Juliet Immortal review

Juliet Immortal
by Stacey Jay
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
August 2011

First line: "Tonight he could have come through the door - the castello is quiet, even the servants asleep in their beds, and Nurse would have let him in - but he chooses the window, climbing through the tangle of night flowers, carrying petals in his clothes."

I was pleasantly surprised by the reinterpretation of this Romeo and Juliet story. In this version, Romeo and Juliet are traveling through time, inhabiting the bodies of star-crossed lovers who've had near-death experiences. In each incarnation, Juliet, who is working for the Ambassadors (presumably the good guys) has a limited amount of time to get the couple back together again. Romeo, who sacrificed Juliet (and in some ways, himself) to the Mercenaries in exchange for eternal life, catches up with her, possessing a newly dead body each time, and tries to foil her plans.

This go around, Juliet finds herself in the body of Ariel Dragland, a shy blonde teenager in the small California town of Solvang. After a reckless driving accident, Romeo is in possession of the body of Dylan, the school bully and sometime crush of Ariel's. There are a few hints that are dropped that all is not right - Juliet/Ariel has never seen Romeo track her down so quickly before. She's noticed that the gaps between each mission are growing shorter and shorter. Nurse, her Ambassador handler, has gone missing. She's beginning to wonder if the Ambassadors have her well-being at heart after all.

As Ariel, she's landed in the middle of a tricky situation. Ariel's been recovering from severe burns she received as a child. Years of surgery have restored her looks, but not her confidence, as she copes with a strained relationship with her single mom, and an overbearing best friend, Gemma. I had trouble visualizing Ariel's ugly/pretty look - she's supposed to be a former burn victim, but she's also supposed to have an elfin, delicate beauty, with scars that only add to her unique look. Juliet explains that once she's inhabiting someone's body, she picks up their language, memory and abilities, and she's pleased that she and Ariel share a "soul gift" - both are talented artists. I liked the kind of maturity and distance that Juliet brings to the situation. When Ariel is in a fight with her mom, Juliet decides to let some matters drop, instead of escalating the situation. They end up having a heart-to-heart talk that is very healing for them both. Juliet is very conscious of wanting to leave her host's relationships better than when she found them, which made me wonder how and what her former hosts remember after she leaves them and returns to the void she inhibits while waiting to be pulled to Earth again. The last thing Juliet expects is to be slammed with "love at first sight" feelings for sensitive and kind Latino transfer student Ben. Unfortunately, she feels duty-bound to stick to her mission and try to fix him up with Gemma, who is glowing with the aura of true love. Juliet also has to avoid Romeo/Dylan's attempts to kill her - he truly comes across as a psychopath, coming up with whatever threats and lies that cross his mind just to try to distress her. Ben, on the other hand, is a total fantasy - no high school boy in the world has ever been so kind and virtuous and good. He instantly falls head-over-heels for Ariel/Juliet and within a few days is already talking marriage.

I was curious if readers not familiar with Solvang, CA would get the references to Danish windmills, tourists, and of course, easy access to wine country, with most high school students finding it easy to host bootleg wine parties.

The ending has a number of surprising twists. I had a few of my own favorite pet theories brewing, and I sure didn't see that ending coming. I had been hoping that Juliet would realize that she'd been a dolt - that every time she'd been deposited into someone else's life mid-stream, it was actually a chance for her to grab a chance at happiness and realize there is no such thing as a "one true love" pre-destined by fate. I was shocked by the revelation of Gemma's relationship with a teacher, and more shocked by the Ambassadors cold admission that they were going to somehow use the psychic power of the relationship, which suits them just fine. The actual ending felt like a bit of a muddle to me, with time traveling, alternate realities, awful fates for most of our modern day characters (if we find out what happens to them at all!) and Romeo getting the last word. Normally, I'm not one to recommend a book with such a let-down of an ending, but it was still such an enjoyable read - brace yourself for the oddness at the end and you will enjoy it. I really liked the characters of Juliet/Ariel and Ben, they made the book worthwhile for me.

Compare to:
Hexed - Michelle Krys
Everneath - Brodi Ashton
Dead Beautiful - Yvonne Woon
Wondrous Strange - Lesley Livingston

I borrowed this book from the library.

Darklight review

Darklight

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

December 2009

"The old man lay crumpled on the flagstones in front of a Park Avenue brownstone, his lifeblood oozing from five small holes in his neatly buttoned tweed vest like sap from a maple tree tapped in spring."

This sequel to Wondrous Strange picks up with struggling New York teen actress Kelley Winslow coping with her newly discovered fairy heritage. Her relationship with changeling member of the Janus Guard, Sonny Flannery, is on hold as he seeks out the supernatural Hunters who are linked to dangerous Queen Mabh. Kelley is working on a production of Romeo and Juliet, and there are a few parallels to her relationship with Sonny, who is aligned with a competing clan of fairy folk. While Sonny is away he grows increasingly jealous of fellow Janus Guard Fennrys, whom he'd specifically asked to watch over Kelley while he was gone.

