The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life

High school senior Alison Green wants nothing more than to be valedictorian, so when Mrs. Abrams calls her in for a meeting, she quickly agrees to coproduce the school play, which turns out to be A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Enlisting her best friend, Becca Choukri-McArthur, and her younger sister Annie to help, Alison tackles the role of coproducer and embarks on a “battle royale against the Red Binder,” the supposedly helpful resource necessary to produce the play. Battling her perfectionist tendencies, Alison struggles to recruit actors, interface with the stage manager and director, budget, and juggle the many egos involved. Technically out but not “ready to be open about [her] feelings,” Alison distracts herself from her crush on Charlotte Russell, the “coolest girl in school,” who was recently cast as Hippolyta and Titania, by meddling in Becca’s love life. True to Shakespearean form, her interloping does not go as planned. Though plotting feels somewhat methodical, debut novelist Jansen crafts a relatable heroine whose anxious first-person narration carries the debut, while the diverse supporting cast rounds it out. Readers will root for Alison as she learns to collaborate, manage others’ expectations, accept failure, and, ultimately, to love. Ages 12–up. [em](Sept.) [/em]