Tempestuous

( 14 )

Overview

After a mistake with big financial consequences topples her throne, former it girl" Miranda Prospero is bitter: she finds herself stranded in a crazed new world, holding court among geeks and misfits at a mall Hot Dog Kabob stand. Then, she gets her chance for revenge. When the storm of the decade snows in the mall workers and last-minute shopaholics for a long winter's night, Miranda sets out to get back at the catty clique who was behind her exile. But there's a complication. She somehow gets handcuffed to ...

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More About This Book

Overview

After a mistake with big financial consequences topples her throne, former it girl" Miranda Prospero is bitter: she finds herself stranded in a crazed new world, holding court among geeks and misfits at a mall Hot Dog Kabob stand. Then, she gets her chance for revenge. When the storm of the decade snows in the mall workers and last-minute shopaholics for a long winter's night, Miranda sets out to get back at the catty clique who was behind her exile. But there's a complication. She somehow gets handcuffed to sullen loner Caleb. With him (literally) bound to her side, Miranda learns more in one night about her own heart, and human nature, than she ever did as prep royalty. With this twisted take on Shakespeare's The Tempest, authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes prove again that, from Juliet's grief to Cordelia's rage, no one knew about teen angst better than the Bard. His wisdom holds up nearly half a millennium later.

"

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Irresistible debut novel. We can assure you reading the surprising adventures of their richly drawn heroines, Miranda Prospero and Skye Kingston, in the Twisted Lit series is nothing short of thrilling." --Children's Book Review

"Fun-filled escapades into Shakespeare's The Tempest and Macbeth ... they're an absolute riot! You don't have to be a Shakespeare fan (I'm not) or even have read these plays (I haven't) to fall in love with these books. I can't wait for the next Twisted Lit adventure. It's the best new young adult series of the year!" --Jack and Jill Magazine

"Definitely a pure delight! I highly recommend this story for young adults who wish to read something inspiring and empowering, yet still maintain its level of awesomeness without being sappy or melodramatic." --Book Junkie blog

"Lord of the Flies meets Mean Girls and Shakespeare, all rolled into a fun adventure with humorous, sweet, and well-rounded characters." --Oh So Hearty Blog

"An exciting adventure...and a dangerous mystery. The characters in Tempestuous are relatable and the reader can easily become attached to them, thanks to the comedy and coming-of-age tone that the authors provide. Fun and light...Askew and Helmes take a classic comedy and successfully translate it to a younger and more modern audience." --SeattlePI.com/Blogcritics.org

"Every single character had their own personality and a life of their own. The Twisted Lit series proves to be exciting, fun and entertaining. I can't wait to read the next - Exposure, a twisted lit version of Macbeth." --Loaded Shelves blog

"This first book in the new Twisted Lit series takes Shakespeare's tale and moves it to a modern day setting. The twists and turns of the subplots are easily relatable to today's teen readers. The overall intrigue of the plot keeps readers salivating. Can absolutely be read and enjoyed with no prior knowledge of its predecessor." --YALSA Hub blog

"With this twisted take on Shakespeare's The Tempest, authors Kim Askew and Amy Helmes prove again that, from Juliet's grief to Cordelia's rage, no one knew about teen angst better than the Bard. His wisdom holds up nearly half a millennium later. Really good book, pick it up and read it." --Just Books blog

"Askew and Helmes do a...masterful job of bringing [Shakespeare's] characters...into the 21st century. Tempestuous is a fun modern fairy tale...and...there are plentiful moments of sarcastic hilarity.... If you love a twisted tale, this one's for you!" --USA Today

"Loaded with witty sarcasm, this is a must read that has everything from mystery to romance and lots of mischief. This stands alone fine without noticing the nods to certain aspects of William Shakespeare's work. Overall, the plot, writing and characters are fantastic. This book is full of humor and wit, which makes it a great read for teens looking for a more modern take on Shakespeare." --Little Library Muse blog

"It makes for a fun, quick read.... The story propels the reader along at breakneck pace and before you know it, you're turning the last page." - About.com Young Adult Books

"

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781440552649
  • Publisher: Adams Media Corporation
  • Publication date: 12/18/2012
  • Pages: 224
  • Sales rank: 495,027
  • Age range: 13 - 17 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.80 (w) x 8.60 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Meet the Author


Kim Askew, whose work has appeared in Elle and other magazines, is a content manager for the Webby-winning teen site www.FashionClub.com, covering the Teen Choice and MTV awards.

