Hamlet Kennedy wants nothing more than to fly under the radar, blend in, and be average. But eighth grade is much more complicated than she thought it would be. Hamlet has embarrassing Shakespearean scholar parents, her genius seven-year-old sister is in her classes, and mean girls are out to get her. When she discovers a hidden talent for performing Shakespeare, Hamlet learns that her life may not be as tragic as it seems, and that she is anything but average.

This charming and well-written book conveys an excellent message about being true to yourself and carving out your own place in the world. A complicated yet close relationship between two sisters is central to the story, which is refreshingly wholesome. Typical middle school mean girl behavior takes place, with the mean girls getting their just desserts in the end. Students are academically driven and one character has a high genius level IQ. Friendship is important and supportive, and an age-appropriate crush results in a kiss on the cheek. Language is very mild (jacka-s, jerk). All things Shakespeare are important to the plot, so readers who are not familiar with his work may need a brief explanation.

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