Scan barcode
A review by cassie_reads
Nothing Happened by Molly Horton Booth
3.0
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play, so of course I needed to read this modernization. There were many things about this novel that I loved. I loved the diversity, of both character ethnicity and sexuality. I loved the way the characters from the play were adapted into a modern setting. I think the modernized setting at a summer camp was perfect for this story, where rumors run wild and hookups are common.
The adaptation choices were really smart almost across the board, from making the Watch Counselors-in-Training, the youngest in the hierarchy who no one listens to, to making the prince and his brother sons of a Senator. I really appreciated how much thought went into characters and events.
However, the novel suffered from the way it was told. There were too many first-person voices. While I understand the choice, the transitions were jarring and the voices were not distinct enough for me to always keep clear who was speaking. I think the story would have been much stronger if the author had chosen third-person instead, making the transitions between focal characters smoother. I also felt that the falling out between "Hero" and "Claudio" wasn't strong enough, and the resolution was anti-climactic. The modernized version lacked the stakes from the original story.
All in all, I enjoyed the read, but there are elements I felt could have been done better.
Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play, so of course I needed to read this modernization. There were many things about this novel that I loved. I loved the diversity, of both character ethnicity and sexuality. I loved the way the characters from the play were adapted into a modern setting. I think the modernized setting at a summer camp was perfect for this story, where rumors run wild and hookups are common.
The adaptation choices were really smart almost across the board, from making the Watch Counselors-in-Training, the youngest in the hierarchy who no one listens to, to making the prince and his brother sons of a Senator. I really appreciated how much thought went into characters and events.
However, the novel suffered from the way it was told. There were too many first-person voices. While I understand the choice, the transitions were jarring and the voices were not distinct enough for me to always keep clear who was speaking. I think the story would have been much stronger if the author had chosen third-person instead, making the transitions between focal characters smoother. I also felt that the falling out between "Hero" and "Claudio" wasn't strong enough, and the resolution was anti-climactic. The modernized version lacked the stakes from the original story.
All in all, I enjoyed the read, but there are elements I felt could have been done better.