Amy Helmes, coauthor of Boys of a Feather: A Field Guide to American Males, also is a weekly contributor to The Rundown, a daily e-mail service that keeps subscribers informed on what's new and cool in LA.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 14 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(6)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

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1 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 14 Customer Reviews

  • Posted May 18, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    This is a great retelling of one of Shakespeare's greats. If you

    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 great job developing the different characters in the story.

    I was personally a fan of Shakespeare growing up- I know, I'm weird. But I think that these modern retellings help to give the current generations that may not have a taste for Dear William a chance to get to know his works and the concepts behind them. With the A Twisted Lit Novel Series, I think these two authors are really helping with that.

    This is a great book for those that are testing the waters of Shakespeare, of those that enjoy a good retelling, and YA lovers

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 9, 2013

    cute and fluffy

    cute and fluffy

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  • Posted April 21, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    Rating: 4 The Low Down: Miranda Prospero¿s life has taken a

    Rating: 4




    The Low Down: Miranda Prospero’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. A former popular girl with all the trappings (hottie boyfriend, popular sidekicks, unlimited shopping funds, mean girl attitude), her fall from grace landed her behind the counter of Hot-Dog Kabob. Miranda must earn money the old-fashioned way to pay reparations for a scheme gone way wrong. And who brought her down? Her loving boyfriend, Brian Bishop.




    A horrible snowstorm is threatening to hit, but she still has to go to the mall. At least she gets to work with Ariel, a sweet girl who worships Miranda. Today’s Ariel’s birthday, and Miranda has organized a surprise party for her. But as the storm worsens, there’s a break-in at one of the stores; one of the store employees is missing; and occupants of the mall are forced to stay inside all night to wait out the storm.




    From negotiating with a group of shoppers (many of them Miranda’s former friends) for supplies to organizing search teams to bringing the shoppers and workers together with an impromptu rave, Miranda’s natural abilities take over. The question is: can she and her cohorts figure out who the thief is before he/she strikes again? And can she do that while being handcuffed to a boy she just met - and can’t stand?




    Here T’is: I have read a lot of Shakespeare’s plays, but ‘The Tempest’ was not one of them. To give myself a little background, I read the Wikipedia article about it so I could get the gist of the story. I do think it helped and made the reading of the story more fun.




    Tempestuous has a lighter storyline and a completely different style and theme than the second book in the series, Exposure. I love what Miranda’s late mother had written in her copy of Jane Austen’s Emma, “Rebuke = Redemption.” This is not something that Miranda wants to hear or really even gets at the beginning of the story. As with most flawed heroes, she has to make it through the quest to really discover what she is made of. And, along the way, others show their worth and value in surprising ways that further cement the conclusion that the downfall was what needed to happen all along.




    The Bottom Line: You don’t have to be a fan or even a reader of Shakespeare to enjoy this book. It goes to show that there are universal truths that cut across all eras. And right now, I am picturing some mean girl wenches receiving their comeuppance.




    Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes was published December 18, 2012 by Merit Press. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to Merit Press/F+W Media and the Authors.




    Genre: Young Adult Fiction Contemporary Romance Series
    Ages: 12 and up
    You Might Want to Know: Some underage drinking and profanity.

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  • Posted February 6, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    Shakespeare as LIGHT reading!

    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 stupid hat she has to wear and life just sucks! She works with 'regular kids' (again, horrors!) Yet, even they recognize that special something Miranda has to solve problems, get results and she often holds audience for her minions.

    One night, a huge snowstorm closes down the road and everyone still in the mall must spend the night. Just so happens, there is a robber also inside the mall, and Amanda's old gang and current tormentors. Nice, let's not forget to add that she has been accidentally handcuffed to some strange and nasty guy in a cape!

