thechristined's review
4.0
Hamlet Kennedy is your typical eighth grader who just wants to fit in. Unfortunately, her family makes that incredibly difficult. Her parents are obsessed with Shakespeare and his works and act as though it’s still the Elizabethan era, and her seven-year-old sister Desdemona is a genius being taught college-level courses by tutors. Things just go from bad to worse, however, when Dezzie needs to take some classes at Hamlet’s school, and then Hamlet’s History and English teachers announce they’re going to be learning about Shakespeare that year, giving her parents a reason to take too much of an interest in her schoolwork.
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet is a lighthearted read filled with realistic and quirky characters. While the majority of readers will not be able to identify with Hamlet for having a genius younger sister and parents who are so enthusiastic about Shakespeare that they collect everything Shakespeare (action figures, key chains, etc.) and build models of the Globe Theatre, they will be able to identify with Hamlet’s feelings of being overshadowed by her sister, and want to fit in at school to the point of trying to be invisible and hiding their true self. She is incredibly easy to relate to in this manner, as well as her being embarrassed by her parents, that it was easy to remember my own feelings when I was that age.
With Hamlet’s parents being so interested in Shakespeare, and Desdemona being a child genius, there are plenty of references to the Bard (especially his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and different people the targeted age range might not be familiar with, such as Stephen Hawking, and Madame Curie. As an additional nod to Shakespeare, the book is divided into ‘acts’ and even includes small ‘scenes’ within the story that still allow you to get inside Hamlet’s head. Even the acknowledgements are made to look like a cast listing.
You can read the rest of my review at my blog: http://readerlymusings.com/2013/11/20/book-review-the-total-tragedy-of-a-girl-named-hamlet-by-erin-dionne/
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet is a lighthearted read filled with realistic and quirky characters. While the majority of readers will not be able to identify with Hamlet for having a genius younger sister and parents who are so enthusiastic about Shakespeare that they collect everything Shakespeare (action figures, key chains, etc.) and build models of the Globe Theatre, they will be able to identify with Hamlet’s feelings of being overshadowed by her sister, and want to fit in at school to the point of trying to be invisible and hiding their true self. She is incredibly easy to relate to in this manner, as well as her being embarrassed by her parents, that it was easy to remember my own feelings when I was that age.
With Hamlet’s parents being so interested in Shakespeare, and Desdemona being a child genius, there are plenty of references to the Bard (especially his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and different people the targeted age range might not be familiar with, such as Stephen Hawking, and Madame Curie. As an additional nod to Shakespeare, the book is divided into ‘acts’ and even includes small ‘scenes’ within the story that still allow you to get inside Hamlet’s head. Even the acknowledgements are made to look like a cast listing.
You can read the rest of my review at my blog: http://readerlymusings.com/2013/11/20/book-review-the-total-tragedy-of-a-girl-named-hamlet-by-erin-dionne/
peterpokeypanda's review
3.0
This book was sweet and goofy, but not too deep. I enjoyed the family story, and the friendships of the main character (just right for a middle schooler!) but the family was kind of too weird to be believable.
nbrickman's review
3.0
I was initially loving this YA book for it's witty references and Shakespearean humor, but the plot itself failed to live up to the writing style. The main character, a girl named Hamlet, is extremely likable, but the story itself had very few original moments or flair. I still enjoyed reading it. Her genius 7 year old sister was hilarious.
connieholladay's review
4.0
I liked this book. I think that Halle will really like it in a year or so. Cute youth novel it made me laugh and feel for the main character.
macreader's review
4.0
I liked it, but it was not as good as "Little Blog" she went through so much and no one understood her so much that I almost cried. In the end, they finally got to the part where they got revenge on the "bad girls". But almost the entire book is about people not understanding her and the unfairness of it all. I wish that the author didn't make the main character so vulnerable.
socr8sjohnson's review
4.0
I really liked this book. I cringed for Hamlet with her for the parents. I immediately related to all the characters. I could understand her pain from the times I felt like a misfit boy in Jr. High, but I enjoyed it even more from the perspective of a teacher.
Hamlet is oblivious to the boy who has a crush on her, but the author does a good job of letting the reader see who it is without saying who it is. I see this every day in my 7th grade classes. Kids get crushes on each other, and aren't always even aware that they like the other person that way. It's funny to watch, and it was funny to watch in the book.
The ending fizzled a little for me. Dionne does such a great job with build-up and there's one little thing that disappointed me, and so I couldn't give it a complete 5-star review.
Hamlet is oblivious to the boy who has a crush on her, but the author does a good job of letting the reader see who it is without saying who it is. I see this every day in my 7th grade classes. Kids get crushes on each other, and aren't always even aware that they like the other person that way. It's funny to watch, and it was funny to watch in the book.
The ending fizzled a little for me. Dionne does such a great job with build-up and there's one little thing that disappointed me, and so I couldn't give it a complete 5-star review.
jbojkov's review
4.0
Cute, fun read for MS or "young" highschoolers with a literary bent. The plot is fast-paced enough to hold a reader's interest and the book is pretty funny too. It also has a point without being preachy.
melaninny's review
5.0
Full disclosure, I took a class with Erin Dionne a couple years ago and really enjoyed the class, and Erin, so I was inclined to like her book. But The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet definitely met my expectations! It's a great middle grade book, lots of charm and likable characters, with loads of fun Shakespeare references thrown in. Hamlet is just trying to fit in, but her over-the-top Shakespeare scholar parents and her uber-genius little sister, who just started at Hamlet's middle school, make it impossible. With lots of angst but also a lot of heart, Hamlet finds her own place in the world and attempts to find a way to make peace with the things that make her stand out.
