Wicked Will is a chapter book mystery targeted at the nine to twelve year-old age group, and at times I wondered if this book would really appeal to kids of that age. My son is eight, and while I think he would like the mystery aspect of the story, he doesn't know who Shakespeare is yet, and some of the subject matter towards the end of the book seems inappropriate for his age. Also, the lawyer in the book uses Latin, and I would think that would be a turn off for most kids.

The first few chapters are slow to start. I felt that the usage of Shakespearean words such as "ado" and "ye" seemed a little bit forced, and again wondered if kids would see the appeal. The book does pick up pace though when Viola and Will try to track down clues in order to solve the mystery.

Will and Viola see a lot of evidence and make a lot of deductions. Is this realistic? Probably not, but then there are a lot of unrealistic mysteries written for this age group. You know, the type where the kids see all of the facts that the adults somehow miss. But really, how likely is it that two kids could solve a mystery that no adults in the town could figure out?

You don't learn much about Shakespeare through the story, except for learning about his surroundings and what life might have been like when he was growing up (and this was presented in a very simple way, which makes sense since it is written with kids in mind).

*Spoiler alert!*

Again, I have to wonder who the target audience is for this book. Some of the content in the book seems less appropriate for the listed age group. For example, two of the characters who are in love commit suicide at the end of the book. Now I get that this was probably a way to show the source material for some of Shakespeare's future plays (like Romeo and Juliet), but are kids really going to understand these subtle references? And even if they did, I just don't think that suicide is a good way to end the romantic storyline in a book for nine to twelve year olds.

End of Spoilers*

Although the mystery in this book did have some interesting twists and turns, it really wasn't something that I would recommend to my children. Perhaps I don't see the appeal as much because I'm not in the target age group, or maybe I'm too over-protective about the topics my children read about. I'm sure there are probably kids out there who would love this book; I'm just not ready to share this one with my son. ( )

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

When Viola dresses as a boy and joins her uncle's troupe of traveling players and arrives in Stratford, her uncle gets accused of murder and imprisoned. With the help of Will, a young boy she meets in the troupe, they devise plans to prove the man's innocence, but all fail.

Can Will and Viola solve the murder and save her uncle?

WICKED WILL is a great adventure-filled mystery. The characters are entertaining and allude to Shakespeare's plays without overpowering the story. The plot is well-developed and keeps the reader's interest.

Those who like mystery, historical fiction, and adventure will all enjoy reading this book. ( )

Performing in the English town of Stratford-on-Avon in 1576, a young actress (disguised as a boy) and a local lad named Will Shakespeare uncover a murder mystery. ( )

School Library Journal
Gr 5–7—Young Viola is masquerading as a boy so that she can travel with impunity with her Uncle Matthew's strolling players. When the troupe arrives in Stratford, 11-year-old Will Shakespeare drives them to distraction with his incessant questions. He promises to keep Viola's identity secret, however, and, when Matthew is falsely accused of murder, Will devises numerous plans—all of which fail—to try to prove the man's innocence. The tale concludes with a dramatic finish—dead bodies all around—in the best tradition of Shakespearean tragedy. Each of the brief 21 chapters begins with the "nut" of a Shakespearean quote, and some readers might recognize bits of dialogue from various plays. The chapters themselves logically reveal the twists and turns of the plot in concise, readable prose. The realistic details put flesh on the bones of not only the primary characters, but also of the secondary personages as well. The joy here, of course, is in seeing the boy Will through the eyes of Viola, a protagonist who views him not with wonder but with disdain. She does admit to his talents, however: his cleverness, his love of intrigue, and his poetic prowess. MacDonald's debut novel is sure to entice readers, both as a story in its own right and as a prompt to explore the life and career of the most famous writer in the English language.— ( )