Book Review: Tempestuous

Tempestuous (Twisted Lit #1)

By: Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Published By: Merit Press

Publication Date: December 18, 2012

Page Count: 224

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary, Shakespeare Retelling

I was one of those students who loved whenever the teacher whipped out Shakespeare. There is just something timeless and enthralling about his plays and sonnets. I was excited to read the first installment in the Twisted Lit series after I realized that they were inspired by the Bard's works. Tempestuous is a modernized version of The Tempest. I have never read The Tempest - somehow that gem never made it on to a syllabus - but I did read the cliff notes on the plot before starting this one. I just wanted to see if I would catch the allusions. I found all the obvious ones, but I am sure there are some obscure ones I missed since I am not familiar with the original piece.

I really enjoyed the plot of this one. It's fast paced and peppered with comedy, romance, and intrigue. How could you not want to read about a dethroned Queen Bee who works at a corn dog stand and has to spend the night locked in a mall with friends, enemies, and a love interest or two?!? Tempestuous will have you craving a snow storm - so you can stay cuddled up reading.  

The characters were also a lot of fun. Miranda is a perfect example of a dynamic character; she starts the novel out being the stereotypical rich princess sort, but by the end of the novel she has a new outlook on herself. It was fun watching Miranda discover that the old life she was yearning for wasn't something she actually wanted at all. She learned that snap judgments about people and being in the spotlight aren't always the best ways to live. I also adored the banter between Miranda and Caleb. They both had me cracking up.

One dominant theme in this novel is the concept of not judging a book by its cover. There are so many characters who are not all they appear to be. Many of them will go through some significant changes from beginning to end. I liked watching as characters had their eyes opened to new experiences and people. I think this sort of lesson is a valuable one - for teens and adults. I know I am certainly guilty of making assumptions about others. We close ourselves off to so many possibilities when we stop friendships before they can even begin.

Additionally, I really enjoyed this one because it was like living one of my teenage dreams. I always thought it would be interesting to be snowed in somewhere with a bunch of friends. I truly believe there is a little something for everyone in this book. 

Overall, I loved this novel and I can't wait to read the next one, Exposure, which is based on Macbeth, one of my favorites! At only 224 pages, this one ended much too soon and left me craving more.

One Last Gripe: I found the mystery a bit too easy to solve in this one. 

My Favorite Things About This Book: The humor & the writing style - LOVED IT

First Sentence: The handcuffs chafed my wrist, but that was nothing compared with the irritation I felt regarding the cretin to whom I was currently shackled.

Favorite Character: Miranda

Least Favorite Character: Miranda's Ex

Summary:

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.