The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

I should not have read this book right after my last book. It paled in comparison. So much so that it was almost irritating to read.

The main character of both books is in junior high school. Both books are set mainly at the school, although family time at home does factor in the stories. Both books center on the angst of being in junior high and all that that entails: mostly teachers and fellow students. Both books have Shakespeare and/or his works as a focus.

But--and it's a big but--one book was written so well, and this one wasn't. The Wednesday Wars seems like it will still be a wonderful read in twenty years. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet will seem dated in two years.

They're both juvenile literature. I wonder how a junior high student would compare the two books. I'll have to ask some of my nieces and nephews to read and compare them and let me know.

We're reading both of these books for my book group this month. It should prove to be an interesting discussion. Although I hate to waste time discussing this book when The Wednesday Wars has so many better things to talk about.

Can you tell how I really feel about these books?