The most successful elements in this book are the humor and characters. It was the light read that I was looking for. I think this would be especially good for kids just in late elementary school or entering middle school.
The most successful elements in this book are the humor and characters. It was the light read that I was looking for. I think this would be especially good for kids just in late elementary school or entering middle school.
marjorielight's review
5.0
Erin Dionne’s done it again! Her first novel, MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES, won praise and garnered some excellent reviews. The latest, THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET, another mid-grade novel, is sure to have students talking (and reading!). Dionne’s sense of humor is woven throughout her tightly written plot, filled with funny situations that would give any student angst. In honor of the main character, appropriate quotes from Shakespeare’s play are sprinkled throughout the review.
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
Just how embarrassing can your parents be? In Hamlet’s case: very. Imagine your parents walking around dressed like they just teleported from Shakespeare’s England and saying things like, “Goodwill to you” and “Huzzah” in the halls at your school. More humiliating, imagine they named you, their little girl, after a guy in a Shakespearean tragedy. Hamlet’s life seems pretty rotten, right? But wait, there’s more…and it gets worse.
“To be, or not to be: that is the question”
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
If you’ve ever had to follow in the shadow of high-achieving older siblings, then you will surely commiserate with Hamlet. She has a little sister, Dezzie, who’s a genius and is going to attend Hamlet’s middle school. Oh, the embarrassment. Although Hamlet reluctantly shines in drama, she is struggling in math. In the meantime, guess who becomes one of the math tutors?
Dionne does a fabulous job illustrating the perils of middle school, as Hamlet tries to juggle not wanting to stand out against the attention she’s receiving. The author also adeptly shows Dezzie’s forays into the tangled world of cliques. We are torn between rooting for normalcy for Hamlet and wondering why she doesn’t embrace her own gifts. It really is tough to be in eighth grade!
"This above all: to thine own self be true”
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
As the novel progresses, Dionne manages to keep the pace and the humor moving forward. The mystery of the Globe, wondering whether or not she will see her talents, and hoping the family can learn to speak one another’s language keeps us turning the pages. In the end, we await discovery if Hamlet will be true to herself.
"A rhapsody of words."
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet is well crafted and an enjoyable read. Erin Dionne is a skillful writer who has captured the life in a typical (but funny) middle school. Her use of voice and interspersed dramatic vignettes shows how carefully she crafts her work. This novel is perfect for a class set for reading together or literature circles, as it is a wholesome book that has themes of family, friendship, and discovering oneself. It would make a great gift for a mid-grade level reader. I highly recommend it! Coming in January 2010 from Dell Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group, Inc. Preorder from a bookstore near you! Support independent booksellers – keep our neighborhood bookstores alive!
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
Just how embarrassing can your parents be? In Hamlet’s case: very. Imagine your parents walking around dressed like they just teleported from Shakespeare’s England and saying things like, “Goodwill to you” and “Huzzah” in the halls at your school. More humiliating, imagine they named you, their little girl, after a guy in a Shakespearean tragedy. Hamlet’s life seems pretty rotten, right? But wait, there’s more…and it gets worse.
“To be, or not to be: that is the question”
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
If you’ve ever had to follow in the shadow of high-achieving older siblings, then you will surely commiserate with Hamlet. She has a little sister, Dezzie, who’s a genius and is going to attend Hamlet’s middle school. Oh, the embarrassment. Although Hamlet reluctantly shines in drama, she is struggling in math. In the meantime, guess who becomes one of the math tutors?
Dionne does a fabulous job illustrating the perils of middle school, as Hamlet tries to juggle not wanting to stand out against the attention she’s receiving. The author also adeptly shows Dezzie’s forays into the tangled world of cliques. We are torn between rooting for normalcy for Hamlet and wondering why she doesn’t embrace her own gifts. It really is tough to be in eighth grade!
"This above all: to thine own self be true”
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
As the novel progresses, Dionne manages to keep the pace and the humor moving forward. The mystery of the Globe, wondering whether or not she will see her talents, and hoping the family can learn to speak one another’s language keeps us turning the pages. In the end, we await discovery if Hamlet will be true to herself.
"A rhapsody of words."
- William Shakespeare, “Hamlet”
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet is well crafted and an enjoyable read. Erin Dionne is a skillful writer who has captured the life in a typical (but funny) middle school. Her use of voice and interspersed dramatic vignettes shows how carefully she crafts her work. This novel is perfect for a class set for reading together or literature circles, as it is a wholesome book that has themes of family, friendship, and discovering oneself. It would make a great gift for a mid-grade level reader. I highly recommend it! Coming in January 2010 from Dell Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group, Inc. Preorder from a bookstore near you! Support independent booksellers – keep our neighborhood bookstores alive!
kaitl_onmybookshelf's review
4.0
I grew up reading this book and it’s just fun to revisit things you enjoyed as a middle schooler :)