Made Glorious

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3.7

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Author(s)

Lindsay Eagar

Publisher

Candlewick Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

April 02, 2024

ISBN

978-1536204674

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In a vicious, delicious contemporary novel inspired by Shakespeare’s Richard III, thelauded author of The Family Fortuna lifts the curtain on a high school thespian who’ll stop at nothing to land the lead.

Rory is an antihero for the ages. Like Shakespeare’s Richard III, she confides in her audience, telling us exactly the lengths she’ll go to to secure the leading role in Bosworth Academy’s senior musical, confessing without shame that she is charming and conniving and brutally ambitious, that we will watch and root for her even as she manipulates and endangers those around her. And we do. Perhaps it’s because we don’t want to believe that she’s as relentless as she claims. Rory is an underdog, after all, a scholarship kid teased for her weight. Surely there will be redemption? Surely our dread and patience will be rewarded? Intricately plotted with an ingenious narrative that blends multiple viewpoints with script excerpts and an original musical score, Lindsay Eagar’s whip-smart, precision-crafted, and gleefully compulsive page-turner taps into the dark side of high school theater production. A diabolically good read, it forces our complicity as we wince and cheer for an arresting drama queen who just can’t help going full-tilt nasty in the pursuit of her dreams.

Editor review

1 review

Thrilling Contemporary Inspired by Richard III

March 30, 2024

Overall rating

3.7

Plot

4.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Thrilling, unputdownable read! MADE GLORIOUS by Lindsay Eagar is a fast-paced, intriguing look at the life of one drama student determined to get the lead at any cost. Follow Rory's story as she breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to her audience (the reader) telling us each step of her plan. As a scholarship student at a prestigious private high school, Rory has faced teasing about her weight and has been put on the sideline for longer than she cares. Now in her senior year, she has hatched a plan to get the lead in her school's spring musical no matter the cost.

The writing here is superb. I can honestly say I've read few books, if any, like it. Eagar tells most of this story in a 3rd person point of view, specifically when in the past tense. However, when Rory breaks the fourth wall, the author switches to a second-person point of view. I'll admit, this took some getting used to. However, I wouldn't let this distract you from the story. It adds to the narrative, adding a little thrill to the tale.

Rory's character is not your typical high school girl. She might have started that way in the flashbacks, but she quickly devolves. As the blurb describes her, she is truly an antihero. I couldn't decide whether I wanted to root for her and her schemes to succeed or if I was appalled that she actually went through with them. It is here in her scheming and in breaking the fourth wall that I see the inspiration for this story shine through. If you aren't familiar with Shakespeare's Richard III, I highly recommend it.

Overall, MADE GLORIOUS delves into life at the bottom of the social ladder in high school, how it can affect your mental health, and the lengths people will go to get what they want. This thrilling tale is a fast-paced read that will leave you wanting more.