Made Glorious by Lindsay Eagar
Published by Candlewick Press on April 2, 2024
ISBN: 1536204676
Genres: Mental Health, Psychological thriller
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

Senior year at Bosworth Academy is a big deal for student actors; it’s when they have finally paid their theater dues and are able to perform as a lead in the school’s final production. Rory King has been waiting patiently for her turn, but when she is passed over for a lead and cast in the ensemble again, she sets in motion a conniving and dangerous scheme to finally land a lead role.

This retelling of Shakespeare’s Richard III sets Rory up as an antihero who will shock and delight us as she stops at nothing (sexual favors, emotional manipulation, narrowly avoided murder) to get her way. Unfortunately, Rory comes across less like an antihero, and more like a severely ill teenager whose unyielding drive leads to truly reprehensible behavior. It’s hard to get on board and root for her, especially with very little backstory to explain why Rory behaves the way she does. The book uses both first and third person narration, has theatrical numbers, and even an original song. The detail paid to high school theater is interesting and will appeal to those who are familiar with the scene.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath