A Midsummer Night's Scream

I’ll admit, I side-eyed the concept at first—*another* Shakespeare horror parody? But *A Midsummer Night’s Scream* won me over in the first 20 minutes, largely thanks to Carrie Brewer’s narration. She doesn’t just *read* this book; she *performs* it like a one-woman fringe festival. Her Puck is a delightful mix of stoner slacker and malevolent imp, and her delivery of lines like *“Lord, what fools these mortals be… to die so messily”* had me cackling. The audio production is crisp, with just enough atmospheric flourishes (a distant chainsaw rev here, a squelchy *thud* there) to enhance the chaos without distracting. That said, the pacing stumbles in Act 2 when Bergantino leans *too* hard into the slasher tropes. A protracted forest chase sequence starts to feel repetitive, like a *Friday the 13th* montage stretched thin. And while the humor lands more often than not, a few jokes—especially the anachronistic pop-culture references—feel forced, like a Reddit thread come to life. Still, the final act’s twist (involving a certain donkey-headed character and a *very* creative use of props) is worth the price of admission alone. If you’ve ever wanted to hear iambic pentameter delivered over the sound of a machete hitting bone, this is your audiobook. Just maybe don’t listen while eating.