    VERY loosely written as a modern day take on Shakespeare's The Tempest, this is now in my top entertainingly awesome LIGHT reads! Miranda is diabolical, humorous, brilliant, daring, caring, loyal and a treat to read about! You will love her sidekick, the pixie-like Ariel! She is too cute for words with a hidden side that shines! Caleb is...well, you have to read the book to enjoy all of the characters! Fun, fast, ingenious with a hint of danger!

    Now, when talking 'books' with people, I can say, "Why, yes, I've read a modern day take on one of Shakespeare's works, very enlightening, very current." (All done with a careless flick of my hand!) I only hope I can keep a straight face!

    This edition was provided by NetGalley and Merit Press in exchange for an honest review!

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  • Posted January 13, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    Tempestuous is a catty and wit-filled teen novel with hilarious

    Tempestuous is a catty and wit-filled teen novel with hilarious lines and relatable characters. Together these authors create a world that lasts one night, reminiscent of a mystery infused version of The Breakfast Club. Breaking all social boundaries Miranda and the other characters travel the roads of self discovery and find new friends along the way. It is a must read for fans of young adult comedies and fans of John Green.
    Miranda is one of those girls that has all of the answers. A born leader, but this leader takes the fall for a cheating scheme in her school and is outcasted and forced to (exhale) get a job! As her life tumbles around her she meets some new and unexpected new associates. This princess begins working in the mall's food court and befriending a gang of unlikely misfits. From there her story just gets better. It is an all around feel good contemporary romance that left me smiling at the direction it took. Everything about this book screams brilliant; from the slew of characters to the drama that plays out. It happens to be a book that for me was unputdownable.
    Tempestuous is a Nancy Drew, Clue, Mall Rats combination; filled with teen rivalry and some all around fun. When a winter storm strands mall employees overnight Miranda and her fellow consorts band together against her former friends; all the while evading a robber who is likely hiding out in the mall as well. The book is exciting and includes calculating tactics for revenge; it took me back to high school days and the vengeance I (we all) wished I (we) could've performed on some unsuspecting scum. Taking what they need from stores, with every intent on returning it, they set out to spend the night and in turn have the time of their lives.
    The book begins near the end, the prologue highlighting the mess this group creates for themselves. Then goes to the beginning of the crazy night. From the start it builds and builds, keeping me hooked and interested. Fans of Young Adult fiction will swoon over Caleb's character in this PG rated romance, even if Miranda is too blind to see it. My favorite part of the book was the relationship between Caleb and Miranda. Beginning pretty much as enemies, the manipulator Miranda isn't used to someone who doesn't grovel at her feet. Caleb's character was real and authentic, he stood his ground and was overall a really great guy and great for her.
    It is a fun and fast read that I really enjoyed. A loose adaptation of The Tempest by William Shakespeare, that many will love! Make sure to add it to your TBR pile!

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  • Posted January 3, 2013

    Miranda, a former A-lister fallen from glory, comes into work at

    Miranda, a former A-lister fallen from glory, comes into work at the mall one blustery night. Much to her dismay, her and her coworkers are fatefully snowed in- not only trapped together, but with a criminal on the loose somewhere within the empty bowels of the mall. Even worse, Miranda and her new snarky acquaintance, Caleb, are accidentally handcuffed together and must spend the time side-by-side, each other’s presence causing more irritation than either of them can handle. It soon becomes apparent that it’s going to be a very long night.

    Tempestuous is a fun little tale that I quite enjoyed. I was doubtful of it at first, mostly because it sounded a bit ridiculous to me, but that opinion faded once I really started reading. The Shakespeare aspect initially drew me in, and the story kept me hooked the rest of the time.

    Having never read Shakespeare’s The Tempest, I can’t say I got any of the references to that work of literature, but despite that fact, I truly enjoyed Tempestuous. It’s a fun, light, clean read that is suitable for both middle-grade readers as well as more mature readers. This is what I’d dub as a good distraction- it’s funny, quirky, and has a bit of a thrill to it, thanks to the crime-fighting antics of Miranda and her gang. And being only slightly over 200 pages, you could easily curl up on a snowy night with a cup of tea (or coffee…) and finish this “Twisted Lit” novel before bedtime.

    Reservations? It’s hard to have reservations about a book this short and sweet.

