Title: Juliet Immortal
Author(s): Stacey Jay
Genre: Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult
Publisher/Year: Delacorte Press/2011
-Webpage: Stacey Jay Homepage
-Blog: Stacey Jay Blog

Synopsis:  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.


Rating:

Review:  Note: this is more of a 4.5. I'll say this much, for a book about true love, soul-mates and finding 'The One' it really only accomplished one thing--I'm terrified of anyone who says that we have a forever kind of love. Seriously, either way you look at it (in the book at least) its a horrifying prospect.

To explain, everyone knows the story of Romeo and Juliet right? Young lovers, bitter enemies, dead cousins, secret weddings, poison and daggers cut short their lives (of woe). Well! Apparently in reality Romeo was a devious, manipulative creep who wanted life eternal (and was stupid enough to trust some shady folks to give it to him at their word) and Juliet was a naive, innocent who truly was Italian in all ways (deep love turned to deep hatred--Italians do nothing in half measures). So now the two are working for opposing sides (the 'Mercenaries' and 'Ambassadors') and either helping true lovers remain eternal or dashing their pretty hopes in a sea of jealousy, hatred and murder.

With me so far?

It only gets better from there.

Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, was never one of my favorites of his plays.  I've always learned towards Twelfth Night or Taming of the Shrew.  Always thought there was something faintly...disturbing about the young lovers sacrificing everything.  So for me this fit my view on things perfectly.  Juliet is bitter, cynical and reluctant to help true love when it did her so wrong.  Romeo is is a selfish, conceited malcontent who's more than half crazy and delusional to boot.  Their interactions are intriguing to say the least.  In their own ways they're both insane, both liars and opportunists. 

I liked the fact that Jay makes the characters just a bit sociopathic and mercenary.  With perhaps he exception of Ben (who is about as close to perfect as you can get honestly), everyone else works hard to further their own agendas.  Juliet, who is our primary narrator save for the few times Romeo does during the 'Intermezzos', admits that her views may have been skewed.  She acknowledges that despite everything she's done as 'Nurse' has told her because it was easier.  The epiphanies she has at the end--and they come one on top of the other practically--are thought-provoking.  Did she view Gemma fairly?  Was Romeo truly trying to redeem himself?  Was she really helping because it was the right thing to do or because it was the simplest thing to do?

My only complaint is with the confusing ending.  Jay starts discussing 'what ifs' and she kind of lost me, which is unfortunate because its important to the ending to understand where she was going.  Not just for Juliet, but for Romeo as well.  If that last bit with Romeo at the very end wasn't included, I think I would have understood better.  As it is, the last few lines (and implication behind them) muddied the water.  It left me wondering 'So...who exactly is on the wrong side again?'


Buy Links
// Book Depository