KISS THE BOOK: By Any Other Name By Erin Cotter - OPTIONAL

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

By Any Other Name By Erin Cotter - OPTIONAL

By Any Other Name by Erin Cotter, 464 pgs. Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. $22

Language: R (100+ swears, no ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (minimal mention of alcohol consumption); Violence: R (sword play (bloody), murder (off page), poisoning deaths (on page), torture (off page), threatened execution, assault (bloody), person run over by a horse and cart (bloody), crossbow shootings (on page, bloody))

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS-OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Will is a 16-year-old actor who has become too old to play the female roles and too young to be the male lead. Desperate for money, he asks his good friend, Kit Marlowe, for help. While meeting with Kit at a pub, he watches as his benefactor is brutally murdered in front of him. This will launch Will on an adventure of spying, royal intrigue, and love, as he seeks to avenge his friend.

Unfortunately, the only strong part of this book is the positive, although historically inaccurate, LGBTQIA+ relationship portrayal. Otherwise, the reader will find a plot with many characters and storylines that are underdeveloped, plot twists that fall flat, and biographical unease. The main characters read well above their stated ages with the main character’s story bogged down by numerous overdramatic inner monologues. 

AEB

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