Full Reviews

In this new take on Macbeth, clever, sardonic teenage detective Horatio, who we first met in Something Rotten, attends a Scottish Highland Festival on Birnam Mountain in Tennessee and finds the mountain's owner, Duncan MacRae, murdered in his tent. Duncan's son Mal looks like the obvious suspect, but Horatio has his doubts. For one thing, Horatio's ambitious friend Mac and Mac's controlling girlfriend, Beth, have fathers who want to turn the mountain into a country club and ski resort. There's also a fetching girl Horatio has his eyes on, and a gang of punks who call themselves Hell's Pipers. There's even a dog--named Spot. Replete with cell phones and up-to-date references (Dance Dance Revolution, Michael Vick), this suspenseful mystery will work even for those unfamiliar with the Shakespeare play, and humor abounds as well. Fans of Horatio will be pleased to learn he has six sisters, with names like Viola and Juliet, so look out for more witty Shakespearean take-offs to come.

  


Dial Books
October 2008
Ages 14 and up

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Paula Rohrlick, Kliatt Magazine

In the first Horatio Wilkes novel, Something Rotten (2007), Shakespeare’s Hamlet provided inspiration for a mystery set in contemporary Tennessee, featuring Horatio, a teen detective with a smart mouth and a cunning mind. In this sequel, Horatio goes to Mount Birnam near Pigeon Forge to attend the Highland
Games with his old friends Banks and Mac as well as his best enemy, Mac’s girlfriend, Beth. Drawn with affection as well as humor, the colorful Scottish-heritage background makes a distinctive setting for this fast-paced novel. The Mac/Beth wordplay may be a groaner, but in general the narrative is so witty (and occasionally laugh-aloud funny) that the murders, when they come, seem truly shocking and out of place. Readers familiar with Macbeth will catch references that others may miss, but enjoyment of the novel does not depend upon knowledge of the play. From the author of Samurai Shortstop (2006), this unusual mystery combines violence, sometimes-wry and sometimes-bawdy humor, and down-to-earth teen concerns.

Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

To some readers, the language and settings of Shakespeare's plays can seem distant and boring; conversely, some contemporary retellings that aim to make Shakespeare trendy or accessible end up stripping the emotional depth from the plays. Something Wicked, however, is an exceptional adaptation.

Horatio's friend Mac, and Mac's girlfriend, Beth, are the Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of this story. Beth's constant challenges to Mac's manhood and their mutually destructive relationship echo the play's themes of manipulation and ambition in a context that teens will easily recognize. Likewise, Horatio and Mac's rapidly souring friendship may remind teens of their own social difficulties.

The captivating murder mystery will keep readers (even those familiar with the play) guessing who the real culprit is. Alan Gratz's detailed setting, a Scottish Highland fair, is inspired, and his prose and dialogue are consistently funny and well crafted: "'You're just going to get him madder," Lucy told me. 'I'm good at that,' I told her. 'I have mad skills.'" And Gratz seamlessly incorporates a wide array of pop culture references, including the Ramones, Jackson Pollock, Magnum, P.I., and Aqua Teen Hunger Force, in humorous, intelligent ways.

Junior Library Guild

It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Alan's Sophomore English Teacher