you enjoyed reading love simon and books alike? you'll probably like this book as well.

it's alison's last year of high school and she desperately wants to be valedictorian and thus agrees to be the producer of this year's theatre production of 'a midsummer night's dream'. throw in a lovesick best friend, a younger, but helpful sister and charlotte, the pretty girl, who alison gets to know more and more throughout the course of the production.

i would have absolutely adored this book at 16, but i'm not so sure about it now. it was sweet and easy to read and of course, it was amazing to read a love story set in high school about female queer characters for once, but i still had a few issues with it: the love stories were predictable, i could tell who was going to end up with whom from the beginning on, even for the side characters. moreover, jenny, a girl who designs the art projects for their production, is described as 'goth', which would have been fine on its own, but it's done in a very stereotypical way. she doesn't take any criticism to her work, even when alison is being really nice about it and just suggests to brighten up the colours, jenny stays stubborn and it just makes her very unlikeable, which was very disappointing. at last, the queer representation felt kind of off, as a queer person myself, i couldn't really relate to the characters, since they were pretty focused on binary views still.

if you're looking for an easy, romantic read though, why don't you give it a try yourself once it's out? at least the cover is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it?

The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life is a very easy enjoyable read. The plot isn't that original but it's written in a way that makes it very cute and likeable, the wonderfully diverse cast of characters are all appealing and each adds their own zest to the story.

This novel was super cute! Anything with Shakespeare in the title captures my attention, and seeing it in the context of a YA novel makes my heart soar! Navigating along with Alison as she treks through her senior year, attempting to produce a play while dealing with the drama of high school was a fun experience. The text is accessible, which make sit a great addition to any classroom library.
I wish there was a little more of a connection to Shakespearean literature. The school is putting on a production of A Midsummer's Night Dream, and by connecting the narratives, the story could have had an entirely new level of meaning. The characters and their emotions were also a bit underdeveloped. I wanted to know so much more about the characters; however, at the same time, this allowed me as the reader to create my own story. When in high school, we often do not have answers to many of our questions, which is mirrored in this story.
Lastly, the diversity in the novel was great. I wish I had characters like this to read about when I was a young adult.

Good narration
• Easy and lucid language
• Simple vocabulary
• Relatable content
• Good representation of LGBTQIA, African American people, Asian American heritage
• Sometimes it became monotonous but overall it was fun
• It was cute
• The plot was predictable but cute
• The epilogue was the best
• It was a fun read but i expected the Shakespeare aspect more because it did not justify the titleor my expectations from the book

Alison Green is a wannabe valedictorian and by somewhat accident, the producer of her high school's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It's a job that is hectic, stressful and somehow rewarding, though Alison spends most of her time just hoping this show will happen at all. As a former high school theater kid, I loved the premise of this story. I also appreciated the backstage perspective of it, since many books focus on the actors and always forget all the crazy hard work that the behind-the-scenes crew puts in. I loved the lgbt+ representation, the cute romantic side-plots, and the complicated nature of high school relationships. Alison was an endearing protagonist, full of flaws but with a very clear eye on what she wants and how to get it (even if that didn't always go as planned). Ultimately though, I just wasn't a huge fan of this book. I found the writing style to be overly simplistic and I also just found the plot to be kind of boring. The story just felt super compressed where I think it could have been stretched out and developed way more. Also, while there was constantly an allusion towards Alison's character development, I never really felt like she changed very much in her narration or her behavior in a way that felt genuine. In general, there was nothing overtly wrong with the story, but it just felt rushed in all the wrong places. That being said, if you're looking for an easy read with lgbt+ rep and a cute storyline, this book fits the bill.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this book for exchange for an honest review.

Alison Green, a perfectionist and runner for her school's valedictorian agrees to help a teacher "co-produce" the school's production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. Alison quickly realizes that she must take on the sole role of producing the play and ropes in her best friend and sister to help her. However, as time goes on and the play nears opening night, Alison finds that producing a play is not as easy as she thought it would be. The Year Shakespeare Ruined My Life is full of heartache, laughter, and rewarding outcomes.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I've found that I absolutely love stories that are either inspired by or involve Shakespeare in some way or another. The plot and characters made this story great to read and I'm glad to have read this novel. Alison was a very relatable character, a high schooler who does not know how to balance school and her first love. She is also supportive of her friends and makes sure to fix her mistakes even when that means she has to accept she screwed up. The plot mainly revolved around the production of the play but there are smaller subplots revolving around her and her friends' lives.