    {Word Rating picture- Jenna Sue font, blue}
    Quick Content Review: *may contain spoilers*
    Language: Mild (A few words here and there.)
    Violence: None
    Sexual: Mild (A kiss or two. It’s revealed that three girls have slept with the same guy. Couples doze off together on the mall floor but nothing sexual happens.)

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  • Posted December 31, 2012

    I'm not a big Shakespeare fan because I never really took the ti

    I'm not a big Shakespeare fan because I never really took the time to understand his writing. In highschool, and even now in college, we didn't really discuss Shakespeare in depth. We were only able to discuss a few of Shakespeare's works, unfortunately The Tempest wasn't one of them. Tempestuous tickled my curiosity so even if I have no clue what The Tempest is about, I read it anyway.




    "Trapped in a mall." This book had me at the idea of being trapped in a mall. It's weird right, but it's always been one of my crazy scenarios. Assuming you won't get into trouble for taking things and messing the place up, I think it could be fun getting trapped in a mall... minus the creepy Twilight Zone effect of course. That's basically what I liked about Tempestuous, it's loads of fun!




    The whole story takes place in one day, inside a mall. What I liked about this is that because the story line is confined in one day and in one place setting, it's like the story was developed nicely as the story progressed. I love it when a story line follows Freytag's triangle especially when it's a mystery because it builds tension at the right time and the resolution comes in smoothly.




    I think Askew and Helmes did a great job at keeping the readers hooked! I kept making guesses as to who the robber is but when it was revealed I literally gasped and said, "Oh. My. God." A bit dramatic, I know. Aside from the mystery, it was fun how the authors were able to balance the teen drama and crazy antics with the mystery. I liked how Miranda and Caleb fell in like considering how annoyed they were at each other most of the time. I liked how the authors were able to paint a really fun picture of all their pranks and activities in the mall after hours. And I liked how thrilling the mystery angle was. It had the potential of becoming messy because of the different angles but it wasn't - it was the right mix of everything.




    Tempestuous is an enjoyable read even if you don't know the gist of The Tempest and you should definitely give it a try. ;-)

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 28, 2012

    Great book - A fun read!

    This book is a real page turner. I was laughing out loud at times.

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  • Posted December 26, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    If you're looking for a light, fluffy read with plenty of sassy

    If you're looking for a light, fluffy read with plenty of sassy characters and mischievous action then this is the book for you.

    Tempestuous is a story about a girl who has to pay off her debt to society by working at a job that she has always found to be beneath her with being a girl from a wealthy background.  But it's during her working hours and a fateful snow storm that she learns more about the people she always had a habit of looking down on and about herself.  But the story doesn't end there because that's only the beginning.

    The thing I liked most about this book was its ability to make me laugh.  I just couldn't take it seriously. It's a book that you can read to cheer yourself up purely because the events in this book would never happen.  But, it was amusing to think it could.  It was like Gossip Girl meets Survivor - only these survivors had a lot more luxuries then the people on Survivor ever do. 

    I really liked the characters in this book.  Miranda, once popular, was sarcastic, witty and sometimes, just outright funny.  There were times when I wanted to hated her for her attitude, but it never lasted for long.  Her way of getting back at her old friends was hysterical, but at the same time very immature.  But that's what kind of made it relatable to me.  There's been times in my life where I wish I could have had my vengeance on people who've done me wrong, but I never did.  In this book, it happened.

    Miranda's co-worker, Ariel, was the one who helped her with her schemes the most and also came up with her own ideas, even though the old friends of Miranda's had never done anything to her.  She had been home-schooled and I think that her falling in with Miranda's plans was all just her wanting to fit in with other teens, because, apart from work, she had never had the opportunity to mix with any.  I think Miranda helped her find her wings and inspired her loyalty.

    A large part about this book was Miranda trying to make everybody happy, even when that was an impossibility and what got her into trouble for it in the first place - even if she was getting paid for it. It was also about Miranda facing the parts she didn't like about herself and her old friends and fixing it.

