I found Enter the Body to be a pretty compelling read, with a very interesting premise and very fun themes of reclaiming your own story and feminism. The setting of the Trap Room and the exploration of storytelling and theater on the whole were super interesting to me, and I think the author's passion for Shakespeare and the women written by him really shines through in this book! I can see it being very impactful for young/teenage girls in particular due to both the themes and the style of writing.
One thing about this book, however, is that I think the reader needs to be 100% willing to go along with it, both in terms of the premise itself and the style in which it's told. It's definitely not subtle about its themes at all, with characters stating or discussing them pretty blatantly, and while that's not a bad thing necessarily, it is very on the nose and could be offputting for some readers. At the same time, due to the focus on Shakespeare and some of the character's ages, the language tends to be a bit flowery, poetic, and, well, dramatic. I definitely think this is a purposeful stylistic choice and one that suits the piece, but I do think it will be too much for some people at the same time. It can be, to put it very bluntly, a little cheesy. Still, I think this novel is a very interesting exploration of girlhood and narrative violence, and could, again, be very moving for the right audience. My rating of a three is mostly just because of my personal tastes and preferences along with the things I discussed in this paragraph, but this is a pretty solid book overall.
One thing about this book, however, is that I think the reader needs to be 100% willing to go along with it, both in terms of the premise itself and the style in which it's told. It's definitely not subtle about its themes at all, with characters stating or discussing them pretty blatantly, and while that's not a bad thing necessarily, it is very on the nose and could be offputting for some readers. At the same time, due to the focus on Shakespeare and some of the character's ages, the language tends to be a bit flowery, poetic, and, well, dramatic. I definitely think this is a purposeful stylistic choice and one that suits the piece, but I do think it will be too much for some people at the same time. It can be, to put it very bluntly, a little cheesy. Still, I think this novel is a very interesting exploration of girlhood and narrative violence, and could, again, be very moving for the right audience. My rating of a three is mostly just because of my personal tastes and preferences along with the things I discussed in this paragraph, but this is a pretty solid book overall.