Tempestuous: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's The Tempest (Twisted Lit, #1)

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Tempestuous: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's The Tempest (Twisted Lit #1)

by Kim Askew (Goodreads Author), Amy Helmes (Goodreads Author)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 142 ratings · 94 reviews

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 t...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published December 18th 2012 by Merit Press (first published November 18th 2012)

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Jan 20, 2013 Melannie :) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: completely-contemp-challenge-2012, favorites, stand-alone, to-buy-soon, read-2012

SHUT.THE.FRONT.DOOR.
wawawawawawawawa I looooooooved it

Le me is like the Ryan, fully satisfied.

cannot wait to post full review, it was awesome.

CAN I HAVE MOREEEEEEE?!

JANUARY 20TH: FULL REVIEW

So once in a while something totally unexpected happens, like finding a ten-dollar bill on the street or discovering there’s only 2 girls in your class, both of them named Melannie. OR starting a book and loving it from page one, that’s what happen to me while I read Tempestuous, loved it from page 1 ‘till t...more

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May 18, 2013 Jesse Kimmel-Freeman rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great retelling of one of Shakespeare's greats. If you enjoy Shakespeare and modern takes on them, then you'll certainly like this book. It's a quick read too.

I love how Kim and Amy create this great little world for Miranda. The character development is great and you really get to know her. I also loved how they developed the relationship between Miranda and Caleb. When I read a book it is really about the characters and the arcs that they go through. I feel that Kim and Amy did a gre...more

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May 10, 2013 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summary:
This story is supposed to be based off of Shakespeare's The Tempest; however, that is a very loose connection. Miranda has to get a job at the local mall in order to pay for a cheating scam. This job causes a loss in social status for her. She loses her friends, who would rather ignore the hot dog stand girl then hang out with her, and her boyfriend, who decides that Miranda's ex-best friend would be a fitting replacement. The only person that Miranda has now is her super sweet co-worker...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Jaylia3 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book takes its inspiration from Shakespeare's The Tempest, but instead of a storm trapping the characters on an island, a blizzard traps teenager workers and shoppers overnight in a mall leading to all kinds of craziness. One of the trapped teens, Miranda Prospero, has always had a knack for bringing people together and manipulating things (for good, mostly) behind the scenes so a mall lock-down gives her lots of opportunities for fun. Until recently Miranda was a prep school princess, but...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Andrea J rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel is well written, fun, witty, and even has a mystery subplot. It reminded me of a modern day homage to better brat pack movies such as the Breakfast Club - with enough meat to be interesting but not so much that the story gets bogged down.

There are quite a few clever references to the Shakespeare play but you definitely don't need to have read the Tempest to enjoy the novel. Instead, just enjoy the events that happen within a few hours at a local mall when a bunch of kids and security...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Miriam Downey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

Tempestuous is a delightful YA romp based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but the reader doesn’t have to know too much about The Tempest to enjoy Tempestuous. Miranda Prospero is a feisty take-charge type of teenager who through a series of misfortunes is stuck with an after school job at a mall food court in Minneapolis. She is feeling really sorry for herself when she arrives at work on a Saturday evening. The weather service has...more Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...

Tempestuous is a delightful YA romp based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, but the reader doesn’t have to know too much about The Tempest to enjoy Tempestuous. Miranda Prospero is a feisty take-charge type of teenager who through a series of misfortunes is stuck with an after school job at a mall food court in Minneapolis. She is feeling really sorry for herself when she arrives at work on a Saturday evening. The weather service has issued blizzard warnings, and Miranda knows that business will be slow. A student at an elite private high school, Miranda thinks that she is way better than all of the other public high school kids who work in the mall, including Ariel, a sweet girl sharing the shift with her. The other kids think she is as snooty as she thinks they are low lives.

The storm quickly causes the customers to empty out of the mall; the roads are closed, and some kids from Miranda's school as well as most of the workers are left stuck in the mall—shipwrecked as it were. But they are not alone; a masked robber is emptying the stores of their merchandise. Whoever he is poses a threat to the kids. Using all their resourcefulness, the mall kids entertain themselves, form new relationships, and thwart the robber. All’s well that ends well! (Oh, wait! That’s a different play!)

