The Last Bard

About this book

Will and his mum are clearing out his grandad’s flat. Will never knew his grandad, because he fell out with Will’s parents years previously. 

Still, at least they’re away from Will’s cruel uncle Claude and his son, who’ve taken in Will and his mum after his dad died, but make them work for their board. 

Now there’s conflict between the residents of the flat block over whether to sell to a developer or not and Will’s new friend Ani is determined to drag him into this battle.  

Then Will opens an ancient copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare, only to find that some famous characters pop up and offer their help. Can Lady Macbeth, Juliet, Yorick the skull and Puck the fairy really help Will tell his story? Or will this all end in tragedy? 

Maz Evans once again combines humour with heart in a compellingly original read. Although there are many Shakespearean references, readers don’t need to recognise them to enjoy the story. 

Will’s story does touch on grief and on physical abuse, both dealt with in a sensitive manner, but the focus is on bringing the resident community together. There is also positive representation of fostering in Ani and her kind foster carer Ben. A delight.