2.5 ish stars. Okay, so this low review might have to do with the fact that I'm also reading Romeo and Juliet, and the two books just cannot compare to each other. The cover? Stunning, and the title intriguing, which is what compelled me to pick up the book from the 'new young adult' shelf at my library. Needless to say, I had not read Romeo and Juliet, at the time, and I found it to be an incredibly intriguing story. I returned to the library Two weeks later, with my library card in hand. If now read the first act of Romeo and Juliet, and I was pleased to discover that it was set during that story. Alright, so now the actual story. The first few chapters were promising, indeed. Wonderful. The characters were well-fleshed out, and it was very well-written. Then the fight scene happened. And Shakespeare's words became mixed with hers, and it was far too easy to tell when it was Shakespeare's writing and when it was hers. If you're going to rewrite a Shakespearian play, you shouldn't use his own words at times, in my opinion... And then twisting them... It almost makes me shudder, in a way.I'll try not to spoil it for any of you, but in my opinion it undermined the play. Romeo and Juliet is a story about the rashness of youth, and how quick they are to grow up. This was a romance novel (the romance was NOT Romeo and Juliet) that included many things that didn't need to be there... She both changed te story too much, and not enough. At some parts, it was completely Shakespeare, and at others... It was not. I'm pretty sure that I've never given a book 5 stars, but this one completely deserves it. Even for those who didn't particularly like Romeo and Juliet, I would recommend this book. It's not just a bland retelling from Benvolio's point of view, it's a great novel on its own, with Romeo and Juliet on the side. I LOVED the characters of his grandmother and Veronica, it showed how women battled back in those times, in much more of a sly way. The book was written exactly how it should be, not complicated enough to be Shakespeare, but also intelligent enough to sound as if it came from the times. Rosaline's character was my favorite, she wasn't the feeble Juliet, she was a crafty match for Benvolio. The book also explains the fervor of the almost hysteric romance between Romeo and Juliet. I laughed at how she wrote Romeo; irresponsible and headstrong. We feel Benvolio's irritation of watching over Romeo to save both of them, as well as Romeo's carelessness for what punishment Ben could receive. Mercutio's personality is explained. I would recommend reading R & J before reading this and if you have already and liked it, then read this book!
What do You think about Prince Of Shadows (2014)?
YA Romeo and Juliet re-write and fantastic fun. Suitable for older high school students.
—WhayDoIHaveToHaveANick
What a fresh take on Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed reading this a lot.
—kjalloh56
New twist on an old classic....I loved this book!
—zivahnium
