Shakespeare's Secret

Shakespeare's Secret, by Elise Broach, tells the story of Hero, a girl who has just moved to the outskirts of Washington DC. Struggling to fit in as she tries to navigate the pressures of social scene at her new middle school, Hero finds friendship in Mrs. Roth, her neighbor, and Danny Cordova, a popular student at her school. Together they investigate the mystery of the Murphy diamond. The previous owners of Hero's new house possessed an old diamond of extreme value. They were said to have hidden the diamond in the house in order to collect the insurance. Together, Hero, Danny, and Mrs. Roth collaborate to solve their only clue- a poem left behind by Arthur Murphy for Mrs. Roth.

This book was really amazing! The plot was very elaborate, and I was surprised on many different occasions. The characters were also really richly described, which gave me a really good picture of the story. The book had a lot of really interesting history and theories about the true identity of Shakespeare that was very skillfully interwoven into the plot. It introduced me to a lot of topics of debate I didn't even know existed. I found the book really enjoyable, while simultaneously being thought-provoking. I'm interested in reading other books by the same author, as this one was well-written and imaginative.

Liar and Spy

I was initially very excited to read this book because it was written by the author of one of my favorite books, Rebecca Stead, who wrote the best seller When You Reach Me. The books centers around Georges, simply pronounced as George, a middle-schooler in Brooklyn. When his father was laid of from work, Georges and his family were forced to sell their house and move to an apartment. This, paired with his best and only friend abandoning him to sit with people of a much higher social standing, pushes Georges into a pit of emotional despair. Georges's world turns for the better when he meets Safer, a self-appointed spy living upstairs from him. Together they spy on the elusive Mr X, a mysterious figure engaging in shady activities. Their friendship strengthens, though it is almost entirely based on a lie.

I thought that this was a really interesting book—it has a very unique plot, involving a variety of strong characters.  I ended up feeling very empathetic towards Gorges. He was feeling lonely, and just when he thinks he's found a friend in Safer he finds out that he's been lied to. The reader only has a limited view into what is happening, as Georges narrates, so I was very surprised at many points in the book. I thought that it was very well structured, designed to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and I was completely shocked at the end. I recommend this book to everyone—it maintained an amazing balance between being numerous and emotionally deep.