Whimsical, touching, witty, and unlike anything I have ever read by Darren Dash, Midsummer's Bottom is a delightful read, and one I will surely remember for a long time.
Before Master Shakespeare had published his magical tale of fairies, love, and mischief, he sought help from some beings who were well-versed on the subject... actual fairies. In exchange for their help, the Bard himself thanked them in a way that would soon make them regret ever lending a helping hand in his work.
They would have to endure every incarnation of the play. The good and the bad...and the very bad.
As the 20th anniversary of a local community's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream approaches, the fairies seek help in a human who thrives on chaos, in hope of destroying any future production of the local play.
Accepting the challenge, Del Chapman pulls out all the stops, and becomes the play's and the players' very worst nightmare.
I didn't need to know what the book was about before I accepted Darren Dash's book review request. I trust him and his work, and I would read his edition of the dictionary, then reread it again. That being said, once I started Midsummer's Bottom, I was baffled! This did not sound like the author I'd come to love all those years ago. This was a new formula for him--a formula that worked.
Although, during the first few chapters, I was preparing myself for the worst. What if I didn't like it as much as his darker work? I would, of course, still be honest in my review, but it would have slowly killed me to admit that I didn't love everything Darren had written.
Thankfully, that wasn't the case. I found myself constantly thinking about this book. Mourning reading time I lost cooking, or sleeping, or spending family time. (Sorry, family.)
Darren Dash has once again, stunned me with his talent of storytelling. I did not want this book to end.
I found myself laughing out loud, audibly gasping, and furrowing my brow when tensions got thick. (Which, when a book is about a main character who causes chaos, happens A LOT.)
It warmed my heart, it had me clicking for more--even when the book was over, and it confirmed one thought in my mind, that was a distant whisper until now--
---Darren Dash can do anything.
