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Courtney Carbone
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srsly Hamlet (OMG Shakespeare Book 1) Kindle Edition

by William Shakespeare (Author), Courtney Carbone (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 80 ratings
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Hamlet, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!
 
Imagine: What if Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, and the tragic Ophelia had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!
 
A kingdom on the brink of war.
A stolen throne.
A boy seeking revenge.
 
<3 and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)
 
 
tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, checking in at certain 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.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    116 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Random House Books for Young Readers
  5. Publication date
    May 26, 2015
  6. Reading age
    14 years and up
  7. Grade level
    9 and up
  8. File size
    55032 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—These titles strip Shakespearean plays of Elizabethan language and iambic pentameter, rendering modern retellings utilizing text slang littered with emojis. Content-wise, the authors remain true to the original story lines with no major omissions. Stylistically, the format has inherent strengths and weaknesses. Students will immediately understand "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have checked into Elsinore Castle" and this quite literally sets the scene. Yet, the reality of texting is that people are not face-to-face; thus, the text narrative format creates some clumsily contrived situations. For example, Romeo and Juliet arrive at the church to marry, and then precede to text their love to each other. Visualizing Romeo and Juliet together at the chapel, heads down texting, may cause readers to LOL, and as attempts at satire, these books definitely succeed. There is no shortage of WTF, STFU, and the like, yet F*ck is listed in the glossary (to define said shortcuts for adult readers unfamiliar with text-speak, one assumes). Students will no doubt recognize the many emojis, although Friar Laurence's use of an emoji representing a smiling pile of excrement is a bit much. This series raises an interesting question: what would Shakespeare's plays look like in today's world? Having students already familiar with the Bard's work compose text- and emoji-style retellings would make for a fun assignment. VERDICT More satirical than tragic and tirelessly trendy.—Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX

About the Author

COURTNEY CARBONE studied English and creative writing in Baltimore, before moving to New York City to become a full-time children’s book editor. When she isn’t collaborating with the greatest playwright of all time, Courtney can be found studying various forms of comedy and trying to finish the joke, “Two groundlings walk into a bard. . . .”
 
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00PEPR6SA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Books for Young Readers (May 26, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 26, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 55032 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 116 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Courtney Carbone

Courtney Carbone

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Courtney Carbone studied English and Creative Writing in the US and Australia before becoming a children's book writer and editor in New York City. Her favorite things include Brit Lit, trivia nights, board games, stand-up comedy, improv, bookstores, libraries, brick-oven pizza, salted-caramel macarons, theme parties, sharks, puns, portmanteaus, and '90s pop culture.

@CBCarbone

www.CourtneyCarbone.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
80 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Heather Knight
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for understanding Shakespeare!
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
What a great read! I love the original Hamlet, and this one is so fun. And quick! I finished it in about 20-30 minutes, and it gives a great quick overview of Hamlet. For a student assigned Hamlet, I would definitely recommend reading this first to get an idea of what Hamlet is all about. And it is such a fun book. Excellent.
3 people found this helpful
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Heaven
5.0 out of 5 stars HIlarious
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
I bought this book for a class and it was a pleasant surprise. It was a hilarious take on Shakespeare and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Shakespeare but wants to shake it up a little haha.
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Amy
5.0 out of 5 stars Helps the classics come alive for teens!
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
This series of books is a ton of fun for high school literature class. We have been able to use it to summarize larger sections of literary works, as well as exploring what the storylines would look like in our modern world. Tons of fun for teens!!!
One person found this helpful
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KFiscus
4.0 out of 5 stars Not For Fuddy Duddies.
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
As a former English teacher, I know the Bard would have been thrilled that his plays have been reinterpreted. Those who think of Willy as a staunch believer that the English language should never be changed or tainted by slang and pop culture don't know him very well.
One person found this helpful
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Steena
5.0 out of 5 stars Puts the fun in Shakespeare
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
I absolutely adore this series of books. As an avid Shakespeare lover, it's fun to read old stories in modern language.
This series puts the fun back in reading for kids and teens who have trouble grasping Shakespearean language. I absolutely recommend.
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Rebecca Patenaude
5.0 out of 5 stars So funny
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2015
Verified Purchase
I give this book all the stars it was so funny yet so good to read I recommend it to all people and I will definitely rate it 5 out of 5 stars
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Stuff!!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
I purchased this for my 40-something girlfriend to give her something to brighten her day. She is a theatrical arts major who is absolutely a Shakespeare nut. She thought this book is wonderful and just the thing all these digital reliant kids need to open them up to great writing, LOL!
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Stacy
4.0 out of 5 stars but a good accompaniment for the modern Shakespeare enthusiast
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
Hilarious. Not to be used in place of the original, but a good accompaniment for the modern Shakespeare enthusiast.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Claudia
5.0 out of 5 stars Srsl?
Reviewed in Spain on December 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
Si explicaran a Shakespeare así en los institutos, otro gallo cantaría...
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Amazon Kunde
3.0 out of 5 stars Ganz amüsant, mit einem Buch aber nicht zu vergleichen
Reviewed in Germany on December 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ich würde diese Art von Literatur empfehlen, wenn man schnellstmöglich wissen möchte, worum es in dem Stück geht. Oder auch um sich klassischer Literatur auf amüsante Weise anzunähern. Es ist mit dem ursprünglichen Stück jedoch nicht zu vergleichen.
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S Dey
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious
Reviewed in India on October 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Hilarious.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very Funny, glad I purchased
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Enigma8888
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and entertaining
Reviewed in Spain on September 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Wish we had this version mandatory at school...
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