I had to go back and read a summary of The Tempest. It had been a lot of years since I had seen a production of the play. The authors have used quotes to title the chapters, which is a nice touch. The characters in the book have similar names to the characters in the play. However, the father, who figures so prominently in the play, has no presence in the novel. Like most YA novels, parents and other adults play a small role in the action. There is a lot of humor, a bit of romance, a bit of mystery, and a lot of resourcefulness—all hallmarks of a good YA novel. Like all feisty heroines, Miranda is glib and a bit smart mouthed. She is also capable of change, which makes her a very appealing character to young readers. A teenage blogger wrote a delightful review of the book and gave it an A+--high praise indeed.

I especially appreciated that there was minimal bloodshed and minimal sex, making it appropriate for the younger end of the YA spectrum. A librarian or bookseller could feel confident putting it into the hands of a 12- or 13-year-old girl, yet it was clever enough that an older teenager (or even an old lady like me) could have a good time reading it. I plan to give it to my granddaughters. I think they will like it.
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Jan 16, 2013 LaQuita (Just Us Girls) rated it 5 of 5 stars

There's just something about the stories that just make me think about my teenage years. I got to read, Temmpestuous over the Holidays and I have to say I really enjoyed it. When I first started reading I have to admit it took me a bit to get into it. I guess that happens with most books. After the first chapter I couldn't put the book down. I thought it was a great start to the first book of the Twisted series. Huge Shakespeare fan over here.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Miranda and...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Kwinks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Confession: The Tempest is one of my LEAST favorite Shakespeare plays. Also: I worked in two different malls when I was a teen. And that is why I really, really enjoyed this novel. I also thought the mall was at its most appealing before and after the customers were present, and the staff at many of the stores do tend to form friendly bonds. Here we have mall employees and several last minute customers stuck in a mall in the middle of a blizzard but the is much going on behind the scenes. Old ri...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

TEMPESTUOUS is the first book in the Twisted Lit series, modern interpretations of Shakespeare's plays by young adult debut authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes, edited by bestseller Jacquelyn Mitchard. TEMPESTUOUS is a very loose re-imagining of The Tempest. There is a character named Miranda, in a sort of exile, and one named Ariel, sort of trapped by her guardian, and the characters are removed from civilization due to a storm. But in TEMPESTUOUS they're stuck in the mall by a fierce blizzard.

(An...more TEMPESTUOUS is the first book in the Twisted Lit series, modern interpretations of Shakespeare's plays by young adult debut authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes, edited by bestseller Jacquelyn Mitchard. TEMPESTUOUS is a very loose re-imagining of The Tempest. There is a character named Miranda, in a sort of exile, and one named Ariel, sort of trapped by her guardian, and the characters are removed from civilization due to a storm. But in TEMPESTUOUS they're stuck in the mall by a fierce blizzard.

(And yes, I did believe the mall would be open. Mostly because I've worked in a mall during a tropical storm. The store's only concession to the inclement weather was putting more umbrellas and galoshes on the floor since they were more likely to be sold.)

Miranda is working at the name-changed-for-fiction Hot Dog on a Stick in order to earn back the money she owes her fancy private school due to a tutoring scheme that went horribly awry. Unfortunately the snow traps her with her ex-boyfriend and ex-friends as well as her coworkers. She likes some of them, like Ariel, a sweet, goofy girl who happens to be celebrating her birthday. Others, like sarcastic Caleb, she isn't too big on. She and him just too alike to immediately become friends.

That would be enough set up for drama, but Askew and Helmes throw another wrench in the works. The teens are trapped in the mall with an armed robber. I kind of liked that it took awhile for the danger to sink in. Everyone assumes the guy already left, plus there's an entire mall to play with! It's not until someone gets hurt that Miranda turns her full attention to catching the thief.

I thought TEMPESTUOUS was a great deal of fun. It's a short novel, less than two hundred pages, so there isn't a lot of padding. I liked how the mystery and romance were balanced - there's enough flirting and interaction to make it believable, but it's the mystery that drives the plot and takes most of the characters' focus. I also liked that Askew and Helmes managed a great deal of characterization - even mean girls Britney and Whitney get some vulnerable moments. Miranda herself can be overbearing and too quick to resort to manipulation, but she can come up with a good plan on the fly and she has a knack for leadership.