The story and characters were a little simple but it did not necessarily take away from the novel. At some points, the characters were a little flat and cookie-cutter-esque but at other times, they were unique to themselves. There was great representation in this novel and would be relatable those in high school, especially fellow theatre nerds. A strong debut!

Alison Green's dream is becoming her year's valedictorian. So when one of her teacher asks her to co-produce this year's school play, she immediately agrees. But when auditions start she realises the absolute mess this production is, and how much time and effort pulling this play off will take. And then there is Charlotte, the most beautiful girl in her class that surely could never like her back, right? But when Alison's thought-through plans and machinations start driving her friends away, she starts to realise that high school may not just be all about good grades and top achievements...

This is such a cute, fun book! Full of jokes, misunderstanding and awkwardness, it is a fun journey through the final year of high school, with all its ups and downs. The pages just slipped by as disaster after disaster strikes the upcoming show, forcing all crew members to improvise and work together to make it happen after all. Alison's character development is so great to read. Pick this one up for a light and funny read full of interesting characters and a Shakespeare play that starts to feel way more relatable than anyone thought.

Thanks to NetGalley and Second Story Press for providing me with an e-arc!

I loved the title to begin with, so I was very excited to read this book. Meet Alison, a teenage girl in her senior year. To add a little extra to her university applications, she volunteers / gets tricked into becoming the producer of the school play, which happens to be A midsummer nights dream by Shakespeare.

I loved the outline of the story and the general idea of it. At some points the story is a little flimsy but it holds up. It portrays the life of teenagers in high school very well. It shows how busy and stressful it can be, as well as the importance of friendship. I loved that that was the main focus of this story, and not just the fact the main character was gay. It did play a role, of course, as it would in a young girls life, but it felt like just another fact about Alison. Like it's normal. Which, obviously, it is!

Alison learns a lot about leadership and friendship in this story. I would have liked to see a little more character development in the other characters too, though. The story didn't delve all too deep into their feelings.

Overall this is a cute story with a nice bit of sarcastic humor!

rep: lesbian main character, asian side character, wlw main relationship, mlm side relationship, pansexual side character

it would have been 3 stars if jenny hadn’t done that thing at the end to show her loyalty to her newfound family. this should have been a short read but it got tiring pretty fast.
also, the way every single teacher excused ben’s blatant misogyny was really annoying. and the quick way the main couple made up at the end was so weird i barely had time to understand it and suddenly it was over.
overall a cute read but with many flaws

Our main character in this high school drama (who also happens to be producing the high school drama, or comedy in this case) is named Alison Green. Alison, Al for short to her friends is a textbook perfectionist vying for the coveted Valedictorian title. She recently came out to her family and best friend and has the full support of both. Alison gets pressured by one of her teachers to co-produce the school play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, hence the title of this book. It soon consumes her life but it brings her in contact with her crush Charlotte and the two begin dating. Meanwhile, the drama of the play begins to strain Al and her friendships, but she learns that honesty is the best route to take in leadership and through her endless internal dialogue, the reader sees her grow as a person.. This book is an easy read and includes a diverse cast of characters that I wish we had known better, many of them are not incredibly developed. However, in spite of all the high school stereotypes, the awkwardness of being a teen is captured in all its pain and glory. I recommend reading this book in August in honor of the start of a new school year.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

This was a really wholesome easy read and it was definitely something to cheer you up during these uncertain times. I found Alison's character incredibly relatable - a perfectionist here, myself! - and the struggles she encounters are both absurd and so realistic. I like the relationships in the book. While many of them are predictable, they're still really well-written and there's a comfort in knowing how things are going to pan out.

SPOILER AHEAD: I particularly like that we don't know if Alison gets valedictorian or not, whether or not she gets the scholarship, because it leaves the book open to interpretation.

SPOILER AHEAD: I enjoyed the fact that the play wasn't a massive success or that the Otters won the semi-finals. In a lot of fiction, you see everything working out in the end but this book did the exact opposite and let us know that things don't always work out the way you think or hope they will.

I was really surprised by how much I liked this book. I was interested in the YA themes and thought it'd be light and fluffy. But it had a diverse group of kids and talked about some serious issues. The ending doesn't give you the success you want for it but instead it gives a truthful view of how everything unfolds in the real world. I think that this book is a really positive ones for kids to read and I'd definitely recommend to kids in high school or to anyone who wants a YA that's easy and light but filled with good themes and messages. There use to not be a lot of LGTBQ+ books that had "happy" endings but I'm very pleased to be able to read and review one.

