Age: 18
Title: Kissing Shakespeare
Author: Pamela Mingle
Publisher: Delacorte
Pub Date: 8/14/2012
Galley: Yes
Convince us to read the book: This book has in interesting plot about a teenage actress from the present who is brought back in time to save William Shakespeare. The writing in this book is very good. One thing that I especially liked was the way that the author combined modern and historic aspects with regard to language. The main character Miranda/Olivia is whisked back to 1581 from the present and the reader can see the difficulty that she has growing accustomed to the manner of speaking etc. Even after she learns to converse as an Elizabethan young lady, the story is still told from her perspective which is inevitably modern in it's descriptions and colored by Miranda's modern opinions. This could have been confusing, but the author manages to pull it off. Some of the story line is a bit transparent, especially with regard to the romance. However, there are still parts that the reader is left to guess at until the conclusion. Best of all I think is the character development of the main character. Throughout the book the reader can see her grow and mature even as Miranda herself is unaware of the changes.
Memorable or Forgettable: I think that the author had a really interesting premise and ran with it to a successful conclusion, even if the ending was a little disappointing to my romantic mind. Also, I enjoyed seeing the main character sort of grow into her own acting abilities throughout the novel.
Cover: I think I was more enticed to read the back based on the title. The illustration on the front somewhat reflects the contents of the book, but to my mind it is somewhat boring compared to all that happens in the book. It might be a personal annoyance of mine, but when reading a historical novel it bothers me if the cover looks modern in the sense that the people aren't depicted in the clothing of he era, I feel it is misleading.
Age Range: 16-17
Quality: 4Q Better than most
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal
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