TEMPESTUOUS may not be Shakespeare, but that's not a bad thing. (Don't worry Shakespeare geeks, there are plenty of allusions to keep you engaged with the Bard.) What it is is a quick, appealing read full of teen drama, a bit of action, a hint of danger, a dash of romance, and a couple of epic pranks. I liked it so much that I started reading EXPOSURE, the second Twisted Lit title, as soon as I finished.(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Liz Winn rated it 3 of 5 stars

For Miranda Prospero, a former member of Eastern Prep’s elite “in-crowd,” life has become boring, but not exactly unbearable. Just recently, the school administration discovered that she and her friends were running a secret matchmaking service that paired up geeks and the academically challenged cool kids (for a price). In order to save their own skins, her (soon to be) ex-beau and friends produced Miranda as the ringleader of the operation. Ordered by the school to pay back all the money she's...more For Miranda Prospero, a former member of Eastern Prep’s elite “in-crowd,” life has become boring, but not exactly unbearable. Just recently, the school administration discovered that she and her friends were running a secret matchmaking service that paired up geeks and the academically challenged cool kids (for a price). In order to save their own skins, her (soon to be) ex-beau and friends produced Miranda as the ringleader of the operation. Ordered by the school to pay back all the money she's earned from her well-meaning operation, she now finds herself sentenced to minimum-wage labor at a greasy hotdog stand at the local mall.

But at least she’s managed to make some friends her own age there. There’s Ariel, her sweet, cheerful manager/co-worker; Colin, a waiter who works in the hell that is Cheeze Monkey Pizzeria (think Chuck E. Cheezy’s); and Caleb, a brooding, infuriating, yet attractive game-store employee. Shortly after the story’s beginning, Miranda, her new friends, and a handful of other teens (including her now ex-boyfriend and a few treacherous Eastern Prep classmates) get snowed in by a massive blizzard. Since Miranda had planned to throw a surprise birthday party for Ariel, she and her friends unleash the festivities in the mall—as well as take vengeance on her former in-crowd compatriots by increasingly juvenile means: trapping one girl with rabbit-phobia in an elevator with one of the pet store bunnies; assigning Ariel to lure a few “mean girls” into the mall beauty salon and give them bad makeovers, etc. The fun turns dangerous once they realize that a dangerous assailant is trapped in the mall with them—one who steals mall merchandise, then retaliates with violent force against whoever crosses his path.

Tempestuous, the first book in a series that plans to focus on putting a “modern-day spin” on Shakespearean literature, centers on the comedic play The Tempest. For those who haven’t read it, Tempest takes place on an enchanted island where Prospero, the bookish, exiled Duke of Milan, now spends his time dabbling in magic. His only companions are his daughter, Miranda; Ariel, his faithful spirit-servant; and Caliban, the crafty, deformed monster-servant intent on betraying him and claiming the island for himself. When a ship carrying the makers of his social undoing—Alonso, king of Naples; Duke Antonio, Prospero’s usurper brother, and others—comes within distance of his island home, Prospero decides that he wants revenge and creates a storm to shipwreck everyone on the island. He then spends the rest of the story leading the castaways through a series of tests to call them out on their past transgressions, leading them to see the error of their ways. He then gets his old job back, and he even manages to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the king’s son, Ferdinand.

Twisted Lit’s Tempestuous proves to be a very faithful, if at times, somewhat problematic interpretation of the Bard’s work. In this updated version the authors have combined Prospero, the original magician, and his daughter Miranda to make the story’s hero young and female. Like her literary component, the YA novel’s heroine “works magic” by matchmaking, manipulating situations to her liking, and punishing her enemies—though in her case, it seems like each prank is carried out in a fit of mean-spirited vengeance against deliberately unlikeable villains rather than with the well-meaning spirit of the Bard’s comedy. This isn't to say that Miranda herself doesn't gain some sense of humility in the end, however. As she sheepishly admits, following the conclusion of her adventures: “...justice [is] always preferable to petty revenge” (169).

Knowledge of the origin material gives the story’s somewhat silly and extravagant antics a degree of credibility, though taken as an original standalone piece, readers more interested in "reality-based" fiction may call their suspension of disbelief into question. But, now that I think about it, I can't really image many teens interested in anything remotely "reality-based."

