I have never actually read the original Hamlet by Shakespeare so I can't really speak for how this compares as a retelling. Setting that aside, I can tell why this might not work for some people. From the beginning of the story you can gather the outcome that is to come, and it is really about the downward spiral of the characters that are all locked together in this building. I think this really worked for me as a character study but also because I really enjoyed how this book is structured- the story is told as if in retrospect from a unrelated third party perspective- including things like audio and video transcripts, text messages, and excerpts from a fictional memoir. In my opinion, it all works together to keep you hooked even as you know that things are not going to end well.