Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spi...
read full description
reviews
Feb 22, 2012
Sandeelovesbooks
rated it: 
Falling for Hamlet is a retelling of a Shakespearean play. I would ask you guys to guess but I think it’s pretty obvious already. Hehehe. It’s a modern day retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I honestly haven’t read that yet so I can’t really say how close or how far Ms. Ray was with the original work. But maybe it was for the
Anyways, Falling for Hamlet is one of those books that would stick to you because it was unique. It was a retelling yes but it was done in a good way. Also, I w More...
Anyways, Falling for Hamlet is one of those books that would stick to you because it was unique. It was a retelling yes but it was done in a good way. Also, I w More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Dec 02, 2011
Lawral
rated it: 
Let me start by saying that you should not judge this book by its cover. Or by its opening lines:
"Frailty, thy name is woman." - William Shakespeare
"Willy, thy name is sexism." - Ophelia
Don't get me wrong, both have very much to do with the story (other than Hamlet's hair color on the cover), but they really make this look like a much lighter, funnier, beach read kind of book than it really is. I mean, really, how would one make an adaption of More...
"Frailty, thy name is woman." - William Shakespeare
"Willy, thy name is sexism." - Ophelia
Don't get me wrong, both have very much to do with the story (other than Hamlet's hair color on the cover), but they really make this look like a much lighter, funnier, beach read kind of book than it really is. I mean, really, how would one make an adaption of More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Dec 28, 2011
Snorkle
rated it: 
What's the one word that I had ringing through my head after I read this book?
Disturbing.
I did not like the ending. I didn't like the way people behaved. I didn't like the violence. I didn't like the romance between Ophelia and Hamlet. Basically, there were a lot of things I wished had been different.
The first part of this book was a completely different pace than the second half, which seemed to whip by. I thought there was too of the crazy relationship between Oph More...
Disturbing.
I did not like the ending. I didn't like the way people behaved. I didn't like the violence. I didn't like the romance between Ophelia and Hamlet. Basically, there were a lot of things I wished had been different.
The first part of this book was a completely different pace than the second half, which seemed to whip by. I thought there was too of the crazy relationship between Oph More...
3 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jun 20, 2011
Ashley
rated it: 
I was not sure if I would really like this book. I am generally not a romance reader, or a Shakespeare revisiter. However I am a big fan of Hamlet and this book really intrigued me. The book is set up with alternating chapter headers that focus on investigations by the FBI equivalent in Denmark, and Ophelia being interviewed by a talk show host about the incident that is slowly unfolding. These interludes really kept me reading, I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Ophelia, especi
More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Jan 13, 2012
Rachael
rated it:
Ophelia never meant for things to get so out of hand, but maybe that’s just what happens when you’re a girl in her position: Prince Hamlet of Denmark’s girlfriend. As the daughter of an important member of the royal staff, Ophelia grew up in the castle alongside Hamlet, though it wasn’t until more recent years that their close friendship turned into something more. Ophelia would be the first to admit that dating royalty is tough. Not only are they followed around by the paparazzi everywhere they
More...
Dec 14, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
So I’ve never read Hamlet, so this review may come a little short. On the upside,
Falling for Hamlet had inspired me to read the actual play for Classic Tuesdays. And I will. Sometime.
Falling for Hamlet started slow but picked up fast. I was
along for the ride. Ophelia really interested me; I loved her spunk
and appreciated her devotion to Hamlet. As I haven’t read the play, I enjoyed the surprises and turns of the story and didn’t see any of them coming. besides the King’s d More...
Falling for Hamlet had inspired me to read the actual play for Classic Tuesdays. And I will. Sometime.
Falling for Hamlet started slow but picked up fast. I was
along for the ride. Ophelia really interested me; I loved her spunk
and appreciated her devotion to Hamlet. As I haven’t read the play, I enjoyed the surprises and turns of the story and didn’t see any of them coming. besides the King’s d More...
Sep 10, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy.com...
First Impressions: I have a small confession to make. I’m a huge Shakespeare nut and proud of it. So many people don’t understand or dislike Shakespeare. I’ve never understood why. Yes, the writing style takes some getting used to, but once you understand one play well, all of the others come easily. When I say that I’m a Shakespeare nut, it doesn’t just mean I’ve read his works. I’ve read ALL his works at least once More...
