing and honestly gave me a new found love for Shakespeare even though I have always loved Shakespeare...." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book quirky, beguiling, and wonderful. They also mention the characters are engaging and the settings are perfectly done. Readers also mention Emma is an engrossing protagonist and the book is clever, sweet, and funny.

"I truly **loved** this quirky, beguiling, wonderful book!..." Read more

"...Emma is an engrossing protagonist and I was hooked on her story...." Read more

"...This was clearly well researched and lovingly crafted - the characters are all engaging, the settings are perfectly laid out..." Read more

"...The main characters are endearing and authentic, and the story is just unpredictable enough to keep you guessing and avoid the YA tropes that seem..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Gigi
5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky, Beguiling...Wonderful!
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
I truly **loved** this quirky, beguiling, wonderful book!

If you think an ordinary sophomore year in high school is hard, try adding a disastrous theater production, losing your best friend, and some accidental time travel into the mix. And Shakespeare. As in, the real Shakespeare, the guy with the goatee and the quill pen and the frilly shirt, walking around in Elizabethan England at the Globe Theater, where you also happen to unexpectedly find yourself.

Put it all together, and Drama Club techie Emma Allen's got a massive problem. But she's not the only one! Everyone in the modern production of "Hamlet" at her high school has issues that seem insurmountable...but the key to at least some of them may lie in the Shakespearean past, or even in the lessons of the play itself.

Author Molly Booth's celebration of friendship, love, drama and coming-of-age is at times a hilarious romp...but it's also a sensitive exploration of how to accept who you really are, in spite of the troubles and misunderstandings of people around you. She weaves parallels between the modern journey of Emma and her friends, with the age-old tale of Hamlet and his perilous, doomed passage into troubled manhood, with a very light --but sure-- touch.

I found myself tense with anticipation over the question of how Emma and her friends could possibly sort it all out. But here's a promise: no one dies at the tip of a poisoned sword at the end.

And to complete my reading joy, Booth's deadpan humor was always waiting in the wings to make me snort-laugh on almost every page.

Highly recommended!
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Have To Be a Drama Geek To Enjoy and Understand
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2017
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I Love This Book, and I have only observed theater as an audience member. Despite this, I was able to follow all the theater lingo involved in running a show and found it utterly fascinating. Emma is an engrossing protagonist and I was hooked on her story. There are many references to events happening a year before the book begins, and they read like there's an invisible footnote "And you would know all about this, dear reader, if you read my previous book," but there is no previous book. I paused in my reading to look up the author's other work and this is her only book so far. As the story progresses, we are granted full details about these events that had such an impact on Emma, and I honestly wish for a prequel, a sequel, or both. Anything to continue our time with our lovely protagonist and the many characters that surround her.
One person found this helpful
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dcmom
4.0 out of 5 stars This was a fun read
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2020
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As a theater nerd i found this book to be super enjoyable. It doesn't take itself too seriously but is very well done.
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P. Hoppe
5.0 out of 5 stars Time Travel with Shakespeare
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2016
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I was introduced to this book by the author who was a guest on the Folger podcast. Her description was intriguing and as a long time Shakespeare addict, I thought it might be entertaining. What an understatement. This is a marvelous introduction to the process of presenting a play, both now and in Shakespeare's time. The fact that it is Hamlet in both our time and 1599 makes it even more fascinating. I read this from beginning to end in one sitting, unable to put it down. And, I just bought two more copies to give to friends. If you love stories about Shakespeare the man and his time, you will enjoy this book.
One person found this helpful
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Her Lindsayship
5.0 out of 5 stars Embrace your inner theatre kid!
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017
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Such a great read. It made me cringe a lot, but only because I felt so deeply for Emma that her embarrassments were my own. This was clearly well researched and lovingly crafted - the characters are all engaging, the settings are perfectly laid out (you can't not love the descriptions of the Globe!), and the pacing feels spot on. I can honestly say that I both laughed out loud and actually cried reading this, that's how invested I was. I so hope there will be a sequel!!
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stacee @ eleven thirteen pm
3.0 out of 5 stars I really liked Emma. Her passion for theatre is new
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016
I'm a sucker for all things Hamlet, so I was beyond excited to get approved for this.

I really liked Emma. Her passion for theatre is new, but it comes across in her actions. The backstory was a little clichéd and perhaps not even necessary. I didn't think soccer or the mean girls were important aspects to Emma's life.

I loved the back and forth. The idea of seeing a show at The Globe with Shakespeare there to have his hand in everything is like a dream come true. Cooke was adorable and the snippets we got from the past characters were intriguing.

Yes, there were definitely parts that were overdramatic, but such is the life in high school. Overall, it was a quick and fun read.

**Huge thanks to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for providing the arc free of charge**
2 people found this helpful
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Bailee
5.0 out of 5 stars So so so good!
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2017
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This book was so amazing and honestly gave me a new found love for Shakespeare even though I have always loved Shakespeare. This just made me remember that, my love for his work had sadly been collecting some dust, but this made it so much better. So happy I hot to enjoy this book as much as the author must have enjoyed writing it!
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D. Austin
4.0 out of 5 stars and she claims to not like books!
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2017
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Teenaged daughter enjoys the story... and she claims to not like books!
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Top reviews from other countries

A
2.0 out of 5 stars Fun but better-suited for teenagers than YA
Reviewed in France on April 22, 2019
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Liked the setting but too much of a teenage read
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