Shakespeare's Scribe by Gary Blackwood

The great Shakespeare has inspired many stories since his time of writing. One such story is the great novel Shakespeare's Scribe by Gary Blackwood. This is a suspense filled story where Widge, an actors apprentice, comes face to face with the black plague. When the plague strikes Stratford and the globe theater, Widge and the other players are forced to travel around to other cities in search of money. This money is to be sent back to Widge's orphanage to help with the rising expenses of caring for many homeless children. On their journey they face thieves, the plague, and each other, as trust begins to falter between the players. During all of this, a mysterious man is found claiming to know Widge's mother, and also claiming to be Widge's father. This only brings more doubt into the group, as some of the players believe that the mysterious man is trying to con them. Widge is also challenged by Sal Pavy, another actors apprentice, and the two must compete for the most important parts in these very famous plays. At the end of the story, Widge emerges with truer friends, a much higher self esteem, and a true picture of what life may hold for him later on.

Gary Blackwood's Shakespeare's Scribe has a great use of suspense and foreshadowing. The use of suspense in the novel kept the reader glued to the book. An example of suspense in this novel is when Sam, an accompanying player on the journey, draws marks on his skin with face paint that made him look "as if he had the plague," commented Widge after the joke had been played. This practical joke not only scared the team of men, but it also scared the reader. Blackwood used many great writing skills on this novel, but one he obviously has mastered is foreshadowing, which he uses throughout the story. When the wagon that is used for transportation mysteriously catches fire one night, the reader knows that someone is after them. This shows that there is more excitement to come. This story is great for its use of suspense and foreshadowing.

The only disappointment found in this book comes at the end of the story. Here, there seemed to be several things that were not concluded properly. For example, the man that claimed to be Widge's father disappeared and the reader is never told where he went or what happened to him. Another example of the unconcluded ending is that Blackwood never explained if the players ever made enough money to help out at the home with the Globe Theater, which was their primary goal. If this one problem was fixed, this would easily be one of the best books that I have ever read.

I would recommend this suspense-filled novel to anyone thirsting for a mysterious book with many twists and turns that are sure to keep the reader wanting more. I'm sure that once started, The Shakespeare's Scribe will not be a disappointment to anyone because of the well thought-out plot, characters that everyone will either love or dislike, and the surprising ending.