That Way Madness Lies

February 1, 2021
Ranging from grim and gritty to starry-eyed and futuristic, these 15 stories retell the Bard's works as they've rarely been presented before. As noted by editor Adler, these tales--by a range of noted YA authors including Adler, Amy Rose Capetta, Cory McCarthy, Kiersten White, Tochi Onyebuchi, Samantha Mabry, and others--are designed to subvert the lack of diversity in the canon. While the plots mostly adhere to predetermined arcs, the characters and settings diverge wildly, with most protagonists recast as LGBTQ+ and people of color. Some authors play with format--retelling Romeo and Juliet through text messages--while others blend genres--Hamlet leans on Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Much Ado About Nothing goes SF. While the major comedies and tragedies appear, lesser-known and less-performed works like Coriolanus and problematic plays like TheTaming of the Shrew and TheMerchant of Venice--which can be uncomfortable to modern audiences--also get a shot at the spotlight. Although all are engaging, some of the stories feel incomplete; with the first acts and finales left unexplained, readers must interpolate from the source material; this volume will be best appreciated alongside the originals. Still, many of the comedies abound with energy and enthusiasm and the tragedies with current-day woes. These tales aim to and succeed at introducing brave new worlds and creating spaces for those previously omitted, maligned, or silenced in Shakespeare's works. A radical reimagining and avant-garde interpretation of Shakespeare. (about the authors, about Shakespeare) (Anthology. 14-18)

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March 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Queer and diverse, this Shakespeare anthology takes 15 of the Bard's most iconic works and builds an eclectic collection that successfully subverts the original white heteronormative canon. The anthology juggles an array of voices and genres, with several standouts stealing the show: K. Ancrum's banter and soul-searching in "Taming of a Soul Mate," Kiersten White's text message reincarnation of Romeo and Juliet in "Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow," and the fairy-tale yearning Melissa Bashardoust imbues in her The Winter's Tale retelling "Lost Girl." Not every entry will appeal to all readers, but Adler curates a wide-ranging collection in which there is something for everyone. Each author takes on a different style and tone, from the deeply poetic prose of Brittany Cavallaro's "His Invention" (Sonnet 147) to the bare-bones script formatting of Joy McCollough's "Out of the Storm" (King Lear). Some stories feel unfinished, with rushed beginnings or too-open ends, which forces readers familiar with the source material to surmise the missing pieces. Not every tale adheres to the Bard's work, but for all their differences, each selection features themes of identity and community, tying the stories together and highlighting the Bard's idiosyncrasies. The authors often change the race, gender, and sexual orientation of characters in their stories, creating diverse and nuanced worlds reflective of real society. VERDICT Built-in curriculum potential and excellent representation mean school libraries in particular will find this anthology a worthy purchase.-Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Lib., IL

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2021
Grades 8-11 A girl and her cousin relive camp memories as they search the woods for her dad in a story inspired by As You Like It. Teenage romance sparks around warring schools, not families, in a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. These are two of the narratives that make up this short-story collection that puts a YA spin on the Bard's classics. Beyond exploring Shakespearean themes through the eyes of Gen Z, the collection also seeks, as explained by editor Adler, to reimagine ""an inarguably brilliant but very white and very straight canon,"" meaning these pages are populated with people of color and queer characters. Readers can look forward to contributions from such authors as Patrice Caldwell, Tochi Onyebuchi, Samantha Mabry, Mark Oshiro, and Anna-Marie McLemore. That Way Madness Lies is a must-read for theater kids ready to consider their favorite comedies and tragedies in a new light, as well as Shakespeare skeptics who might be more willing to warm up to William if his story of star-crossed lovers involved an incredibly high-stakes text chain.

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