I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Macbeth #killingit by Courtney Carbone, William Shakespeare Series: OMG Shakespeare
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 5, 2016
Pages: 112
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
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Macbeth, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!
Imagine: What if that tragic couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
A prophecy from three witches.
A social-climbing couple committing a murder most foul.
A cover-up that spins way out of control.and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens.
A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.
I’ve always been fascinated by Shakespeare’s plays. But, like many, I find them confusing and hard to understand. I’ve taken classes on Shakespeare, purchased “Shakespeare for Dummies,” Googled translations and even watched the movies. But I still have a hard time grasping the language. Macbeth was also one of my least favorite plays when we read it in High School and, to be honest, I had forgotten pretty much everything about it – the plot, the characters, everything! So when I first started reading, I found myself really confused, trying to remember who was who! Let’s just say I was really thankful for the character index!!
Confusion aside, Macbeth #killingit was hilarious and entertaining. Once again, the OMG Shakespeare books took a play that should have been serious and boring (sorry, Shakespeare fans! This one was boring for me when I read it in school!) and made it hilarious and entertaining. By breaking down the complex language into modern phone/internet speak (via text messages, group chats, status updates, emojis, etc), I was actually able to grasp what the play was about and follow along!
Overall, Macbeth #killingit was just as LOL as srsly Hamlet was! Though I definitely struggled with the characters, the content itself was easy to grasp and follow and I really ended up enjoying it – YES, I ended up enjoying one of my LEAST FAVORITE Shakespeare plays thanks to this epic OMG Shakespeare interpretation!
Whether you want to learn Shakespeare or teach Shakespeare, I highly recommend this book. You’ll never view Macbeth in the same way, ever again! And you’ll (actually) enjoy reading it!