First Impressions: I have a small confession to make. I’m a huge Shakespeare nut and proud of it. So many people don’t understand or dislike Shakespeare. I’ve never understood why. Yes, the writing style takes some getting used to, but once you understand one play well, all of the others come easily. When I say that I’m a Shakespeare nut, it doesn’t just mean I’ve read his works. I’ve read ALL his works at least once More...
0 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Sep 06, 2011
Emma
rated it:
I guess my problem with this retelling is that it's exactly that: a retelling.
The author, Michelle Ray, did a decent job of transferring the entire story of Hamlet into modern day times, but I feel that that's all she really did: transfer. She didn't add or invent or elaborate, she just changed moved it up in time 400 years.
There were two things changed, total: 1) Ophelia is alive and 2) she and Hamlet have had sex.
As for the rest... it's all Hamlet, just in More...
The author, Michelle Ray, did a decent job of transferring the entire story of Hamlet into modern day times, but I feel that that's all she really did: transfer. She didn't add or invent or elaborate, she just changed moved it up in time 400 years.
There were two things changed, total: 1) Ophelia is alive and 2) she and Hamlet have had sex.
As for the rest... it's all Hamlet, just in More...
Aug 19, 2011
Pam
rated it:
http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/2011/...
Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well…
In Shakespeare’s famous graveyard scene, Hamlet, our young and depressed Danish prince, takes up the skull of the deceased court jester to say the above quote. I couldn’t think of a better line to use, leading in to my review of Michelle Ray’s Falling for Hamlet. The book wasn’t horrible but the humor, like the famed court jester, was sadly dead. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Hamlet is a trage More...
Alas poor Yorick, I knew him well…
In Shakespeare’s famous graveyard scene, Hamlet, our young and depressed Danish prince, takes up the skull of the deceased court jester to say the above quote. I couldn’t think of a better line to use, leading in to my review of Michelle Ray’s Falling for Hamlet. The book wasn’t horrible but the humor, like the famed court jester, was sadly dead. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Hamlet is a trage More...
Jun 27, 2011
Lily
rated it:
THIS IS A 2011 DEBUT!!!
Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, More...
Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, More...
May 27, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
I have to admit that I have never read Hamlet before (I know....gasp right?). In high school I had to read King Lear and after that I never wanted to read Shakespear again! So, it was with great fear and tripidation that I picked this book up!
I LOVED it! Ophelia was a very realistic character! She was strong and yet she loved Hamlet so much that she would almost do anything for him. There were times when I thought she was a little dumb but hey, aren't we all when it comes to More...
I LOVED it! Ophelia was a very realistic character! She was strong and yet she loved Hamlet so much that she would almost do anything for him. There were times when I thought she was a little dumb but hey, aren't we all when it comes to More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Aug 30, 2011
Christy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jul 01, 2011
Courtney
rated it:
Full disclosure time: I love Shakespeare and anything Shakespeare-related, which includes adaptations. I'm a sucker for a really good adaptation of one of my favorite plays. Now that that's been said, I've gotta say that this particular adaptation of Hamlet was one of the better ones I've read, but by no means the best. There quite a few things that I really liked about the book: Ophelia lives (!) and she's got considerably more, um, character (for lack of a better word) than she does in th
More...
Dec 19, 2011
Mark
rated it:
"He leaned back and closed his eyes, his voice distant. 'Is it better to suffer through life, to deal with all the crap thrown at you, or to fight against your problems by ending your life? To die is to sleep. That's all. And by sleeping, we escape everything that tortures us. That's the dream, then, isn't it? The perfection of nothingness.'"
Ophelia seems to have it all - a romance with the Prince of Denmark, an apartment in the royal palace, and all the adoration the public More...
Ophelia seems to have it all - a romance with the Prince of Denmark, an apartment in the royal palace, and all the adoration the public More...
Jun 30, 2011
Mocha ღ Latte
rated it:
More of my reviews at A Cupcake and a Latte:YA Reads, Reviews & More!
"He was scrawling "To Be" and "Not to Be" over and over.
"What's that?" I asked.
"That is the question."
