by Suzanne Selfors

4 Stars

Mimi Wallingford, the great-granddaughter of the famous actress Adelaide Wallingford, has a life some can only dream about. She is an actress playing Juliet in her family’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Mimi is playing opposite to teen heartthrob Troy Summer, who is playing Romeo. The catch for Mimi is that she has no interest in acting, something her mother cannot understand. But when Mimi, along with Troy, are magically transported into Shakespeare’s Verona, they both experience the Montagues and Capulets feud first hand. When Mimi meets Juliet, she realizes that they are not that different, and Mimi does not want to see the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet play out. But what will happen if they change the ending to this famous tragedy? 

This book was a unique adaptation of the original play of Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare. It takes place in the modern world (2006, when this book was published). This book was laid out as Mimi Wallingford’s recounted story of what happened when she was magically transported to Shakespeare’s Verona. I found that to be a very entertaining way to tell Mimi’s story. The characters, especially Mimi, were interesting to follow. The pacing was very good, and the parallels between Mimi and Juliet were written well. The only issues that I had with this novel was Benvolio’s character change (as he was changed to be a man who was an awful character, when he was an honest character in the original play), and the relationship between Mimi and Troy seemed rushed. This book is a different take on Romeo and Juliet, but I enjoyed reading it nonetheless. In conclusion, I would recommend that you read this book, especially if you like Shakespeare retellings!

Emily W.

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