    Caleb was kind of the mystery boy.  It was interesting to peel the layers of his personality.  At first, he came off as standoffish and wary, but as the story continued his strengths grew.  He worked in a games store, but he was so much more than that - as you'd discover if and when you read this book.  There were things that I wouldn't have seen him doing in a million years, and yet, he did them.  It was the growth in his personality that did it for me though.  He just didn't take any crap from anyone.

    The other secondary characters also played a big part in this story and they were all interlinked.  I think if it hadn't been for them, it wouldn't have been as hilarious as it was.

    Now I don't know if it was the authors' intention to have this as a romantic-comedy, but that's what it is.  Even with a bad guy roaming the mall, stealing things and hurting people couldn't make it any more serious for me.  The story was just written in that kind of lighthearted way and was thoroughly enjoyable.  Between the snow storm outside and the sparks that flew between Miranda and Caleb - there was definitely a Tempest of some kind involved - especially when handcuffs came into play.  Think of that what you will.

    The only down point that I could see with this book was that the pace was just a little slow for me initially.  I kept putting it down to read other books.  But, that doesn't mean that I won't be going on to read the other books in the Twisted Lit series, because I will be.

    I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic comedies with a Shakespearean twist.

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  • Posted December 18, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Miranda Prospero, a once upon a time very popular teen, is worki

    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 which turns into an all-nighter because she and her teen friends (and enemies) are snowed in and then locked in. However, as Miranda is known as the “Teflon teen,” she’s initially annoyed but then decides to make the best of it. She’s planning a 17th birthday party for her fellow worker, Ariel. There aren’t too many customers around and teens being teens, Miranda and her friends decide to hearty-party all night long.

    The first problem arises when it turns out that one of the mall kiosks has been robbed; and since the mall is locked down, that means the robber is also still hidden among them. Add to that the scene in which Miranda gets handcuffed to a guy, Craig, whom she’s not too crazy about. No, they can’t find a key, so imagine being cuffed all night. How will she figure out a visit to the lady’s room?

    The night gets even crazier with plots and counter-plots, misunderstandings and confessions that might be real and might be plotted for worse scenarios. Will the criminal be found? Miranda refuses to give in to fear and it is her wacky plans that save the day – or at least hope to!

    Tempestuous, a novel again having Shakespearean allusions toward The Tempest, is a funny read that again highlights a Twisted Lit series worth the attention of all teens and young adults! Nicely done!

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  • Posted December 13, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    I always say that I¿m a big Shakespeare fan, but I¿ve actually o

    I always say that I’m a big Shakespeare fan, but I’ve actually only read like 4 of his plays and a few sonnets, so I’m not really qualified to say I’m a “fan”. Tempestuous is based on The Tempest, one of the many things written by Shakespeare that I haven’t read. That’s okay, though. I didn’t need to read The Tempest to understand Tempestuous, though I did google what The Tempest was about!




    Tempestuous is set in a mall. In fact, the whole story takes place in there, with one brief mention of being in a parking lot. I was in love with idea of a locked down mall filled with angry teenagers. It just sounded like the perfect setting for crazy things to happen.




    The main character, Miranda Prospero, was the typical rich, stuck-up, high school girl. After an ingenious idea of hers went awry, she was forced to work at a hot dog shop in the mall, much to her chagrin. She clearly did not belong there and I loved how well the authors portrayed that. It was clear who Miranda really was in the past and who she was trying not to be. The fact that she was working at such a menial (to her) job really brought out her personality.




    Her co-worker, Ariel, was the complete opposite of Miranda and it worked very well for the story. Ariel brought out the good in Miranda and helped her see her past mistakes for what they were, mistakes. There were a large array of characters mentioned in the book, though only a handful were actually given enough importance that they were included in key points in the book. I was glad that there wasn’t much focus on these secondary characters, as that would have taken away from Miranda. After all, she was the most important character.




    Though there was a clear love interest in Tempestuous, their relationship didn’t seem to be a key part of the book. Said love interest, Caleb, was sarcastic and very negative, somewhat similar to Miranda’s personality (though they wouldn’t admit it). I loved that the book didn’t focus on them and instead focused on more important things, like what was going on in the mall. 




