Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Title: Juliet Immortal

Author: Stacey Jay

Publisher:  Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 8.9.2011

Pages: 304

Genre:  Romance

Series: No

Source: Finished copy won from

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Review:

To say that this book completely blew me away in surprise is such a gross understatement that I hesitate to even say it. I figured this book would be something the romantic in me would enjoy, but by the end I had positively swooned. I never wanted this end. Stacey Jay took the story of Romeo and Juliet and twisted it around completely—and in the best way possible.

I almost feel like I need to include a little warning label because there is quite a bit of sexuality in this book. I probably wouldn’t hand this book to a thirteen-year-old, but a sixteen-year-old? Absolutely. It’s a great way to get teenagers interested in Shakespeare and more involved in their classes (most public school in the U.S. cover Romeo and Juliet in high school). This is a fantastic book to recommend to teens and adults alike.

Juliet is a devastatingly caring girl. Tasked with uniting lovers and protecting love itself, she almost seems like the eternal optimist. I loved her from the start. She is such an easy character to adore. Centuries later, the betrayal she still feels from Romeo’s actions, is visceral.

And Romeo, Romeo. From his first interactions with Juliet, I was mesmerized. I had such a hard time hating him because his actions were not as cut and dry as the synopsis makes them out to be. There are so many layers to him and a depth I didn’t imagine possible. I was torn the whole book between cheering for him and wanting him to fail miserably.

This is a book for romance lovers. It is lyrical and magical and I simply could not get enough. I could have read this book forever.

Buy: Amazon