Who will enjoy it? I think I can safely say that this book will appeal to shy, young loner-types who feel they don’t fit in, who enjoy a light read on occasion, and who love seeing snooty popular kids reduced to caricatures. Reading The Tempest isn’t required to get the overall gist of the story, but as a former English major, I can't resist urging those unacquainted with the Bard to rent a copy of it (Julie Taymor recently produced a PG-13 version in 2010, shown here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1274300/). Recommended for Ages 15-17 for Language.(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Viviane Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Miranda Prospero, a once upon a time very popular teen, is working in a corn dog fast food stand to pay off her punishment fine. What’s the deal? It turns out Miranda was the dupe of a shyster teen who put together a group of geeks who would write essays for other students and in another incident arrange to have others take the SAT. Fake IDs, etc. were eventually discovered and the scam turned into a criminal event, with Miranda taking the heat for all of it.
So here she is in a greasy dump whic...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This is the first book ever I’ve read written by these two gifted authors and I must admit I’m uber impressed! If you’re a fan of rom-coms, you’ll undoubtedly adore this book. It’s one of those feel-good books which you read while smiling the whole time. You can just imagine the chaos that would ensue if a bunch of high school kids is locked unattended in a mall overnight and have the run of the place, right? I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun this book was, but be prepared to laugh til...more This is the first book ever I’ve read written by these two gifted authors and I must admit I’m uber impressed! If you’re a fan of rom-coms, you’ll undoubtedly adore this book. It’s one of those feel-good books which you read while smiling the whole time. You can just imagine the chaos that would ensue if a bunch of high school kids is locked unattended in a mall overnight and have the run of the place, right? I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun this book was, but be prepared to laugh till you cry, wipe away a tear or two, and be touched by a story which you simply won’t be able to put down.

Whilst reading the prologue, my curiosity levels skyrocketed. What extraordinary saga of events took place in one short night as to have two characters – who clearly can’t stand each other – end up handcuffed together in a storeroom from which they can’t escape? The answer? Let’s just say, I was completely taken by surprise.

One of the most important elements that always determines whether I enjoy a book or not, is how the characters are presented to the reader and how much they are developed, if any. On this point alone, “Tempestuous” scores ten out of ten, as main- and secondary role players all received a significant amount of attention and it was clear to me that the authors put a lot of effort into establishing that connection between characters and the reader. The main character, Miranda, is the sort of character most young people today will easily relate to. She’s hip, sassy, feisty, and genuine. Despite her character and most of the supporting cast being carbon copies of characters in your average high-school teen flick, I still really liked her as she also had a naturalness and maturity about her. Though Miranda’s the star of the show, other role players who also found a spot in my heart were Caleb – with his Nicholas Cage-like broodiness; Ariel – a trusting, naïve, little ball of energy; Raj and his tech-savvy crew; and a boatload of memorable secondary characters.

Using the show-don’t-tell formula, and clever dialogue, the authors effortlessly draw the reader smack-dab into the middle of the action and drama, and trust me, there’s not one dull moment in this story with Miranda and her band of misfits’ antics in her plans for revenge. The plot is well thought out and moves at a breakneck pace, building up to an exciting and heartfelt conclusion which leaves you wanting more. Even though “Tempestuous” is a fun read, there’s depth to this story and I walked away feeling that I’ve had a truly magnificent reading experience and wishing it didn’t have to end so soon. Miranda’s fall from grace, and her subsequent journey to self-discovery of the person she truly is at her core, was written in a deeply touching way. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading the next Twisted Lit novel, and am gladly giving this superb book two thumbs up!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tempestuous
by
Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

My " in a nutshell" summary...

Miranda...schemer and creative thinker...has schemed herself into a punishment so horrible she can almost not bear it...she sells hot dogs at a fast food court at her local mall.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Hmm...a mall lock down due to a huge snow storm, sweet Geeky boys, Nerdy gamers, a home schooled new besty, mean girls, an ex boyfriend, a boy band impromptu concert, glitter and glue filled baggie warfare...are just...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site, received-for-review

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

Tempestuous had all of the key elements of a good romantic comedy--meaning that it was really cute and all, but it would never happen in real life. The ending was a bit too perfect, and the characters were a bit too cliche. But in spite of that, I still enjoyed it.

It was a good read, because it took my mind away from all the books I've been reading lately--all dealing with rough issues and hard lives. But this cut me a break from all that--sort o...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Caragh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tempestuous is due to be released on 18th December. This is an early review.

This review can also be found at: http://loadedshelves.blogspot.co.uk/2...

As a fan of both YA and Shakespeare, Tempestuous is exactly my kinda thing. Tempestuous, based loosely on Shakespeare's The Tempest was full of references to other Shakespeare plays too, along with Jane Austen and modern crazes such as Words With Friends. Some may dislike what seems to be a barrage of 'names and labels' but I loved it. It really ad...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Miranda has always had the best money can buy, the most popular boy in school as her boyfriend and a clique of other wealthy friends. When she is given a deep punishment for running a website cheating scam, she has to get a job in the mall at a hot dog stand in the food court. The hats are bad enough, but seeing her friends come to the mall and give her the cold shoulder is worse. Not to mention her ex-boyfriend who is now dating her ex-best friend.