I studied the scribbled page and tried to figure out what he meant. "
I was incredibly excited upon reading the synopsis; a promise of a Young Adult novel written by Michelle Ray that would be a modernized re-telling of Shakespeare's Haml More...
"He was scrawling "To Be" and "Not to Be" over and over.
"What's that?" I asked.
"That is the question."
I studied the scribbled page and tried to figure out what he meant. "
I was incredibly excited upon reading the synopsis; a promise of a Young Adult novel written by Michelle Ray that would be a modernized re-telling of Shakespeare's Haml More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Apr 07, 2011
Maggie
rated it:
Michelle Ray writes an interesting re-telling of the original. Obviously there are some changes (Ophelia is alive to tell the story), but Ray stays very close to the original (I kept hoping that the ending would be different since Ophelia "cheated" death). The modernization works well although Denmark State College was a bit confusing, but I understand the idea of a private university versus a state school. And intertwining the TV talk show, police interview, and “true” story was in
More...
Jul 05, 2011
Simply Books
rated it:
I loved Hamlet when I read it in tenth grade, so I always like reading contemporary versions of this famous play (like Ophelia by Lisa Klein). Though not at all comparable to the original, Falling for Hamlet is a cute and fluffy version of the original.
I really liked how closely Michelle Ray kept Falling for Hamlet to the original. Even though the book takes place in current day, everything matches up. The book still takes place in Denmark in Elsinore castle and everyone has the same More...
I really liked how closely Michelle Ray kept Falling for Hamlet to the original. Even though the book takes place in current day, everything matches up. The book still takes place in Denmark in Elsinore castle and everyone has the same More...
Dec 24, 2011
Alexandra
rated it:
Hamlet is a story of betrayal, dealing with grief, politics and madness. In the play, Shakespeare is able to hit on many themes and emotions, giving actors much to work with leading to some intense performance from talented actors.
Then there is this book.
Falling for Hamlet takes the story of Hamlet, sloppily butchers it and stuffs the remaining corpse with teen fiction tropes. The book is told from the perspective of Ophelia and how she is so in love with Hamlet... etc.. More...
Then there is this book.
Falling for Hamlet takes the story of Hamlet, sloppily butchers it and stuffs the remaining corpse with teen fiction tropes. The book is told from the perspective of Ophelia and how she is so in love with Hamlet... etc.. More...
Jun 11, 2011
Barbara
rated it:
Set in modern times, this engaging version of the classic Shakespearean tale focuses on Ophelia. The romance between the teen and the older prince of Denmark is described after his death as Ophelia goes on a talk show to defend her name and to answer for one last time any questions the public has. The author also interjects scenes from Ophelia's interviews with the Denmark Department of Investigations who question her about her possible involvement in a treasonous plot. She sprinkles text messag
More...
Aug 30, 2011
Mel_mel
rated it:
I have to admit I didn't know if this book would be that great- it had a 50/50 chance. I read the reviews for this book and you have to believe it when you read "don't judge a book by it's cover." The novel's cover is very decieving. It doesn't have a many romance scenes as you might have thought (if judging the cover).
This book is full-on thriller, suspence, and growing up novel. I've never seen or read Hamelt, but after this book I feel like reading to know Hamlet's persp More...
This book is full-on thriller, suspence, and growing up novel. I've never seen or read Hamelt, but after this book I feel like reading to know Hamlet's persp More...
Jul 22, 2011
Savannah (Books With Bite)
rated it:
As soon as I got this book, I dove right into and love it! I mean really, really love it. I have always been a fan Shakespeare, and I love it when author take a classic and make it modern. It makes it easy for young readers and readers everywhere to understand Hamlet but just told different.
Pretty much this book it told almost exactly to play expect of course much more modern. I love diving into this story and being Ophelia. Ms. Ray really brought this story to life by the reader be More...
Pretty much this book it told almost exactly to play expect of course much more modern. I love diving into this story and being Ophelia. Ms. Ray really brought this story to life by the reader be More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jul 02, 2011
Kelly
rated it:
This is a retelling of Hamlet, set in the present day and from Ophelia's perspective. That is basically all you need to know about the plot. (Note: if you are in high school, do not read this instead of reading the play. You will fail your test.)
I was incredibly excited to read this (I'm somewhat of a Shakespeare nerd and while this isn't my favorite tragedy*, I did love it, too) and I wasn't let down. This was also somewhat of a challenge, because it's not like Ophelia has that More...
