Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

I loved this book from page 1. The writing was easy to follow and the characters easy to like and understand. Espesially when Leah was talking about the bullying and how she did not want to tell her parents, did not want to be pathetic and more, it made her feel alive at least for me - because i know how it is to be bullied and that it's hard to actually voice the words, tell one's parents about it. I was a bit annoyed with Kelly, but i grew to understand her too and Jake also. I liked how Leah and Jake's relationship hit it's bumps in the road and that not everything was rosyred. But one character i could'nt stand was Dede, ugh.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book but after finishing it I’m really disappointed.
The pace of the story jumped from one thing to another with no real flow and I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style.
The characters were quite boring and I just couldn’t connect with them.
I would have loved to have read more about the shakesphere program.
I’m really sad to say 2 stars.

Writing: 3/5 Plot:3/5 Characters: 3/5

I really wanted to like this book. I love the premise — in her last year of junior high school, Leah is tormented by a bully. When she finally loses it and viciously attacks the bully, the court sentences her to a Shakespeare program instead of juvenile detention. This is based on a real program — what a great idea!

The prose is very good, though the pace is a bit plodding (this happens, then that happens, then another happens with no real dynamics). However, the “voice” just doesn’t feel right. The text veers between some very literary paragraphs that sound like an educated adult speaking to those that are somewhat dumbed down to sound like a teenager. In some ways the lack of closure and the “I don’t knows” as answers to various “whys” that pervaded the story did feel very teen-like but it did leave me feeling a little unfulfilled. I would have also preferred a little more about the Shakespeare program and how it helped the teens — that wasn’t as clear as I would have liked.