    I have a few negative things to say about Tempestuous. First, (mini spoiler) there had been a robbery at the mall and people were going missing, but no one seemed to be paying anything attention to it. They were all stuck in a mall with a thief and potential murderer, but it wasn’t given much thought. Yes, they mentioned the thief throughout the book, but everyone was still running around everywhere, unconcerned about it. Another thing that I thought of, though I purposely ignored for the purpose of the book, was that they were locked in the mall because of a dangerous weather storm. They weren’t allowed out, which sounded kind of illegal, and none of their cell phones were working… did they all have the same providers? I thought that was strange, but like I said, I overlooked it since I knew it was needed to keep the story moving forward.




    Overall, I was really pleased with Tempestuous. It was very funny and I loved the dialogue. I think the dialogue was fantastic and wonderfully written. The authors did a great job with that. The things that these characters said had me cracking up! Tempestuous was definitely a great book to read and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I would probably read it again, something I usually avoid doing at all costs.

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  • Posted December 13, 2012

    Definitely a pure delight! This story involves one cold night,

    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.

    While this story is a modern-day spin-off of Shakespeare's The Tempest, you don't really need to read the play to understand the story. In fact, the story can very well stand on its own, and brilliantly, if I may say so.

    In Tempestuous, the authors effectively demonstrated that every person has equal potential to do good or evil. While this idea is very basic, the authors kicked it up a notch by including a very smart protagonist who's still very much unclear about what really matters to her.

    The heroine was ultimately kicked down from the social pedestal where she reigned, and was sent to work as a minimum-wage earner in a shopping mall. Ostracized by her former peers and pretty much left with nowhere to go, Miranda had to work with the people she formerly wouldn't even get caught talking to. And in one chaotic night alone, she re-discovers herself and learns to pick up the pieces of her life.

    The best part of this story is probably the part about finding common ground with a person you would never thought you'd get along with, and ultimately discovering something you appreciate and love. Second to that is discovering friendship in the most unlikely of circumstances, and finding strengths you thought you never had. 

    I highly recommend this story for young adults who wish to read something inspiring and empowering, yet still maintain its level of awesomeness without being sappy or melodramatic.

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  • Posted December 11, 2012

    This is the fun start of a series with an interesting theme. Th

    This is the fun start of a series with an interesting theme. The authors plan to revamp different classic tales and put out modern versions. This first book, based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, was a fun ride. Though some things have been changed from the original version and most of the characters have different names, there are definite pieces from the original that can still be found in this version.

    This story takes place from Miranda's point of view, and Prospero (or here, her father) is not involved in the story at all. Miranda has fallen from grace, falsely accused of being the ringleader of a massive school-wide cheating ring. Now, to make reparations, Miranda must work in a disgusting fast food job at the mall. On the positive side, Miranda's made some great new friends, including her new bestie, Ariel.

    When she and most of the other mall workers get snowed in at the mall during a freak blizzard, Miranda suddenly has a lot of problems to tackle! Ariel's surprise birthday party must be reimagined, her skeezy ex-boyfriend and her old frenemies are also locked in the mall causing trouble, someone is robbing the high end mall stores, and worst of all, she finds herself handcuffed to a boy that is so not her type.

    With some *very* creative problem solving that had me laughing throughout, it was very fun to follow Miranda's wild and crazy night. I liked the elements of romance that pervaded the story and I liked that those who needed a comeupance got it in one way or another...

    There were some times that the characters sounded a little like they were in the wrong time period...like the authors had tried to use vintage dialogue from The Tempest and it didn't quite work, but aside from that, I thought this was a very fun update. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Exposure.

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  • Posted November 29, 2012

    I was provided with a copy of this book free of charge in exchan

    I was provided with a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

    I delighted in this story. I'm a huge Shakespeare fan, and often I'm skeptical of imitations and retellings of Shakespeare; however, this story was very successful. There was enough similarity between this story and The Tempest that I could see the plot wending its way through, but there was enough difference that I was still left wondering exactly how things were going to play out.

    The story was told with a cast of high school characters and took place in a mall. The students were confined in the mall by a snowstorm and drama ensues. Miranda Prospero is the main character who has been ostracizd by the "in crowd" at her ritzy private school and she is now condemned to work in the food court at the mall with the public school kids in order to pay restitution for a crime she didn't commit.

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