February 1, 2014
Gr 10 Up-Hutchison's debut novel (Carolrhoda, 2013), a retelling of Hamlet through the eyes of damaged Ophelia, sets the tragic tale at exclusive Elsinore Academy. Years before, Ophelia nearly drowned but was saved-her mother was left to die. Now Ophelia sees ghosts, one of which is her mother, now a Morgen; the bean sidhe; and the recently murdered Headmaster of Elsinore. The Headmaster's grieving son, Hamlet Danemark, seeks solace in Ophelia's arms. Their disturbing relationship is based on Dane's feeling that only Ophelia is "real." When Dane kills a man by mistake, he is sent away and the murder is covered up. These events send the already-fragile Ophelia reeling into complete madness. Eventually she meets her end by keeping a promise to her mother that she would someday join her in the sunken city of Ys. Narrator Liz Pearce has a lovely voice; her pacing and timbre are perfect for young Ophelia and the unfolding mystery. The choice of a British actress to voice characters, which, we learn far into the exhaustingly repetitive story, are American, adds to general confusion about the time and place. The premise, and Elsinore Academy, is implausible, but the retelling may find a niche audience in teenage girls who enjoy the super-dramatic love story gone wrong. Hopefully they will recognize that a one-sided relationship that turns violent and where the victim is blamed for the abuse is neither dramatic nor romantic, just tragic.-Jane Newschwander, Fluvanna County Public Schools, VA
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