Today includes two features with one review-- Forgotten Fridays and a re-telling of Romeo & Juliet as part of my Re-Telling Reads Month.
Forgotten Fridays is a wonderful new feature started by the ladies at Great Imaginations. It's to focus on books hanging out on our TBR shelves, or whatever you may like to read, that are at least a year or so older. They came up with this fun concept after realizing there are still books out there needing attention other than just the newest releases or ARCs. This feature helps gets those reviews and comments out, along with hopefully finding some hidden gems along the way. I'm planning to make Forgotten Friday review posts at least one or two Fridays out of the month. If you want to learn more, make sure you stop by their blog!
Also, Re-Telling Reads Month continues with this review of Juliet Immortal, a re-telling of Romeo & Juliet! If you haven't read what this is about yet, you can check out my post on what I'm doing with this feature here.
Title: Juliet Immortal
Author: Stacey Jay
Category/Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
See it at Amazon
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See it at BAM
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.
I have a mild obsession with all things Shakespeare. Okay. Not mild. Probably classified insane. Whatever. Everyone knows it. And when it comes to getting my interest in any modern re-telling, you’re going to certainly get it if it has to do Shakespeare. So what if I’ve read Romeo & Juliet a thousand times? Or if I’ve read it in a number of variations through the years from other re-tellings? I don’t care. I’ll still give it a try anyway because it’s R & J and based on one of my favorite reads of all time.
“The greatest love story ever told is a lie.”
Naturally, when Juliet Immortal released (in early 2011, I believe?), I wanted it bad. That synopsis? Golden. Not the usual story recycle or anything of that sort. Really sounded like a re-telling with a fresh concept. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the book for some time due to funds, busy schedule, etc.. And when I finally bought it earlier this summer from a clearance sale, I was excited all over again. Also, that tag was enough to get my attention as it was anyway. I didn’t even have to read the synopsis to know I was going to want to read this book. **Though, I need to side note here and say that I feel like people may put too much claim into R & J being a “great love story.” Or is that just me? One of my faves, yes, but I’ve never viewed it as a love story and I still don’t get it. But that’s for a whole separate discussion later! I’m getting off topic! :P
But there was a problem with Juliet Immortal. It completely disappointed me. I probably should’ve expected it though. It really is hard for me to LOVE a re-telling, particularly a Shakespeare one, and this was just another one to add to the pile of blaaaahhh. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the names and a few note toss-ins during the story about the their past, it really could have been just a separate piece all together with no connection at all. I like a re-telling to feel like its own story, but I also like to feel that connection to the original piece as well. I know I mentioned above how much I loved the fresh concept of the idea, and I did and still do, but I still felt disconnected once I’d read. I’m not sure if that makes much sense, but it’s hard to explain really.
I almost marked this as a DNF before I even reached fifty pages in because it starts out a bit dull, and the narrative is so wah wah wah wah… Then there’s also the insta-love, as if Juliet hadn’t learned from her past mistakes enough as it is. But I pushed on because I really did need to get some reading done. I’ve been slacking so bad the last few weeks with NaNo and the family life keeping me busy. It does get better as it gets further along, and I think the story has an interesting plot idea for the re-telling with Romeo and Juliet’s continuation. I would’ve liked a bit more oomph and detail or more background information for better understanding in the beginning. Twists and turns did keep me wanting to turn the pages. And despite my love for the original play and characters, I find it incredibly amusing to take the two and create such a mess between them with this one. I’d love to read another re-telling in the future with something similar to this type of relationship----the idea of Romeo and Juliet hating each other or a what-if (they’d never met)? I think it’d be interesting!
I do give it unique points for the imaginative idea and a thumbs up for managing to grab my attention again. But not one of the better re-tellings I’ve read in recent years. I doubt I’ll continue to the next book because I didn’t find enough curiosity at the end to want it. The writing was well done, even if a bit dry at times--and I’d look forward to reading more from the author in the future I’m sure. :)
Title: A Wounded Name
Author: Dot Hutchison
Category/Genre: YA, Contemporary, Re-tellings
Expected Release: September 1st
See it at Goodreads
There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.
I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.
Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.
Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.
At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.
YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.
Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet".
If it hadn’t been for perhaps some of the most beautiful writing I’ve experienced this year, I may not have finished this book in the first place. A Wounded Name was one of the titles I highly coveted just for the simple fact it was a Hamlet re-telling, which I’d already read a re-telling earlier this year (Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray and adored), and that cover is seriously gorgeous. Plus, how could it go wrong with a synopsis like that? Honestly, going into the title, I didn’t read any early reviews. I just read the synopsis, saw the pretty cover, and dove right into the read with my own pre-conceived ideas of how this Hamlet re-telling was going to go. Sure, a boarding school was mentioned somewhere in there. I admit to rolling my eyes a bit at that before I even started because I found that typical to a re-telling in a YA category (taking the characters and placing them in a boarding school/high school setting). Nonetheless, Hutchison wrote this with elegance. The boarding school was barely in the background, hardly mentioned at times throughout the majority of the read and not a main focus of the story or the characters. This was good.
