I was really looking forward to this novelization of Hamlet, because I like John Marsden as an author so much. Marsden did a really good job with it, but once I started reading, I remembered...I don't like Hamlet that much to begin with. Mostly because I don't like Hamlet--he's kind of a jerk, particularly to his mother and Ophelia. I definitely buy Claudius as the bad guy, but I don't exactly find myself cheering for Hamlet. I also feel like Ophelia goes made a little too suddenly and without explanation (even in this version, although I think Marsden makes it a little more comprehensible).

A couple of points I did like: Marsden highlights Horatio, and he's a good guy I can cheer for. He also gives Ophelia a little more agency (yikes, I sound like a feminist!) than Shakespeare does. And at least some of Hamlet's jerkiness, and inaction, is explained.

So, if you like Hamlet, definitely read this version! If not, this may not be your cup of tea.