3.5 Stars

CW: bloody murder scene described

Well that was an engaging and clever modern adaptation of Macbeth.

Alan has done a fabulous job of weaving the universal themes of Shakespeare into this YA retelling. The story is fairly true to the original and takes place within the fantastic setting of some regional Scottish Highland Games. I am reading all these modern retellings/reimaginings for a booktalk that gets students to look at a modern adaptations of classic texts and discuss how the author chose to give the classic text a makeover. Such an amazing way to study literature. How will an author today address some of the issues (that may have been a product of their time) in a contemporary setting? Brilliant stuff. Looking forward to recommending the Horatio Wilkes Mysteries to students for this assessment and in general. ( )

Heratio Wilkes joins his friends as they head to a Scottish Festival on the mountain above Pigeon Forge, TN. On the way, they stop at the shop of a fortune teller named Madame Hecate. She tells them that Heratio's friend, Mac is going to be King of the Mountain, but his friend Banks will own the mountain. Heratio dismisses her as a fake, but his friend Mac takes her seriously and vows to win the King of the Mountain tournament in the Highland Festival decathlon. Heratio takes it all in stride, even Mac's new girlfriend, Beth who seems to be pushing Mac into everything he does. It's all fun and games until, on the first night of the Highland Festival, Duncan McRae, owner of the mountain is killed in his tent and Heratio finds his bloody, lifeless body. Who killed him and why? The evidence points to Duncan's grandson, Malcolm, but could he have killed his own grandfather? Heratio isn't so sure, but his investigation begins to lead him places he doesn't want to go.
Something Wicked is classified as young adult, but there are several references to violence and sexual situations that make it more appropriate for older, young adults. The mystery gets a little far-fetched with the fortune telling being the center of it all. Heratio is a compelling character who is full of pop culture references and sharp-edged, sarcastic banter, making him a little difficult to like as a protagonist, but excellent as an investigator. This is the second and last book in this series, which is a shame because there are several directions that the author could have gone in the future with this character. Overall, an interesting read, but a kind of a sad way to end this series. ( )

"Something Wicked", published in 2008, is the second book in a series starring the teen detective Horatio Wilkes. The murder Horatio is thrust into solving takes place at a Scottish Highland Games festival and involves greed, betrayal and family to make a pretty interesting book. The novel reads, in parts, like a crime noir book with Horatio narration mimicking hard-boiled crime-noir of the past. Horatio's commentary (the novel is written in the first person) really colors the story. The growing feelings of betrayal Horatio feels when a key person in his life turns out to be not quite what they seem are well conveyed. The book is slow toward the beginning but becomes a quicker read the more the reader becomes immersed in the crime and the drama surrounding it. This is a wonderful mystery story for high schoolers and younger fans of "classic" detective stories with a twist! "Something Wicked" is a 2010 - 2011 SC Young Adult Book Award nominee. ( )

This book has twists at every corner, and constantly keeps you guessing. I had read the book that precedes this one, so I chose this one next. AHS/PJ

The Little Bookworm

After reading Something Rotten, I just had to read the next book, Something Wicked. I really love Horatio Wilkes. And Something Wicked really stood up to Something Rotten and solidified the character. Horatio is very funny and sarcastic, friendly and loyal. And he is a great detective.

Wicked is, of course, based on Macbeth, a play that I'm not terribly familiar with. I'm mean I know the basic plot but I've never actually read it or saw the play or anything. But even give that, it wasn't really necessary to know Macbeth to understand this book. I really enjoyed this book though I probably missed some inside jokes. It reads just like a regular murder mystery but, if you are familiar with Macbeth, then you know who did it. There are no major plot changes here, but the dialogue just crackles. It is a fun retelling of the Macbeth story. This would be a great way of introducing teens to Shakespeare and maybe get them to read the original afterward. My only complaint is that there aren't currently any more Horatio Wilkes books out. I can't wait for the next one. ( )