Ariel is her co-worker, a bubbly home schooled...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Miranda has been exiled to get a job. As if things could not be bad enough, the only jobs left at the mall was working in the food court. Miranda has a uniform that includes a hat with a spinning hot dog. Luckily, Miranda’s co-worker, Ariel is cool. However Miranda blames her ex-boyfriend, Brian and his new girlfriend, Rachel for her predicament.

Fortunately for Miranda she only has a few hours until her shift is over. As Miranda’s bad luck would have it a storm blows in and traps her and her en...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Sarah *Saranghae yo* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-ya

With a book title like Tempestuous, I was expecting something otherworldly, strange. What you get is actually a fun, enjoyable story about a group of teens stuck in the mall after a blizzard traps them in. No regrets/disappointment here. The story has more depth than that though, as we see -finally some development in the characters maturity, which is done well. I felt for the main character , despite her ex- status and how she came to her downfall. If you're looking for a fun, light, enjoyable...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Kristy Sartain- Whispering Pretty Stories Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

"The ability for anyone in our generation to self-amuse has sadly been bred out of our species".

One of the funniest lines I've ever read in a YA book.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I started reading this novel. I had already forgotten the abstract and the title and cover didn't do much to revive my memory. I will most definitely purchase this book for my library when it comes out. It is one of the funniest, wittiest YA books I've ever read.

Miranda is a smart, sassy, conniving (in...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Ariel Avalon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, 2012-challenge, 5-stars, based-on, relationships, reviewed

Read this and other reviews at my blog.

Thank you Netgalley for providing my advance copy.

After being roped into the greatest cheating scandal her prep school had ever seen, Miranda is forced to take a job at Hot-Dog Kabob in the mall as a way to repay her "debt to society" for her involvement. Banished and ridiculed, unfairly, by her classmates, Miranda struggles to maintain her dignity in her low-wage, highly embarrassing job. When the biggest snow storm of the season traps the mall workers and...more Read this and other reviews at my blog.

Thank you Netgalley for providing my advance copy.

After being roped into the greatest cheating scandal her prep school had ever seen, Miranda is forced to take a job at Hot-Dog Kabob in the mall as a way to repay her "debt to society" for her involvement. Banished and ridiculed, unfairly, by her classmates, Miranda struggles to maintain her dignity in her low-wage, highly embarrassing job. When the biggest snow storm of the season traps the mall workers and last-minute shoppers in the mall overnight, Miranda decides to use her charm and cleverness to get back at her former best friends, the ones who had shoved the blame of the scandal on her shoulders. With the help over her over-zealous coworker, Ariel, and the cute loner, Caleb, from the video game store, she gets her revenge and discovers a lot about herself in the process.

This was super cute. I should let it be known that I haven't read The Tempest since I was about nine and I honestly don't remember it at all. Not being familiar with the original tale, will not hurt this story for you. I wasn't able to see how many nods there might have been to the original story, but it didn't feel lacking to me at all.

Miranda is a great character. She is a great planner, and people seem to rely on her to solve their problems. She does get sick of being everyone's go-to girl for their problems, but at the same time, she relishes the attention. It was great to watch her realize who her real friends were, and get over her anger as the night went on. Caleb is a great male lead. He is sullen and cynical and just makes for a great companion to Miranda. They are so ridiculously perfect for one another that it just makes their interactions that much better to watch. Ariel is the cutest friend. She is not one to be underestimated either. The characters were really good, and they had a lot of fun throughout the night. It made for great entertainment.

The plot was cute and simple. It had underlying things that needed handled, but a lot of the book felt really random. In any other story, that wouldn't work, but it totally worked here. It was a lot of fun to see their adventures through the night play out. The one thing that was a recurring issue in the book that wasn't mentioned in the summary is that there is a shop-lifter locked into the mall with them. They spend the night getting increasingly more worried about it until they realize who it is. The danger element was there, but it was done in a way to not be a killjoy. This book wasn't meant to be a mystery, so it turning into one would've been really unsettling.

This story was short, easy to read, and hard not to love. This is definitely a series that I plan to keep my eye on. I can't wait till this one is released so I can buy it for my book shelf. I recommend it to everyone.(less)

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Jan 17, 2013 Bailee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, young-adult

I love when people take older books -- classics -- and modernize them. It definitely isn't an easy task to redevelop a well-known plot to make it original while still holding true to the main plot points. There is no doubt in my mind that I basically don't have the patience required to do something like that.

Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes is a retelling of sorts of Shakespeare's The Tempest. The basic plot, if you remove all of the details and ignore the modern take on it, remains true...more I love when people take older books -- classics -- and modernize them. It definitely isn't an easy task to redevelop a well-known plot to make it original while still holding true to the main plot points. There is no doubt in my mind that I basically don't have the patience required to do something like that.

Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes is a retelling of sorts of Shakespeare's The Tempest. The basic plot, if you remove all of the details and ignore the modern take on it, remains true to the namesake of the story. If that makes any sense. It tells the story of Miranda, a once well respected and popular girl turned social pariah, as she deals with her new social status and her desire to make certain people pay for what they've done to her. Everything seems to fall into place when she along with all of the group of misfits are trapped in the mall with those she wants to enact revenge upon. Brian, Rachel, Britney, and Whitney. If only everything was that simple.

Miranda takes the helm of this story with fiery dialogue and a superior attitude that turns out to be a defense mechanism. She is constantly in everyone's business whether to be helpful or to hinder. It's funny though because in spite of all her flaws, I had no difficulties connecting with her. If someone were to approach me and explain Miranda to me, I would have no interest in reading the story but she is so much more than that. She has a tough exterior, an act that she needs to put up to protect herself from harm, yet she is also a complete softy when it comes to people throughout the story. There is something very real about her and her attitude although I can't really explain what it is. I have nothing in common with her and yet I loved her.

I loved the rag-tag group of misfits that encompassed the mall but I think it would be hard not to love them. You would think that with all the different characters and the battling personalities that it would be easy to forget a character. They stick with you and there is no forgetting any of them even by the end of the novel. I just enjoyed the fact that instead of focusing on a few characters and giving them greater emphasis than all the others, they all had some sort of part to play. No one fell into the background. And let's just cover this one thing, this was the perfect size for a cast of characters but if you were going to throw anymore into the mix, it would've gotten a little confusing.

Ariel, the greatest misfit of all, filled the void left by Miranda and the two characters meshed together perfectly. Those two had the sort of friendship that a lot of people search for all the time. She wasn't afraid to call Miranda out when she was being a little to self-involved or any selfish stuff like that. She was also the most innocent, lovable, happy, and surprising character in all the story. Ariel is the type of person you are friends with just to talk to her and have her call you out on everything you do. The side plot of romance for Ariel was fun because then it wasn't so focused on Miranda.

Caleb was a good love interest. He wasn't totally fangirl worthy but he was pretty cool. I could see myself being friends with a guy like him. The romance didn't really instill a deep need to see what happened between them. It was a comfortable relationship that would've been cool to follow, yet I don't feel like I would miss all that much. Don't get me wrong! I just didn't have that urge to pull Caleb from the page and make him my boyfriend.

Overall, it was an awesome read. It was well-rounded. Honestly, it's a great short read (is it sad that 224 pages is a short read for me?). Definitely worth checking out.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic read! Fast-paced with unexpected turns along the way! Imagine being removed from the top echelon of the popular group or rather being kicked-off, banished to work at a hotdog stand to fulfill some of your punishment, then getting snowed-in at the mall with your ex-friends and a thief on the loose. What a great premise for a great story! Miranda is a problem-fixer, everyone who works in the food court comes to her with their problems and somehow she is able to fix them and make everyt...more

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Apr 11, 2013 K. Bird rated it 3 of 5 stars

This one was not quite to my taste. True, it had over-the-top witty, media-referencing banter, massive Shakespeare allusion, and a heroine who learns the hard lesson of not judging people by outward appearance.

Miranda and her merry band of foodcourt workers are trapped with the popular gang in the mall one night when a snowstorm closes down everything. With only an ineffectual mall cop to chaperone, the kids go a big crazy.

The popular gang take over various stores, they borrow willy nilly from d...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really, really wish I had read Tempest at some point during school. I do have a book of all of Shakespeare's works though so I might have to do that when I find time. The reason I say that, is I feel like it would of been nice to be able to draw some lines between Tempest and Tempestuous. I haven't read that many retelling's of classics works so I don't really know exactly what to look for.

Even without having read Tempest, I feel like Tempestuous was a really enjoyable book which is great. Bec...more I really, really wish I had read Tempest at some point during school. I do have a book of all of Shakespeare's works though so I might have to do that when I find time. The reason I say that, is I feel like it would of been nice to be able to draw some lines between Tempest and Tempestuous. I haven't read that many retelling's of classics works so I don't really know exactly what to look for.

