Review and Giveaway: Romeo and Juliet and Vampires by Claudia Gabel

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (August 31, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061976245
ISBN-13: 978-0061976247
Authors Website: http://www.claudiagabel.com/

"You are deluded, Romeo. Vampires do not have the capability to love. They are heartless."



The Capulets and the Montagues have some deep and essential differences. Blood differences. Of course, the Capulets can escape their vampire fate, and the Montagues can try not to kill their undead enemies. But at the end of the day, their blood feud is unstoppable. So it's really quite a problem when Juliet, a vampire-to-be, and Romeo, the human who should be hunting her, fall desperately in love. What they don't realize is how deadly their love will turn out to be—or what it will mean for their afterlives. . . .

This riotous twist on the ultimate tale of forbidden romance is simply to die for.





This is not the type of book that I normally pick out to read.  Especially after my mom read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and was cringing the entire book.  But I have to say, I actually had fun reading this. I think it may be because I'm not a huge "classics" reader, so I'm not going to be offended by the changes that Claudia made to the original script. It only took me a day to read, and I enjoyed revisiting the world of Romeo and Juliet. This twist on it just made all the more fun for me to read. I'm the type who loves remakes with a twist, though. (I loved the Claire Danes version of this play!)

The storyline follows pretty closely to the original story, with small changes splattered across the pages. Yes, I say "splattered" because many of those changes involve blood. Not surprising, considering Juliet's entire family, the Capulets, are vampires, who would love nothing more than to be let loose on the human population. However, they have to deal with the vampire-hunting Montagues, who are just as eager to dole out death and punishment to all the vampires. The writing is prose instead of verse, and it used more modern day language, though it was still set in 1462. But this time the story takes place in Transylvania instead of Verona.

All of the same characters appear in this book.  Mercutio and Tybalt are just as rash and infuriating, Romeo and Juliet are just as love-sick and ridiculous, and the Montagues and Capulets are just as blind to the destruction they are causing in their families.  There were some difference though.  Romeo and Juliet were much less self-absorbed in this book.  They actually cared about the feud going on between their families before they even met.  And Juliet would do anything to escape killing a human, because she believed that it was wrong, regardless of what her family told her.  Then there was the blood....let's just say the "sword fight" between Mercutio and Tybalt had a little livelier end to it!

Even though I have known this story most of my life, I still found myself rooting for Romeo and Juliet.  Hoping that somehow, this time, they would find a way to be together and make it work.  But in this book, it seemed even more impossible than ever.  Did they change their fate and live happily ever after?  I guess you'll just have to read it to find out!

AND HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!

Harper Teen has provided us with a copy of Romeo & Juliet & Vampires to give away to one of you!  Just fill out the form for a chance to win!  Winner will be announced Monday 9/20.



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