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A review by poppyjessica
Take Her Down by Lauren Emily Whalen
4.0
I love a modern Shakespeare retelling, and what a breath of fresh air for Lauren Emily Whelan to select Julius Caesar as her vehicle for this young adult election drama. 'Take Her Down' takes place at Augustus High, a Magnet School for overachieving and ambitious youngsters. Being LGBTQ+ here is the norm, sexuality intrinsically linked to power and status. Instead of Julius and Brutus, we have Jude and Bronwyn, former best friends who are at war for the position of student body president. The Roman lust for power and the desire for vengeance still come through strongly in the story, gripping the reader from start to finish.
Whalen explores a whole host of issues within the story, brining Shakespeare's story into a contemporary setting with real gusto. Bi-phobia, mental health issues, and sexual trauma are just some of the themes laced within the story of this gritty rivalry, We see the story from a variety of viewpoints throughout, this serving to bring us into the story from the perspective of a range of characters. To the tail end of the story, this gets a bit too disjointed as we see some plot points repeatedly from multiple perspectives. However, it is in the moment in the middle of the book where the conspiracy comes to a head that the split narrative works the most effectively - we hear from all the witnesses, but it is not until Jude tells her side of the story later that we realise the true significance of that dramatic narrative climax.
Overall, this is a fast paced rollercoaster of emotions. Shakespeare is brought right up to date - the references and shaping of the story were a particular joy for this Shakespeare nerd. I also feel that many young adults will feel seen within the narrative which is a bonus of the retelling. 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Whalen explores a whole host of issues within the story, brining Shakespeare's story into a contemporary setting with real gusto. Bi-phobia, mental health issues, and sexual trauma are just some of the themes laced within the story of this gritty rivalry, We see the story from a variety of viewpoints throughout, this serving to bring us into the story from the perspective of a range of characters. To the tail end of the story, this gets a bit too disjointed as we see some plot points repeatedly from multiple perspectives. However, it is in the moment in the middle of the book where the conspiracy comes to a head that the split narrative works the most effectively - we hear from all the witnesses, but it is not until Jude tells her side of the story later that we realise the true significance of that dramatic narrative climax.
Overall, this is a fast paced rollercoaster of emotions. Shakespeare is brought right up to date - the references and shaping of the story were a particular joy for this Shakespeare nerd. I also feel that many young adults will feel seen within the narrative which is a bonus of the retelling. 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.