Review of Exposure by Amy Helmes and Kim Askew

Sypnosis:
Double, double, toil and trouble.  Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly!  In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare's Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate.  Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFF's; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenizie: the man who would be Prom King.  Can Skye save the boy she love--and herself--before they get caught in crosshairs? (Taken from Goodreads) 

Stars Given: ★★★★★

Overall Review:
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Double, double, toil and trouble."  Wow!  This twisted modern version of Shakespeare's play, Macbeth uncovered the hidden hierarchy presented in high school.  Who would have thought that it was possible to integrate an everyday high school into one of Shakespeare's tragic plays.  Askew stepped up to the plate and delivered another well written twist to one of the most well known plays.

I was surprised at how well the characters in the book was so closely related to the characters in Macbeth, although some characters took time to develop. Askew took time as she slowly peeled away the secrets and insecurities of the "higher ranking" teenagers. It goes to show that perhaps gaining something like fame and popularity requires a sacrifice. In this case, the sad love story of two friends who obviously loved each other were separated by a cruel twist of faith. Craig was the very personification of Macbeth. The way he was lead astray by Beth and blinded by the power he gained, he soon tried to hide from his guilty deed. The difference between these two stories is that Craig finds his soul and realizes his mistake. 

This book was impossible to put down as soon as I started. I would recommend this book to any lovers of Shakespeare out there.

Characters:
Skye - 
Description of Character: A beautiful girl hiding her beauty behind her insecurities.  Skye is one of those characters who demonstrates the true meaning of loyalty.  She is shunned by her friend whom she trusts yet continues to keep his secret.  As a righteous person, Skye continues to urge Craig to see the evil hidden behind his beautiful and popular girlfriend, Beth.  

Review of Character: Skye is one of the characters I admired in this book.  She truly wanted to help Craig.  I don't think many people would have been able to do this.  Craig was so cold and rude to her yet she was able to see him past his wall.  she understood him like no one else did.  If I was placed in her position, I might have ratted him out in order to get revenge on the way he treated Skye.   Skye is beautiful inside and out.  
Craig -
Description of Character: Craig was once Skye's best friend.  However, he was led astray by Beth.  Even though Craig joins the popular kids, his morals aren't affected.  He feels tremendous guilt when he committed a deed that changed everyone's life.  Craig is a person who listens to his father and hopes to achieve his approval.  This was one of the reason why Craig fell in love with Beth.  He felt that he needed someone to dictate him.

Review of Character: Craig was one of those characters that made me as "Why?".  Why would he be blinded by Beth's beauty?  Why is he leaving his best friend?  Craig is like most teenagers.  He desires the attention and popularity.  Perhaps this is why he fell for Beth.  Being a teenager myself, I can see why Craig would leave Skye.  I mean, no one wants to be alone.  Everyone wants someone to talk to.  I think that he was one of the characters I could relate to.  I was truly relieved when he was able to find his way through the mist and walk on the path of light again.

*Supporting characters not listed