Oh my god, this book was so cute ! Just a little fun read with a lot of humour and a bit of representation since our character, Alison is a lesbian, anxious girl who want to produce her high school production, a midsummer night's dream (it's my absolute favorite play by shakespeare).

It was a little cheesy but not too much, just the perfect amount of cheesy.
What I liked a lot about it, it's such a fast read with a fast placed history. You don't have to wait 200 pages to become interresting.
And can we talk about the writing style ? I loved it, it's was really fun.
There"s a High School Musical vibes so... Now that I just finish it, I have to watch the movie haha
Just read it, perfect read for summer or back to school period :)

Shakespeare is the most famous playwright in history, and perhaps the most notorious for high school students.

Alison has only ever dreamed of being valedictorian, she thought she was a shoe in until she had to get up close and personal with none other than William Shakespeare himself. Well maybe not himself, but she did have to produce a production of a Midsummer Night’s Dream with a haphazard cast and crew who had no experience whatsoever. Not only is Alison in over her head with the play, she also has to balance school, friends and perhaps a love life?

This novel was a really cute, easy read. It would have easily been a favourite of mine back in high school. It’s LGBTQ+ friendly, is diverse and very easily relatable. We’ve all been in a spot where we are way in over our heads and things just feel like too much. It has twists and turns, heartfelt moments and flows naturally. Watching the characters navigate their relationships with each other reminded me of my own high school days with my friends. It is a book that is definitely targeted towards teens, but even adults can reminisce about the turmoils of their high school days.

While I really enjoyed the book, I found most of the secondary characters to just be kind of there. They were involved in the novel, but I really felt that despite Dani’s attempts, I just didn’t really care. The inner friend circle of the main character was just fine, but the other members of the cast and crew just fell a bit flat. There was also a moment in the book that felt like it should have been more impactful or not included, it was so small though that it was easy to move past.

It was a really cute book that I would have no issue recommending, it was fun, inclusive and I found myself rooting for Alison. If you like YA contemporary, I think you should pick this up.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Allison Green is in her last year of high school and has one goal: becoming valedictorian. She has a younger sister, a comfortable house, and a best friend with a junky car named Harvey who can only be coaxed to start via a series of very specific actions.

She’s also gay and only really out to her family and best friend and at the beginning that seems like enough. After being tasked with helping to produce the school’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an event that started as volunteering hoping it would secure her place as number one student, she’s forced out of her comfort zone.

An anxious girl, she has to deal with people she has no way to talk with, which is basically everyone. Unless it involves texting which allows her the ability to edit her words before possibly saying the wrong thing.

She ropes her best friend and younger sister into helping with the play and along the way things get hairy.

She’s got a history of interfering in her oldest friend Jake’s love life. And due to her own inability to understand people (let’s be real, no one understood people in high school) it leads to a painful situation between her and Becca, Harvy’s owner.

She has a crush on the hottest girl in school who, to her immense surprise, is into her.

Allison starts the book with tunnel vision and grows from her mistakes and failings. The biggest question of what it means to be out and if she can handle it put her on the same page, mostly, with a student she absolutely couldn’t stand. There’s a lot of growth and Allison’s journey isn’t easy.

Yes her family is understanding and supportive even though her dad is a little oblivious, she learns that it isn’t enough to be supported by others. She has to be okay with and support herself.

Her grades start to slip, there’s trouble with the play due to the past of the drama teacher and then more personal drama on her end.

Every character feels real and totally fleshed out. There were moments where I was desperate for Allison to stop talking so she would stop making mistakes, where I wanted to shake her and make her do the right thing. I was glued to this book.

A fun read that’s impossible to put down, I give The Year Shakespear ruined my life a solid 4 stars. It’s a fun light read that just goes by quickly and for the positivity in it I give it four stars. However, if you’re looking for an LGBTQI+ experience that really gets down to the nitty-gritty of what not being out when your partner is, plus not really being out at all, this isn’t it.
It’s fun, is easy and kind of cheesy in how sweet it is but there’s nothing inherently wrong with that.

[Thanks to @netgalley and @_secondstory for the ARC!]

