Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Title: Juliet Immortal

Author: Stacey Jay

Publisher: Delacorte Books

Genre: YA, Retelling, Fantasy

Release Date: Aug 9, 2011

Source: Random Buzzers

Purchase: TBD | Amazon

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. 

"These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,

Which as they kiss consume."

—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

I have always been a fan of re-tellings, and more so a fan of Romeo and Juliet, ever since we read it and watched the movie in school. So when I heard about this book, I just had to read it. And I'm glad that I did.

What I really liked about this book is that it wasn't what I expected. Jay keeps the reader questioning and curious about the fated night of Romeo and Juliet's demise. I found myself questioning what was going on throughout the entire book until the end when all the pieces of Juliet's life and afterlife come together.

When Juliet inhabits the body of Ariel Dragland, she is in for more then she bargained for. And she didn't realize Romeo would be so close behind. Juliet/Ariel notices that things are not quite right with this shift. She can't get a hold of her trusted Ambassadors by any means and Romeo is right on her feet and watching her every move. But he realizes something isn't right himself and devises a plan to try to save him and his beloved, Juliet. However, Juliet doesn't quite trust him and is faced with decisions of her own. Should she trust the boy she once loved and gave up everything for or should she embrace her new feelings for a boy that she doesn't quite know and is forbidden to love.

This had me pulled in from the start, trying to fit in as much reading time as I could. And that's quite hard with a 3 year old that keeps me busy all day long. I found myself staying up until 3am once or twice trying to read as much as I could before I went to sleep. It gripped on to my attention from the moment I picked it up and started reading to the very end.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of second chances, a little action, romance and retellings. And if you're not familiar with Romeo & Juliet, it's ok, you really don't have to be to read this and get caught up into their lives.