Will's life changed irrevocably when his father died. Since then, he and his mother have been living with his cruel uncle and his son who treat both Will and his mother in the most appalling way. When Will's paternal grandfather dies, he and his mum head to his flat to clear it out. As his grandfather disowned his mum when she married Will's father, he has never been to the flat before and both are shocked by what they find, for Rex threw nothing away and the pair need to wade through years of paperwork. In amongst the papers, Will finds Rex's copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, the contents of which lead to a huge surprise: Will is Shakespeare's last living relative and the only person who can summon the characters from the book. As he begins to get to know the residents of Arden Heights and the various problems they are facing (not least of which is the threat of the building all the flats being bought up and turned into a hotel), could Will hold the key to solving everybody's problems?
Regular readers of my blog will know how much of a Maz fan I am and I still have fond memories of her visit to school (can't believe that was just before COVID!) so I was hugely excited to read The Last Bard. I have to say that I think this is her best book yet!
Will and his mum are very close to each other; they've had to be since the death of his father in order to survive the horrors of his uncle and cousin. It's clear that his mum feels awful about the situation but is powerless to get out of it (I really wanted to reach into the book and help her out). The week at Arden Heights, although it's his uncle who has demanded they go and clear the place out, is the perfect excuse for the pair to get away and have some time together (and to sleep in proper beds!). What unfolds is a glorious tale that deftly and appropriately weaves some really serious issues (family problems and bullying) with Maz's brilliant blend of humour to create a book that readers are going to absolutely adore.
There's a real warmth that runs through the book, and readers will love getting to know the various characters and their quirks. Will and Ani are both hiding important information and as the details unfold, I think it will help any readers who need to open up about problems they may be having.
The book is a real nod to Shakespeare and Maz acknowledges that she references every play in some way in the book - how many can you notice? The use of the characters in the plot is brilliant and adds a wonderfully witty element to the plot that will have you snorting your tea through your nose (just me?!). It will also open up the world of Shakespeare to a host of children who may otherwise not have been interested.
I could wax lyrical about The Last Bard for a very long time - safe to say that Maz is a writing genius; the book is a brilliant read, and would make a brilliant read aloud... time to get practising those accents!
