Nothing Happened by Molly Booth + Blog Tour Contest

Today’s review is part of the official blog tour for this book. Be sure to keep reading to learn more & enter for your chance to win a copy! Also. Bonus: pictures of me as a teenage camp counselor lie within.

All the drama, romance, and misunderstandings that abound in Shakespeare’s classic play Much Ado About Nothing are found with delight in Nothing Happened, Molly Booth’s charming modern retelling.

This modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing takes place at the idyllic Camp Dogberry, where sisters Bee and Hana Leonato have grown up. Their parents own the place, and every summer they look forward to leading little campers in crafts, swimming in the lake, playing games of capture the flag and sproutball, and of course, the legendary counselor parties.

This year, the camp drama isn’t just on the improv stage. Bee and longtime counselor Ben have a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that’s complicated by events that happened—or didn’t happen—last summer. Meanwhile, Hana is falling hard for the kind but insecure Claudia, putting them both in the crosshairs of resident troublemaker John, who spreads a vicious rumor that could tear them apart.

As the counselors juggle their camp responsibilities with simmering drama that comes to a head at the Fourth of July sparkler party, they’ll have to swallow their pride and find the courage to untangle the truth, whether it leads to heartbreak or happily ever after.

Okay, so confession time. In my younger and more vulnerable years … I was a camp counselor. I give you photographic evidence, exhibit A:

So I feel confident saying that Molly Booth has perfectly captured the craziness, excitement, fun, and raging hormones that come with the territory. Seriously … the camp counselor drama at the heart of Nothing Happens isn’t just an excellently executed retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing; it perfectly captures the emotions and antics that encapsulate the camp counselor experience.

I admit to already having a soft spot for Much Ado; it’s one of my favorites of Shakespeare’s plays. And I obviously have a lot of nostalgic, warm fuzzy feelings about my summers spent working as a camp counselor. So combine the two, and it’s no surprise that I adored Nothing Happened. But part of what made this book work so well was that she made the misunderstandings believable; sure, it’s a lot of teenage romantic drama — but good lord, that’s part of what being a teenager is about — and I could relate so much to the drama and antics that ensued throughout this book.

The writing is on-point. The story is funny and witty and charming, and filled with more diversity than ol’ Will Shakespeare probably ever imagined. The plot is engaging and captivating, and the characters are endearing, even with all their flaws.

Brimming with nostalgia, love, and friendship, Nothing Happened is a YA romance worthy of the Bard’s approval. Look for it in stores now.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iBooks | TBD

Bonus … more teenage Sara camp counselor photos:

Molly Booth (she/her/hers) writes books about Shakespeare and feelings. She’s the author of Young Adult novels SAVING HAMLET (2016) and NOTHING HAPPENED (5.15.2018), both published by Disney Hyperion. In high school, she was a stage manager for three different community theatres, which almost killed her. She graduated from Marlboro College and went onto study more Shakespeare (twist!) at University of Massachusetts Boston. Molly is a freelance writer and editor and has been published on TheMarySue.com, McSweeneys.net, HelloGiggles.com, and various other websites. She co-hosts a Bardcentric podcast, Party Bard, and directs a lovely, hilarious, and fierce group of homeschooling teen Shakespearean actors. She also speaks and teaches workshops at schools, colleges, bookstores, book fairs, camps, and libraries. Molly lives in Massachusetts, where she spends a lot of time with family and friends, and the rest attending to her queenly cat and loaf-of-bread-shaped dog.  ​

​Literary agent: Alex Slater at Trident Media Group.

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3 winners will receive a finished copy of NOTHING HAPPENED, US Only.

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Week One:

• 5/14/2018- The Book Girl– Review
• 5/14/2018- YA Books Central– Interview
• 5/15/2018- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review
• 5/15/2018- Wonder Struck– Review
• 5/16/2018- Pretty Little Library– Review
• 5/16/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader– Review
• 5/17/2018- Books and Ladders– Review
• 5/17/2018- Sophie Reads YA– Review
• 5/18/2018- To Be Read– Review
• 5/18/2018- BookHounds YA– Guest Post

Week Two:

• 5/21/2018- Magical Reads– Review
• 5/21/2018- The Cover Contessa– Interview
• 5/22/2018- Dani Reviews Things– Review
• 5/22/2018- Angelic Book Reviews– Review
• 5/23/2018- Blushing Bibliophile– Review
• 5/23/2018- Two points of interest– Review
• 5/24/2018- Bookworm Café– Review
• 5/24/2018- Novel Novice– Review
• 5/25/2018- Portrait of a Book– Review
• 5/25/2018- BookCrushin– Guest Post