While Shakespeare aficionados will see a lot of allegory in this story, a knowledge of the classics isn't necessary. Any reader of YA fantasy will find lots here to enjoy: magic, action, romance. This sequel has many Romeo and Juliet references, and because it's so closely tied to the previous book, plenty of references to characters and events from A Midsummer Night's Dream as well. The creepiest addition were the leprechauns, who unlike the diminutive fun-loving tricksters of legend, tend to be compulsive drinkers (even slurping spilled booze out of the mud, if necessary) and prone to violence. They are described as exceptionally lanky, wearing distinctive boots, mean-looking and evil-tempered. Definitely not the sort you'd want to run into in a dark alley.

By the end of the story, Kelley discovers she has the rarest of all gifts among fairies... she is able to lie. Most of the fey get around this with careful use of language. Kelley and Sonny each feel that they are endangering each other, and therefore "must" protect each other by staying apart. Readers may find Kelley's immaturity trying at times, but failure to communicate between lead characters is a common trope in plenty of YA novels. The lack of communication between Kelley and Sonny leads to their apparent break-up by the end of the novel.


Compare to:
Lament - Maggie Stiefvater
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa


I borrowed this book from the library.

Wondrous Strange review

Wondrous Strange

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

December 2008

"Puck's tortured words rang in Kelley's ears as she lifted her head, struggling against the darkness that threatened to descend upon her."

Seventeen year old Kelley Winslow is ready for a fun summer in New York performing in a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the park. She's soon pulled into a secret world of destructive and dueling faeries battling for control of the faerie realm. Some of the Shakespeare allusions come across as a little heavy-handed, but readers who aren't as familiar with the Bard's works will probably appreciate a lot of the exposition.  Rescuing what she believes to be a drowning horse (actually, a kelpie) Kelley is  dismayed when the horse reappears in the bathtub of her upper-story apartment. This whole exchange is played with humor, as Kelley frets over what she will feed it (turns out the kelpie has a taste for Lucky Charms cereal) or how she will clean up after it (luckily, the supernatural horse doesn't leave any messes behind.)

Angry, lonely Sonny is a changeling - a human child raised by faeries and sworn to service as a protector of them. After a chance meeting with Kelley in the Central Park one night, he soon suspects that she could be Faerie King Auberon's long-lost daughter.  A strained romance begins between the two, as Sonny struggles to keep the faery world and his duties within it a secret from Kelley for as long as he can.

One of the surprises in the book is one of Kelley's fellow actors, Bob, turns out to be the real Puck, a wisecracking, sticky-fingered guy, who's secretly been keeping an eye on Kelley, and manipulating things behind-the-scenes for years.

The climax of the book takes place on actual midsummer night, as the portal between human and faery worlds threatens to open, and hell hounds chase through Central Park.  Sonny and his fellow members of the Janus Guard are prepared to do battle to keep the rest of Manhattan safe, but ultimately, it is Kelley's faery heritage which saves the day.

This novel's blend of Celtic mythology, Shakespeare and romance will more than satisfy fans of urban paranormal fantasy.

Compare to:
Lament - Maggie Stiefvater
Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa


I borrowed this book from the library.

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance review

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance

by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Walker Books for Young Readers

February 2011

I found this book to be a light, delectable treat. 17 year-old Charlie Tracker and her teen co-star Fielding Withers find themselves trapped in a gilded prison. Ratings on their hit musical tv show How to be a Rockstar are dependent on whether or not they get good press... and the best way to get good press is by pretending that they are crazy about each other on-screen and off, when in fact, they only drive each other crazy with loathing. They've perfected their moves and have the paparazzi fooled with their patented "walk-n-snug" where they appear to be laughing and gazing deeply into each eyes as they stroll arm-in-arm, but actually are delivering insults, sotto voce, the whole time. Every aspect of their day is carefully planned: from what they will wear, to where they will hang-out, who they'll be seen with and what they will eat. For example, when ordering ice-cream, Charlie is only allowed to have vanilla or strawberry, to demonstrate that she is pure, yet playful. Fielding, who is vegetarian, must pretend to eat chicken in order to seem more mainstream.

Franklin and Halpin do a masterful job of co-writing: all of the Charlie (a.k.a. Jenna) chapters are written by Franklin, and all of the Fielding (a.k.a. Jonah, a.k.a. Aaron) chapters are written by Halpin. Each character has a very distinct voice. Perfectionist Charlie has always wanted nothing more than Hollywood stardom, while Fielding has been pushed into acting by his stage mom. Secretly, Fielding can't wait for their show to get cancelled, so that he can go to college, study serious drama, and prove to everyone that he's more than just a pretty face.

