Summer reads YA ♡: Review: Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare for Everyone Else #1) by C.E. Wilson

Drama, Romance

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Blurb:

Shakespeare’s work features some of the most memorable stories and characters ever created, yet for too many curious readers the combination of ultra-dense dialogue and unfamiliar historical settings make tackling the Bard’s work something between a tedious chore and a confusing mess of bird-bolts and quondam carpet-mongers.

While it’s nearly impossible to replicate or improve on these works, it is (thanks to their timeless nature) possible to make them more accessible to a wider audience.
In this Young Adult retelling of one of William Shakespeare’s most iconic plays, join C.E. Wilson as she breathes new life into Much Ado About Nothing, the first in her series
Shakespeare for Everyone Else.

Two couples.
Clark and Heaven.
Beatriz and Bennett.

After years of friendship Clark decides that his senior year is the time to finally profess his love to his long-time crush Heaven; a sweet and simple girl who her father knows to be loyal, trustworthy and caring. She returns Clark’s love because, like him, she has also seen her feelings blossom over time. Theirs is a cute love that differs a bit from the other couple in the play.

Beatriz and Bennett at first glance seem to want nothing to do with the other. Every conversation, every remark is a withering attack which reveals their lost history and similarities. It’s not long before their friends hatch a plan to set them up because everyone is convinced they still love and care for one another. Will either of them be able to resist the strong attraction between them?
As these two couples try to make it through their senior year, their friend Donnie does what he can to keep the group happy. The problem lies in Donnie’s half-brother Jason who wants nothing more than to spoil the fun – even at the cost of Heaven’s reputation.

When both couples are pushed to the limits, whose love will endure?
Find out in this modern retelling of Shakespeare’s memorable play Much Ado About Nothing.

My thoughts (spoiler-free):

This book was given to me by the author for a "Read-to-Review".
This hasn't affected my review in any way.

Much Ado About Nothing is the first book of the Shakespeare for Everyone Else series.

I'm not a Shakespeare fan, or any classics, really. I prefer to read modern retellings or watch the movie/TV series/web series.

So, this is a perfect book for me.

I won't be comparing this version to the original story, because I've never read Shakespeare's original one. Instead, I will be reviewing this book solely on what I've read.

Two words to describe this book?

High school.

High school at it's finest.

All the gossips and schemes are spot on. Everything about this book is relatable to the teens in this generation.

It was fast paced and direct to the point, which I loved.

Although, it was too short for my liking, I found myself wanting more. There were characters with full of personality (Bennett and Beatriz) while others lacked. I had to differentiate Sola between Meagan, at times.

I had fun reading this version. Looking forward to the second book of the series, Othello.

Rating: 4/5 hearts

About the Author

C.E. Wilson is currently living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and her two dogs and two cats. They are all the loves of her life. When she’s not writing young adult fantasy novels, she enjoys writing short stories on her Deviant Art page. She loves to write stories involving giants and little people (also known as GT) and she can't decide what she loves more: horror movies or shoujo manga. On a side note, nothing helps her to write more than drinking some tea and watching The Twilight Zone.