Review: Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle

Kissing Shakespeare

By: Pamela Mingle
Publisher: Delecorte
Published: Aug. 14, 2012
Genre: YA
Rating:

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Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school’s staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide.

Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and asks if she’d like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he’s a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16th century England—the world Stephen’s really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lost its greatest playwright.

Miranda isn’t convinced she’s the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help, knowing that it’s her only chance of getting back to the present and her “real” life. What Miranda doesn’t bargain for is finding true love . . . with no acting required.

This was a fun YA time travel novel. Miranda is a 21st century teenage girl who grew up surrounded my the theater. She stives to be better than her mother who is a very accomplished actress. When Stephen takes her back in time to meet young Will Shakespeare she must bring forth her best acting skills and seduce young Will into following his dreams of writing and acting instead of joining the priesthood.

I thought this was a cute story and enjoyed reading it. Yeah, the whole love interest was a no brainer but even so, it was still entertaining to read. Honestly though, I couldn’t help but picture an old fart whenever “young” Will came into the picture. It’s like trying to picture the Pope as a teenager, you just can’t do it.

I liked that there was no love at first sight, no love triangle and the ending actually surprised me. I really hope that the author leaves the book as is because it will keep the story fresh and unique but I could see it turning into a series with Stephen and Miranda going on time travel adventure to help save the future but I hope that doesn’t happen. I thought the story was perfect the way it is and sometimes you just need to leave a little bit to the imagination. But that’s my personal opinion. Either way, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this debut author.

“I was lost from the first time I caught sight of you.”