The story takes a major turn about mid-way through -- dogged by rumors that they've been faking their romance to cover that Fielding is gay (he is in fact, totally straight) and with their show about to be cancelled, the two of them run away together for a weekend at Fielding's beach house to regroup and plan their strategy. They end up getting an offer for a summer stock gig -- a whole summer in rural Oregon, playing the roles of Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing. I loved all the Shakespeare references, and although they're both a little young for the roles, the parallel storyline about a snarky odd couple who are actually perfect for each other made a lot of sense. While a knowledge of Shakespeare, and this play in particular probably aren't necessary to understand and enjoy the second half of the book, I have no doubt that some familiarity with the text would definitely deepen one's appreciation of the story.

This book is like candy; sweet, fun and a very fast read. If its premise of a light, fluffy romance tricks teens into reading about Shakespeare, so much the better!


I borrowed this book from the library.

Darklight review

Darklight

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

2010

This book picks up right where Wondrous Strange left off. Struggling teen actress Kelley Winslow is coping with her newly discovered fairy heritage in New York. Her relationship with changeling member of the Janus Guard, Sonny Flannery, is on hold as he seeks out the supernatural Hunters who are linked to dangerous Queen Mabh. Kelley is working on a production of Romeo and Juliet, and there are a few parallels to her relationship with Sonny, who is aligned with a competing clan of fairy folk. While Sonny is away he grows increasingly jealous of fellow Janus Guard Fennrys, whom he'd specifically asked to watch over Kelley while he was gone.

While Shakespeare aficionadoes will see a lot of allegory in this story, a knowledge of the classics isn't necessary. Any reader of YA fantasy will find lots here to enjoy: magic, action, romance. This sequel has many Romeo and Juliet references, and because it's so closely tied to the previous book, plenty of references to characters and events from A Midsummer Night's Dream as well. The creepiest addition were the leprechauns, who unlike the diminutive fun-loving tricksters of legend, tend to be compulsive drinkers (even slurping spilled booze out of the mud, if neccesary) and prone to violence. They are described as exceptionally lanky, wearing distinctive boots, mean-looking and evil-tempered. Definitely not the sort you'd want to run into in a dark alley.

By the end of the story, Kelley discovers she has that rarest of all gifts among fairies... she is able to lie. Most of the fey get around this with careful use of language. Kelley and Sonny each feel that they are endangering each other, and therefore "must" protect each other by staying apart. I was surprised and disappointed by Kelley's immaturity at times. The lack of communication between Kelley and Sonny leads to their seeming break-up by the end of the novel. The upcoming third book in the trilogy will almost certainly be about they work this out and get back together.


I borrowed this book from my local library.

Wondrous Strange review

Wondrous Strange

by Lesley Livingston

HarperTeen

2008

Having read Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely novels I was looking for something in the same vein, and was not disappointed by Wondrous Strange. Kelley Winslow is a young actress in New York working on a production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the park. While I thought some of the Shakespeare allusions came across as a little heavy-handed, readers who aren't as familiar with the Bard's works will probably appreciate a lot of the exposition.  Rescuing what she believes to be a drowning horse (actually, a kelpie) Kelley is  dismayed when the horse reappears in the bathtub of her upper-story apartment. This whole exchange is played with humor, as Kelley frets over what she will feed it (turns out the kelpie has a taste for Lucky Charms cereal) or how she will clean up after it (luckily, the supernatural horse doesn't leave any messes behind.)

Angry, lonely Sonny is a changeling - a human child raised by faeries and sworn to service as a protector of them. Upon meeting Kelley in the Central Park one night, he quickly begins to suspect that she could be Faerie King Auberon's long-lost daughter.  A strained romance begins between the two, as Sonny struggles to keep the faery world and his duties within it a secret from Kelley for as long as he can.

One of the surprises in the book is one of Kelley's fellow actors, Bob, turns out to be the real Puck, a wisecracking, sticky-fingered guy, who's secretly been keeping an eye on Kelley, and manipulating things behind-the-scenes for years.

The climax of the book takes place on actual midsummer night, as the portal between human and faery worlds threatens to open, and hell hounds chase through Central Park.  Sonny and his fellow members of the Janus Guard are prepared to do battle to keep the rest of Manhattan safe, but ultimately, it is Kelley's faery heritage which saves the day.

This novel's blend of Celtic mythology, Shakespeare and romance will more than satisfy fans of urban paranormal fantasy. There is a sequel, Darklight, released earlier this year, which is sitting on my "To Be Read" pile.


I blogged this during the 48-Hour Reading Challenge.
I borrowed this book from the library.