Where I got confused the most was that despite the wonderful writing and well-crafted cast of recreated characters, the timing felt completely off to me. I didn’t know at the start that it was going to be a modern re-telling, and it still wasn’t until about thirty pages into it that I finally figured it out. The way it’s written is almost classically, as well as the use of description, names, and style--so when a car or cell phone suddenly pops into the picture, it really threw me off balance from the story at times. I felt like maybe it distracted me from it to be honest and could’ve done without the modern technology, working to be just set in the late 1800s-1900s, and would’ve worked out even better. But that’s just me.
I did like that it was quite accurate with the play, with a mixture of fantasy elements, and even included some of the quotes in passing dialogue between the characters.
Enjoyed!
Unfortunately there's only been two posts between Thoughts of an Endless Dreamer and I this year for this event. Both of us seemed to have things come up at the worst times and things didn't quite work out the way we'd planned. There's always next year, though! And I'm still doing the Classics' Challenge all year long, which anytime I post a review in connection with that, I'll be sure to have an attached button to make a note.
Closing out the Shakespeare Month, I'm doing a quick recap to say we finished off the month reading (re-reading) Much Ado About Nothing and Othello. I personally found a new favorite with Much Ado--which I hadn't picked up since high school--and also realized how much more I like Othello now that I'm older and can appreciate the story and characters than when I was younger. It's a funny thing that...as much as I liked Shakespeare as a teen, too, there were several of his plays that I just didn't get at the time also. That's why I like taking the opportunity to do re-reads every so often. :)
On Tuesday, we celebrated Shakespeare's date of birth (born April 23, 1564--died April 23, 1616) and I tweeted out the question: "What is your favorite Shakespeare play (or plays)?"
Well... I certainly have more than one. Lol. I do believe my top favorite will always be Romeo & Juliet. It was the first I'd ever read, the characters I know best. I watched several adaptations. I've read it so many times. I've adored several books based on the play. You get the picture by now. :P It's probably cliche to say that I love this one the best since it's his most well-known play, but I don't care.
Another favorite of mine has always been Macbeth. And most recently, I've found myself being drawn in more and more to Hamlet--despite my initial distaste for it in the beginning.
I don't just like his tragedies though...so not to worry! Of course I adored Much Ado because the character dynamics are just outstanding, and A Midsummer Night's Dream because well, it's Puck.
What are some books I'd recommend reading if you're a Shakespeare fan?
Escape From Verona by David Gray -- It's a re-telling of what could've happened if Romeo & Juliet had actually faked their deaths and went on the run from their families. Along the way, they meet some other notable characters from some of Shakespeare's most famous works like Petruchio and Desdemona and Othello.
Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray -- Absolutely one of my favorites so far. A Contemporary re-telling of Hamlet (obviously) and I thought the author did a fantastic job of bringing the story to the modern age, which is often hard to do. This book made me re-read Hamlet and fall in love with it even more. So I had to give it the bonus points for that.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion -- Everyone always acts so surprised when I tell them that this one is loosely inspired by Romeo & Juliet? Anyway. Definite recommendation.
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa -- I can't say for sure, but I can see an inspiration from A Midsummer Night's Dream. At least there's several key characters used. Puck, Tatiana, Oberon, Queen Mab. And it's a wonderful series full of amazing characters that you'll get easily attached to.
Do you have any recommendations of your own?
And with Shakespeare Month coming to a close, I leave you with this:
The first week of Shakespeare Month focused on Macbeth and we (Thoughts of an Endless Dreamer and I) are wrapping this one up and getting ready to move on to the next one.
Macbeth has always been considered one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most powerful when it comes to his tragedies due to the politics and psychological intensity. It’s also one of his shorter plays, though still impacting with stand-out, memorable characters and a plot filled with chaos. (To be fair and add in a quick thought, I always have had an opinion that Macbeth was one of Shakespeare’s weaker ‘villains’ though. Lady Macbeth was perhaps the real troublemaker here, but that’s probably just me.)
My favorite portion of the play would have to be Act 5 because it’s the darkest and saddest, with the most thought-provoking lines. Most particularly, Act 5: Scene 5, after Macbeth hears of Lady Macbeth’s death and gives the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow speech.
Oh look, it’s Patrick Stewart delivering the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow speech. Love. <3 So what if it’s from the modernized movie. It’s still Patrick Stewart and he delivers that speech amazingly.
That’s it for today’s edition. Onto the next play for us! I do believe we’re starting Much Ado now if I’m not mistaken. :D
So, you're probably wondering what this is about? Basically, this is where my friend (and a fellow blogger), Thoughts of an Endless Dreamer, and I have teamed up together to fan-girl and re-read some Shakespeare plays during the month of April. Why? Because we're Shakespeare fanatics. Why April? Because April 23rd marks the date of Shakespeare's birth, and the date of his death. So naturally, this is what fits best. :P
How this works basically is we've picked three plays to read (or in our case re-read, whichever). This year it's two tragedies and one comedy. Each play will have a week-long focus. It's pretty simple. I'm sure this is an event Taylor and I would love to do every year, and we welcome anyone who wants to jump in and participate with us. :)
This year, the three plays we're working with are:
Macbeth
Othello
Much Ado About Nothing
Macbeth is the first one we're starting (Wednesday!) from 4/3 - 4/10.
Happy reading!