Even without having read Tempest, I feel like Tempestuous was a really enjoyable book which is great. Because that means if you're like me, and can't draw any connections between the two it should still really be enjoyable for you. I really loved the concept of it all though, it make me what ideas from the original story Kim and Amy modernized in their book. It's really an extremely hilarious book, I found myself laughing quite a bit with all the humor.

Along with the humor, there is also a lot of other things I loved about this book. One of them being the vast amount of references in the book. There are SO many of them, I remember seeing Harry Potter come up, Charlotte's Web, SNL and so many others. I don't really think I have seen so many references to things in one book before, but I honestly loved it. It was fun to see all the little things pop up throughout the story. And there was pretty much always some fun dialogue that went along with them.

The characters are another reason I wish I had some knowledge of the actual story. To be able to figure out who they were all suppose to represent, and if the good and bad relationships between them really related to the relationships of some of the characters in the original story. However, in the case of Tempestuous I really loved the characters. There are a good mix of characters in this book too, some you will love. And some you will love to hate. Miranda is an outstanding main character, she is actually the one that brings most of the awesome humor to the book. I think that all the characters were really well done though, even the ones I didn't like.

I don't think there is anything stopping you from enjoying this book. You don't have to have any knowledge of the story it is based off of. I am not even really sure how closely it ties into it, although I am sure there are quite a few tie ins that people will spot if they have read Tempest. If this book sounds interesting to you though, I would highly suggest picking it up and giving it a shot. I thought it was extremely enjoyable, and I am sure I will be reading more books from this series in the future.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Ramie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, ya

So the idea behind the "Twisted Lit" series is this: take Shakespeare's stories and twist them all up until they're modern young adult versions. I'd say in reality, it's more like "blender lit" or "recipe lit" - in this case take 1 part Shakespeare, 1 part John Hughes movie, 1 part breaking news nightmare true crime story and mix it all up. Some people would see this as an insult but I think it worked though it did feel a little cliched.

Basically it can be summed up as this: Miranda was one of t...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Kelly Sierra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, crime, high-school-realistic, mystery, real-fic, romance, to-review

Thanks, NetGalley!

“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....more Thanks, NetGalley!

“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.”—Goodreads.com

Tempestuous: A Modern Day Spin on Shakespeare’s The Tempest by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes is the first book in this duo’s book series Twisted Lit. In my years of schooling, specifically my college years, I have encountered Mr. Shakespeare on numerous occasions. Even when we are not looking, references or even similarities of his work jump up at us in other works of literature. It never gets old to read the line “Something wicked this way comes…” no matter how many stories incorporate it. Twisted Lit is not the answer to all the teenagers in the world assigned a Shakespearean play. It is not your No Fear Shakespeare, that’s for sure; however, Twisted Lit is fun! There are similarities with the plays and also the undercurrent themes are still there, just not as visible as you might think. Askew and Helmes have been able to interweave the themes in Shakespeare’s plays with the ever so melodramatic happenings of teenagers.

