- Title: Juliet Immortal
- Classification: Young Adult (Ages 14 and up)
- Genre: Paranormal Romance
- Format: Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (August 9, 2011)
- ISBN-10: 0385740166
- ISBN-13: 978-0385740166
- Author's Website: http://www.staceyjay.com/
'Real love has little to do with falling. It's a climb up the rocky face of a mountain, hard work, and most people are too selfish or too scared to bother. Very few reach the critical point in their relationship that summons the attention of the light and the dark, that place where they will make a commitment to love no matter what obstacles-or temptations- appear in their path.'
'Love doesn't want people to stay ignorant and frightened. Love doesn't value obedience over all else. Love doesn't judge and find some lives--or loves--more valuable than others. Love doesn't use people and throw them away. Love stays, and makes you stronger, even when the person you love is gone.'
What if the greatest love story of all time was based on a lie? What if Romeo and Juliet was a true story but didn't happen the way Shakespeare wrote it? What if Romeo and Juliet hadn't permanently died, but came back to life over and over again until they get it right or ran out of time? What if Romeo betrayed Juliet? What if???
Romeo and Juliet have spent the last 700 years in a seemingly endless cycle. Juliet fights for the side of true love while Romeo seeks to destroy it. The two have spent lifetime upon lifetime battling over soul mates. Romeo attempting to break them apart by having one kill the other and thereby turning them to the dark side--the Mercenaries of the Apocalypse. Juliet attempts to keep them together fighting for the Ambassadors of Light. But this time things seem different. This time might be their last shot for finding happiness and redemption. This time they might just be able to get things right.
This was an interesting twist on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It was suspenseful and made you wonder what exactly happened between Romeo and Juliet that first time round to have them currently sparing against each lifetime after lifetime on opposing sides of good and evil. He claims he loves her. She claims he killed her and their love. What exactly happened is a mystery until the very end.
Romeo can only come back to life in a reanimated corpse. Once he's in possession he can heal the damage done by the person's death and pass for the living. He can hop from one body to another for each new mission. Juliet, on the other hand, takes over a living person's body once every fifty years or so and, in effect, swaps places with them. Juliet, when not in possession of a body, resides in a place she refers to as the mist. On this mission, Juliet's Ambassador contact is no where to be found and for the first time she must find the soul mates she needs to help on her own. Romeo realizes this mission is different as well. So instead of attempting to kill Juliet to get rid of the competition, he wants to try to mend things with her. Juliet is caught between wanting to believe him, yet daring not to. He's fooled her before and she does not wish to play the part of the fool again.
I liked the book. The characters were engaging, the plot was intriguing, but I was hoping for a more spectacular explanation of what happened between Romeo and Juliet even with the surprise twist at the end. Plus, I was hoping for a better explanation of who the Ambassadors of Light and Mercenaries of the Apocalypse were, and why they started their love/hate battle. Perhaps we'll find out in the next book? Romeo Redeemed is due out in October of 2012. I'm curious how Ms. Jay will redeem him. Overall, I gave this one 3 out of 5 roses. A fun story with a nice message entwined in the end.
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