Scan barcode
thatlizhunter's review against another edition
5.0
Can we talk about how gay this book really is??? Also, all the bisexual rep??? IN AN HISTORICAL NOVEL SET IN ELIZABETHEN ENGLAND?!! almost too good to be true
taylorg_1005's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
quequel's review against another edition
4.0
Comecei a leitura sem saber de muita coisa, mas pela capa e titulo achei que fosse uma historia de intrigas, mentiras etc, e é.. mas vai além, o livro aborda questões religiosas o tempo todo e recheia a narrativa sobre a escrita, o ato de escrever. me surpreendi!
medievalthymes's review against another edition
4.0
ok, I'll admit, I might be a little bias with this review because I swear to god this book was made for me to read. Twelfth Night is by far my favourite Shakespeare play, it's funny, it's different and to me it seemed quite ahead of it's time. When I found out that not only would the play be part of the plot of the book, but also mirrors the story our characters will be going through, I knew I needed to read this one. The history major in me was also intrigued by the setting of 1600's England and the role in which the Catholics vs Prodasants played within the story.
I liked this book a lot, the political problems of the ongoing religious conflicts within Elizabethan England were surprisingly accurate and pulled me into Katherines story, but I also felt for Toby at the same time and I was glad to see the two opposing sides, even if Toby's wasn't as involved as Katherines.
The trope of being disguised as a boy for safety is a favourite of mine, and it was fun seeing Katherine learning to navigate and see the world in a new way, and I thought it was very well thought out.
Now Toby, I loved his character so much. To finally get an accurate representation of a bisexual character was like a breath of fresh air, especially in YA, where most are written like playboys, willing to sleep with anyone. We got to see Toby struggle with his sexuality (an especially hard thing to do in a historical setting) from confusion to acceptance, and it wasn't the defining part of his personality.
All in all, this book was a lot of fun and well written, the only complaint I really have is that I felt at times that it was missing something...I feel like there could have a been a bit more action to make the stakes seem a little higher, as I never really felt that much fear for the situations the characters were put in. Other than that though, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Shakespeare, or simply someone who is looking for something a little bit different.
I liked this book a lot, the political problems of the ongoing religious conflicts within Elizabethan England were surprisingly accurate and pulled me into Katherines story, but I also felt for Toby at the same time and I was glad to see the two opposing sides, even if Toby's wasn't as involved as Katherines.
The trope of being disguised as a boy for safety is a favourite of mine, and it was fun seeing Katherine learning to navigate and see the world in a new way, and I thought it was very well thought out.
Now Toby, I loved his character so much. To finally get an accurate representation of a bisexual character was like a breath of fresh air, especially in YA, where most are written like playboys, willing to sleep with anyone. We got to see Toby struggle with his sexuality (an especially hard thing to do in a historical setting) from confusion to acceptance, and it wasn't the defining part of his personality.
All in all, this book was a lot of fun and well written, the only complaint I really have is that I felt at times that it was missing something...I feel like there could have a been a bit more action to make the stakes seem a little higher, as I never really felt that much fear for the situations the characters were put in. Other than that though, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Shakespeare, or simply someone who is looking for something a little bit different.
alaris's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
cammmiam's review against another edition
3.0
I would have happily given this another star if the ending hadn't felt so rushed.
lumberjill314's review against another edition
4.0
I've never read historical fiction before and I loved it!
lisamparkin's review against another edition
5.0
This is such a fun unique take on historical fiction. Shakespeare, romance, disguised gender and, you know, plotting murder, made for one excellent story.
This is a great standalone I highly recommend.
This is a great standalone I highly recommend.