I am not going to sit here and bash the two authors for not keeping everything the same, what for? Nowhere did I get the impression that they were trying to do a real life remake of the plays. I do have to say that when I was reading this book I had the same giddiness as watching movies like Mall Rats or any 80s movie that had a group of teenagers with no parental units around that could do whatever they wanted for the night or weekend. It was a fun quick read with hilarious moments, delivered by Ariel a lot of the times. I have to say that The Tempest is not my favorite play, only the Wishbone version, really; however, this version was pretty cool and surprisingly fun. I suggest following Miranda and her band of misfits in this hilarious first book in the Twisted Lit Series.
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Nov 29, 2012 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Miranda Prospero has always had the best ideas. But her latest one, to start a tutoring hook-up service, has blown up in her face, after evolving into a major cheating ring. Now she's stuck paying restitution working a crappy job at the mall and all of her ex-friends, along with her slimy ex-boyfriend, are going on the school trip skiing trip without her. But when she is stuck at the mall on the night before the trip with the aforementioned classmates and various co-workers because of a blizzard...more Miranda Prospero has always had the best ideas. But her latest one, to start a tutoring hook-up service, has blown up in her face, after evolving into a major cheating ring. Now she's stuck paying restitution working a crappy job at the mall and all of her ex-friends, along with her slimy ex-boyfriend, are going on the school trip skiing trip without her. But when she is stuck at the mall on the night before the trip with the aforementioned classmates and various co-workers because of a blizzard, things begin to get really interesting. This time her rich, stuck-up classmates have gone too far. And it's time for Miranda and her downtrodden mall friends to get revenge. Though how this involved Miranda and smoldering, sharp-tongued Caleb being hand-cuffed together, she has no clue. Also, none of them counted on a burglar being trapped inside the mall with them. Things have the potential to turn deadly at any second, but that isn't going to stop Miranda and her co-worker Ariel from having plenty of fun while they can. This book was lots of fun. It was a cross between The Tempest, of which it claims to be a retelling, Emma and Pride and Prejudice. I loved Miranda's revenge schemes and her elaborate plans for everyone to have a good time. I don't want to give anything away, but there were glitter bombs! :) I also enjoyed the subplot with the burglar, because it added an undercurrent of danger and suspense that gave the book something extra and a little more substantial. Caleb and Miranda's relationship didn't seem at all believeable to me as a reader, but it was cute in a Mr. Knightley and Emma sort of way. Ariel was the one who seemed to develop the most over the course of the novel. This book won't change the world and it was about as substantial as cotton candy - but it was so much fun and well-written enough that I found myself not caring at all. I want to say that Miranda learned her lesson, but in reality she was mostly unchanged, just less snobbish at the end. Overall, a fun book and I highly recommend it for those who like to laugh and enjoy a good fluffy teen romance.

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is December 18th, 2012.*(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Dia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read this review at Book Junkie Joint.

Definitely a pure delight!

This story involves one cold night, one mall, a couple of minimum-wage earning employees with different strengths, add in the former friends, plus the infidel ex-boyfriend, a mysterious burglar, one very smart mastermind, a glitter bomb blitzkrieg, an impromptu rock concert, not to mention several revenge plots involving guerrilla tactics, and a whole lot of randomly chaotic events which only fall into places at the last minute.

Whil...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Dianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action-and-adventure, coming-of-age, humor, netgalley, own, peer-abuse, personal-growth, revenge, strong-female-characters, ya, ya-romance

Remember high school? Remember being (or seeing someone else be) the brunt of scorn, going from the top of the food chain to the the social equivalent of the plague? Did the opportunity ever present itself to get revenge? Did you have the guts to take it?

Miranda is a fallen A-Lister at her private school. She had it all, the guy, the brains, the clique. It all came crashing down, big time and she is required to get a job (horrors!) in a mall food court to re-pay her debts. Top it off with the st...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Angelc rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-own-read

This book was adorable and so much fun! I can see it being made into a great teen movie! It actually reminded me of another movie set in a mall, think "Paul Blart Mall Cop" if the mall were run by teenagers with no adults.

The book was complete read on its own, but I do feel like I was missing out because I have never read or seen "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare, the work that this book is based upon. I tried to find some info about the play online but I really couldn't come up with that man...more

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Making Connection...: ARR # 111 - TEMPESTUOUS by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes	36	61	Feb 06, 2013 08:12am
Addicted to YA: Giveaway of Signed Shakespeare-Inspired YA Novel TEMPSESTUOUS	1	8	Oct 12, 2012 05:01pm
♥!The Young Adult...: The Twisted Lit Series	1	5	Oct 07, 2012 04:40pm
♥!The Young Adult...: How Well Do You Know Your Shakespeare Quiz	1	14	Oct 07, 2012 04:33pm

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About Kim Askew

Kim has been in love with Shakespeare's plays since middle school (and she's even dated several Hamlet-types). Her mom is thrilled that Kim is finally putting her BA in Renaissance Lit to good use.

A contributor to the anthology The May Queen, Kim's writing has appeared in literary journals and other publications, including the SoMa Literary Review, Kitchen Sink, and Elle Magazine. She is currentl...more

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Exposure: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's Macbeth (Twisted Lit, #2)

The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work, and Pulling It All Together in Your 30s

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“Remind me why I'm doing this again?" I whispered back.
"For your real friends, of course: Me, Caleb, and Chad."
"That's sweet of you to say, but I'm not sure we're all friends. Mr. Darcy over here," I indicated Caleb with a nod, "finds me barely tolerable.” — 3 people liked it

“Where are you taking me?” he asked.
“To Got Games for a pair of those trick handcuffs,” I said. “I’m not letting you get away so easy this time.” — 1 person liked it

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Tempestuous: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's The Tempest (Twisted Lit #1)

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