Just the simple fact that #theyearshakespeareruinedmylife by #danijansen involves theater queers makes me *swoon* It is the story of Alison Green, an overachieving high school senior whose biggest goal in life is to be Valedictorian. So when she is roped into producing the school play she sees it as an opportunity to get a leg up in the Valedictorian race, no matter how disastrously things are going.

However the "Ye Olde Shakespeare Disaster" also gives Alison an opportunity to get close to her crush, Charlotte. Their interactions reminded me of how I am with my (almost always) impossible crushes. I also relates to Alison's awkwardness and desire to achieve perfection, which is something that has followed me all my life.

This book also won me over for being centered mostly on queer teens. Alison doesn't struggle with her sexual orientation, but she does struggle with having to come out to everyone. And why do we always have to assume someone is straight? I also loved that Charlotte is pansexual (no matter how little there was from her because Alison seemed to be too focused on just about everything).

Still some things could have been more fleshed out like Alison's relationship to Charlotte (and Charlotte in general) and maybe some connection to the play they were rehearsing and the immediate high school drama could have been made. Also felt kind of weird that a queer Gen-Z teen would not know what a pansexual is (Brandon Urie anyone? ).

I started a tally reading this book, and it went like so:

Times failed to use the word lesbian: 13

Times the word lesbian is used, but not by the MC to refer to herself: 3

Times the MC uses the word lesbian about herself: 3

Because I have read way too many YA books which refuse to use the word lesbian at this point to have any sort of patience, to be quite honest. And, with 3 of the 19 mentions of the word, this book is actually doing way better than a lot of them.

But not enough that I wasn’t frustrated by it.

See, I know that in real life, people choose to use/not use particular labels however they wish. But, in fiction, the almost complete absence of the use of lesbian (especially compared to other labels), speaks such volumes. The use of a particular label in a positive context is going to help people who might not feel okay just yet about their identity. I mean, part of the reason they might not feel okay is a society that tells them “lesbian” is a dirty word, so continued use of that word in a positive context is only doing good things.

And like I said, this book didn’t do terribly on that - at least not as bad as I’ve seen - but I still want to see more characters who claim the word lesbian and claim it proudly. Who use it over and above every other term they could use. And that’s what this book didn’t give me.

But that wasn’t all the problems I had. It also very distinctly propounds an idea about being out and coming out that I hated. Namely, that you can’t be with someone if you’re not out. And that being out to a single person somehow “isn’t enough”.

Let me take the former to begin with. In two cases in this book, a character wants their love interest to be “more out” if they are to continue being together. Because they have this idea that not being out equates to shame. With the MC, it comes along the lines of being pressured to be “more out” by her girlfriend, which she goes along with easily enough, but I don’t know how to make it more clear that it is not being a good partner to pressure someone in this way. With the gay side character, who is closeted and self-hating and spends his time being openly misogynistic to put people off guessing he is gay, it’s the classic case of his boyfriend breaks up with him, because he’s not out, because it feels like shame. And sure, I guess there’s a story to be had there, but I think it’s one that involves a lot more introspection and time, and doesn’t end up being this character being pressured into coming out to everyone in a very public way, just for this guy. (Not to mention, if he really is so closeted, I doubt it would be so easy. I mean, struggling against something you’ve internalised is really fucking hard.)

The second part of the problem was when, having come out to her best friend, said best friend goes on to insist she comes out to her parents. Said straight best friend. Surely you see how bad this is, surely I do not need to explain it. No one decides when you come out but you. Absofuckinglutely no one. And this book does not just have one person decide when someone comes out, but three. While passing zero judgement on it.

So sorry if I lack patience for the rest of the damn thing.

As for the remainder of the book, there were two things that irritated me the most. Firstly, that the MC is so pretentious and just doesn’t really feel like a teenager because of it. I know, I know, it was a facet of her personality, and I really think it wouldn’t have bugged me quite so much if it weren’t for the above issues, but. It did.

And then there was the fact that they had one argument and then “broke up”. But they’re teens. They’re going to be melodramatic.

But the theatre mafia gave me a good laugh.

I went into this book really wanting to love it - but...I found the characters voice hard to commit to and the story itself while cute was not my cup of tea entirely! Perhaps another case of me being a bit past my YA days!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 4.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Unfortunately, this novel simply could not draw me in., so I did not finish it. As others already pointed it, it is very cute and I guess that is what put me off: it is just way too cute for my taste.