I was incredibly excited to read this (I'm somewhat of a Shakespeare nerd and while this isn't my favorite tragedy*, I did love it, too) and I wasn't let down. This was also somewhat of a challenge, because it's not like Ophelia has that More...
Jun 30, 2011
Trent
rated it:
This is a stellar YA novel and a unique twist on the characters and plot of Shakespeare's HAMLET. Readers should note that the intent of the author is obviously not to replace HAMLET or to try to make an impovement on the classic play. Instead, Michelle Ray uses the play as a base on which to establish an original novel that reminds us of what is great about young adult fiction. This is Michelle Ray's debut novel, but it's clear that she's going to be a leader in the field as the characters i
More...
May 14, 2011
Samantha
rated it:
Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray is a marvelous book. She perfectly captures the tragedy of Ophelia, Hamlet and his family. She kept the darkness of the play and the telling Shakespeare language, but she flawlessly brought it into this century.
What stood out most for me was the use of language. Hamlet is a character loves his sexual innuendos, both in the play and in this book. That was used very well throughout the book and really made me feel like Ray had done her research. Havi More...
What stood out most for me was the use of language. Hamlet is a character loves his sexual innuendos, both in the play and in this book. That was used very well throughout the book and really made me feel like Ray had done her research. Havi More...
Nov 03, 2011
Branwen
rated it:
A modern re-telling of Hamlet. What a fascinating idea! Michelle Ray took a wonderful story and revamped it, giving it a creative new feeling without losing any of the sadness and emotion of the original story. This book is written from Ophelia's point of view, which is really cool. She was such an interesting character in Shakespeare's play, and it was pretty awesome to see things unwravel through her eyes. Even knowing how the tale ends, I was totally kept on the edge of my seat from all the s
More...
Oct 09, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 22, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Shakespeare’s classic gets a facelift. Modern retellings seem to be growing more popular and I am happy to see authors like Ray put their spin on these much-loved classics. “Falling for Hamlet” is a phenomenal story that will definitely be attractive to teen readers.
Ophelia and Hamlet are your typical teenagers; they have an on-again, off-again relationship. As soon as they get their relationship back on track, their lives and the royal family fall to pieces. When Ophelia witnesses Ham More...
Ophelia and Hamlet are your typical teenagers; they have an on-again, off-again relationship. As soon as they get their relationship back on track, their lives and the royal family fall to pieces. When Ophelia witnesses Ham More...
Aug 04, 2011
Beverly
rated it:
I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have always loved Shakespeare. Though I admit that is has probably been over 20 years since I last read the original Hamlet. I'm always a little skeptical of modern takes on classics. Just recently, I found my husband watching what we call a "Stupid ScyFy" movie based on Moby Dick, only with a dragon instead of a whale. I had to leave the room. Chances are pretty good More...
I have always loved Shakespeare. Though I admit that is has probably been over 20 years since I last read the original Hamlet. I'm always a little skeptical of modern takes on classics. Just recently, I found my husband watching what we call a "Stupid ScyFy" movie based on Moby Dick, only with a dragon instead of a whale. I had to leave the room. Chances are pretty good More...
May 21, 2011
Denise
rated it: 
I'm always a sucker for interpretations of a classic or a fairy tale. This is a modern interpretation of Hamlet. Here's the good: I really like how all the betrayal, deceit and big murder scene are brought into a modern context, especially how some of the classic lines are brought into the plot and used. What I didn't like: This is told from the point of view of a shallow, boring narrator, Ophelia. There are so many things I didn't like about her, she isn't interesting until about 2/3 into
More...
Jul 21, 2011
Reading Vacation's Mom
rated it:
Falling for Hamlet puts a modern spin on Shakespeare’s classic. I read a children’s version of the original, but I don’t think it is necessary. There is one very big spoilery plot difference between the two, but they are otherwise similar. Michelle Ray does such a great job of taking the old and mixing it with the new.
This story is all about the characters and these characters are something else! Their relationships, downfalls, jealousies, crushes, and revenge are all on display. I a More...
This story is all about the characters and these characters are something else! Their relationships, downfalls, jealousies, crushes, and revenge are all on display. I a More...
