Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb
Ally Malinenko
9/12/12
Antenna Books
Format: ebook
Source: author
MEET
LIZZY SPEARE…
…a
normal twelve year old girl with a talent for writing, who has a very
not normal family secret. And when Lizzy’s father vanishes, that
secret will change her life in ways unimagined. (Spoiler Alert! It
turns out that Lizzy, or Elizabeth S. Speare, is the last living
descendant of William Shakespeare. Shhh! Don’t tell anybody!)
Then
Lizzy and her best friend Sammy are kidnapped, awakening in the
faraway land of Manhattan. Their host is Jonathan Muse, whose job is
to protect Lizzy from becoming the latest victim in a family feud
nearly five hundred years old. Could that be why the mysterious, eye
patch-wearing Dmitri Marlowe is after her? (Spoiler Alert 2—he’s
the last living descendant of Christopher Marlowe, a friend and rival
of Shakespeare’s. But keep it to yourself!) Is Marlowe after
Lizzy’s family fortune rumored to be kept in Shakespeare’s tomb?
Does he seek artistic immortality? Or Revenge (with a capital R) for
a death long, long ago?
In
a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, Lizzy and Sammy are thrust into
the realm of the mythical and fantastic—from satyrs and Cyclopses
to Middle Eastern cab drivers and Brooklyn hipsters—in what is
truly “an improbable fiction” as the Bard himself once wrote.
THREE
WORDS: Fantastically Fun &
Entertaining
MY
REVIEW: I'm no Shakespeare
scholar or fanatic, but I do enjoy his work, and author Ally
Malinenko has done something quite extraordinary with her book Lizzy
Speare and the Cursed Tomb...she's
made Shakespeare fun! Fantastically fun, in fact! This adventure
filled middle-grade surpassed my expectations and turned out to be an
excellent read.
Twelve year old Lizzy Speare is
not a normal girl; she's the last living descendant of William
Shakespeare. Which, she finds out on her twelfth birthday; the day
she and her BFF, Sammy are kidnapped by a Muse for their own safety.
Jonathan Muse reveals to Lizzy that as the last Shakespeare descendant she is the sole heir of a great fortune. But Dmitri
Marlowe, the last descendant of Shakespeare's good friend and fellow
writer Christopher Marlowe, is after Lizzy, the fortune, and maybe
even Revenge! Jonathan introduces Lizzy and Sammy to a whole world of
mythical beings and creatures, and Lizzy must confront her destiny to
save everyone and everything she loves.
Malinenko
has crafted such an original and imaginative story with Lizzy
Speare and the Cursed Tomb.
A fun, exciting middle-grade tale about the infamous Shakespeare and
Marlowe relationship, and their imagined descendants is an ingenious
idea. An idea that Malinenko pulls off excellently with flair and
talent that Mr. Shakespeare would be proud of.
This
is a longer middle-grade book, but it has a great fast-pace full of
suspense and thrills. I didn't find myself bored once while reading
it and eagerly turned pages. Malinenko creates a world that is rich
in history, mystery, and all things fantastical. A world that feels
both modern and old-world, hip and enchanting, dark and whimsical.
The work of Shakespeare is not always easy to understand or get into,
but in Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb the
world and work of Shakespeare is presented in a way that is both
appropriate and highly entertaining for younger readers. Plus,
Lizzy's journey and adventures are just so addicting and fun that
younger readers won't even realize that they're also learning a great
deal.
The
fantasy and mythical elements are awesome! Satyrs, Cyclopses,
gorgons, fairies, selkies, Muses, magical quills, talking Ravens,
doors that change, and more, Lizzy Speare and the
Cursed Tomb as
it all. Lizzy's journey is full of compelling mystery, fascinating
history, and breathless peril. But, this book also has a lot of heart
and is surprisingly touching.
Lizzy is a great heroine:
smart, brave, capable, and compassionate, but stubborn and sarcastic
in an endearing way. Sammy is completely adorable and charming and I
want him as a BFF too. Jonathan Muse and Dmitri Marlowe are
wonderfully layered and complex characters. I love that I trusted and
doubted both fellows at the same time and that they constantly
surprised me.
My only complaint is that the
ending (only like the last two pages) felt a bit abrupt and jarring, but it did leave me excited for
a sequel.
MY
FINAL THOUGHTS: Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb is
a terrific middle-grade book with a wildly entertaining and
refreshing premise, compelling characters, and fantastic
storytelling. Lovers of Shakespeare, the fantastical, or just fun
adventure, will certainly enjoy this tale.
MY RATING
Ally Malinenko, a self-proclaimed Bardolator, took her first pilgrimage to Stratford-Upon-Avon in 2009 and hasn’t been the same since. Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb is her first children's book. Her poetry book, The Wanting Bone, was published by Six Gallery Press. She blogs at allymalinenko.com. Ally lives in Brooklyn with her husband.
