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King of Shadows Review

Nat Field has been chosen along with a group of select boys to perform Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the newly-built Globe in London. The cast consists of all boys - the director wants this play to be as true to the time as possible. A different adventure begins for Nat when he awakes to find himself 400 years back in time, when the original Globe was first built!

A couple of summers ago I took part in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is the play this book mainly focuses on. I had a wonderful time reading about their preparations, costumes, and ultimately the performance. It brought back a lot of memories!

I also enjoyed reading about Nat's friendship with Shakespeare. When they acted together (Nat as Puck and Shakespeare as Oberon) the author wrote that they had a natural chemistry. And as a reader you could feel that chemistry working between them, whether they were on or off stage.

My main complaint with this book was that in the few chapters that didn't take place back in time, there was some foul language scattered throughout. I'm not sure why the author thought it necessary to make the modern-day kids and adults have bad mouths, it certainly didn't add anything to the story. Also, *POSSIBLE SPOILER* parents of young children should be warned that Nat's father commits suicide, and that scene gets just a little graphic. *SPOILER OVER*

That aside, I think King of Shadows is a well-written, intriguing peek into life as an actor during the Elizabethan time period. Anyone who is interested in history or acting is sure to enjoy it.

King of Shadows Feature

ISBN13: 9780689844454
Condition: New
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King of Shadows Overview

Only in the world of the theater can Nat Field find an escape from the tragedies that have shadowed his young life. So he is thrilled when he is chosen to join an American drama troupe traveling to London to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream in a new replica of the famous Globe theater.

Shortly after arriving in England, Nat goes to bed ill and awakens transported back in time four hundred years -- to another London, and another production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Amid the bustle and excitement of an Elizabethan theatrical production, Nat finds the warm, nurturing father figure missing from his life -- in none other than William Shakespeare himself. Does Nat have to remain trapped in the past forever, or give up the friendship he's so longed for in his own time?

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Customer Reviews

For the "very special" shelf - Margery L. Goldstein - Hudson, MA USA
I have a soft spot for time-travel books and have read a fair few. This one will go right to my "very special" shelf of YA books, alongside "The Dark is Rising" (which is actually better than this, but it's better than just about anything!). I read a borrowed copy in one gulp, and now I'm ordering my own.

Looking through the reader reviews, I didn't notice anyone linking this to the "Dark is Rising" series, but did anyone else notice that we have a character in here who has been living for a very long time, making things happen for Good?

Time Travel! - Kari Gritzan - San Francisco
I love time travel stories! This YA novel is great for teens who love time travel, but mostly for teens who love Shakespeare! A really well-written tale of a boy who travels back in time to the Globe Theater and stars in some of the bards best loved plays...and becomes an apprentice to Will S. himself! A really lovely story, with great characters and a tense plotline.

YA Lit for Middle School Drama Class - Erik Wooster -
This is a super novel I'm using in my Drama class to prepare for reading Shakespeare. Cooper provides some good background information--daily life, the Globe Theater, Shakespeare himself--as well as theater life (actors, costumes, makeup, rehearsals, scripts). My students will relate well to the sympathetic protagonist as King of Shadows is written at a level that my ELL students will benefit from.
Mrs. Wooster, Desert Springs Middle School, DHS, CA

Gimmicky - A. Luciano - Lowell, MA United States
Nat is eleven years old and has been chosen to be a member of a very exclusive boys' theater company. The company, made up of Americans, is going to travel to London to perform two Shakespeare plays at the newly rebuilt Globe Theater, modeled after the theater William Shakespeare first wrote his plays for four hundred years ago. The idea is thrilling to Nat. Ever since the death of his parents, theater has been his escape. His aunt has encouraged him to perform as a way of finding calm and comfort, and Nat has found that he has real talent in acting and tumbling.

Soon after his arrival in London, though, Nat becomes very ill. One night he loses consciousness and when he wakes up his surroundings are both strange and eerily familiar. Before long he realizes that he is still in London--but four hundred years earlier! He is a member of the theater company that Shakespeare himself writes for and performs with, and he is preparing for the same part in the same play he was to perform in modern-day England.

Nat adores William Shakespeare and loves his old English theater company, but he can't figure out what is going on and why he is here. Furthermore, he worries that after this performance is finished, he will be sent back to the boarding school where someone is sure to notice something funny about him.

The details of life in the theater were great, and I loved the characterization of Shakespeare and the way Nat interacted with him. However, the time-travel aspect seemed really gimmicky and forced, with far too many coincidences to overlook.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 29, 2010 07:12:06

Children's Books

Sunday, August 29, 2010