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Juliet Immortal (Juliet Immortal #1)

by Stacey Jay (Goodreads Author)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 5,062 ratings · 1,023 reviews

Fans of Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver and Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush will relish this intense paranormal love story featuring Romeo and Juliet, literary history's most tragic couple, who meet again, not as true lovers, but truly as enemies.

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...more

ebook, 236 pages

Published August 9th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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Oct 26, 2011 Annabelle Marie Veronica rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, i-own, gorgeous-cover, books-that-made-me-cry, fantasy, i-love-a-guy-in-this-book, love-triangles, paranormal, sexy-sexy-bad-boy, juliet-immortal, unlikable-heroines, cliffhangers, insta-love, so-bad-it-was-one-star, made-no-sense, got-sucked-in-by-the-cover, ending-that-ticked-me-off, wtf-is-this

FINAL RATING: 1.25 STARS

CATCHALL
I wanted to like this book. I really did. It was one of those books I heard about by random chance and immediately started counting down the days to its release. It looked that good, and was beautiful besides. And when I finally bought it, with its gorgeous cover, I was ecstatic. I dove right in. The beginning was amazing and drew me in right away. And now? I'm embarrassed to admit I own it. Yet another time where I've let beautifully written dust jacket blurbs a...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, paranormal-uf, 2011

Interesting beginning... middle had highs and lows... ending was PERFECT...

I appreciate that not everyone is going to like this book. It's very much a Marmite kind of thing - you either love it or you hate it - except, unlike Marmite, I loved it! I think I liked it even more because it was very far from what I was expecting... and I had expected all kinds of possible ways this could go: super luvvy-duvvy romance, melodrama, ultra-angst...

Okay, there was the teensiest, tiniest bit of teen angst but I thought it all worked, it wasn't too much and the words were oh so pretty! I must stress this, I thought the writing was beautiful in that I-must-quote-this kind of way but you find it hard to choose which bit to quote. Like Laini Taylor but not that good.

I read it mainly because I am obsessed with Shakespeare. I went through High School with this ancient but really cool English teacher who taught me how awesome Shakespeare is and was entirely responsible for my good grades in the subject. Now I find myself exasperated and reading the same old takes on Shakespeare's work; Romeo and Juliet must have been re-written into every culture and time period possible by now. But this. Well, this was different. Suddenly, it isn't a tale about the famous star-crossed lovers who sacrificed everything for love.

Oh no. Because the tagline says it all: "The greatest love story ever told is a lie..."

That's right. Romeo is not what we all thought he was... he's a manipulative SOB who betrayed Juliet and over the centuries the two have battled it out against one another, fighting for control of the destinies of soulmates. Sound a bit TRUE-WUV-y?? It isn't. Or I didn't think so. I thought it was nasty and gruesome and really interesting.

And the ending was wonderful. You know, I had the smallest recollection of something in the back of my mind early on that led me to suspect something that I quickly disregarded. But I was right. Certain things are not coincidences and there's more to this story than first meets the eye... excited yet? You should be.

Also, you should know, even though the novel has no sex, there's some not-so-subtle innuendos and girly 'tingling'. Excellent!

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Mar 30, 2013 Parvathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who like contemporary takes on well known stories, YA readers

Recommended to Parvathy by: goodreads

Shelves: movie-material, young-adult, glued-till-the-last-page, romeos-and-juliets, feel-good

This is not your typical Romeo and Juliet love story. For one thing the starting premise is the one where Juliet did not commit suicide for the sake of everlasting true love as the Bard's version claims but was killed by her lover Romeo who exchanged her life for immortality. But the betrayed and forsaken Juliet did not die according to plan. On the contrary she become an immortal, an ambassador of light whose sole purpose is fight for the sake of true loves across time against her one true love...more This is not your typical Romeo and Juliet love story. For one thing the starting premise is the one where Juliet did not commit suicide for the sake of everlasting true love as the Bard's version claims but was killed by her lover Romeo who exchanged her life for immortality. But the betrayed and forsaken Juliet did not die according to plan. On the contrary she become an immortal, an ambassador of light whose sole purpose is fight for the sake of true loves across time against her one true love and arch nemesis Romeo. Reborn in to the mortal realm each time soul mates find each other Juliet has to give up the life she inhabits each time her job is completed. But the irony of the matter is Juliet who is destined to bring true loves together herself do not believe in true love. After her experience with true love Juliet wants nothing more to do with it herself. But that is until she meets Ben a kind hearted boy with whom she experiences an instant connection. Now when circumstances urges Juliet to rethink her position Romeo enters the picture and he will do anything to ensure that Juliet remains his for all eternity.

When I first picked up this book I admit I wasn't much excited to read about a YA Romeo and Juliet story. In fact that was the last thing I wanted. But my inquisitiveness got the best of me and I decided to give it a try. Surprisingly I found this book a very enjoyable and interesting read. The concept is fresh and the treatment commendable. The one part worth mentioning is the practicality associated with the story of Romeo and Juliet. Rather than portraying Romeo and Juliet as the symbols of undying love the book makes you think about practical scenarios looking at Romeo as an exiled 17 year old noble with no skill or livelihood and Juliet as a 14 year old innocent girl who never had to face actual hardship in her well pampered life. The book portrays Juliet as a strong and stubborn character who has faced her share of challenges but still moves forward strongly, Romeo as a misunderstood and naive character who is forced to live with the consequences of his wrong choices. Even though Romeo was portrayed as an evil character I couldn't find it in me to hate him. The new character Ben on the other hand is likable and refreshing. It is always a treat to read about characters who are so sure of what they want and do not shy away from expressing it. The premise and settings are well developed and the story manages to engage you in all the crucial points. This book I would recommend to all those readers who are willing to keep and open mind and treat the story from an entirely different point of view. Some readers though may find it difficult to cope with some of the liberties the author has taken with the Romeo and Juliet story but here also open mindedness is the key. But this book like most books is not without its own set of flaws that stick out. For one thing it goes on and on about the concept of love. But if you are willing to overlook such misgivings you might find your self highly satisfied. (less)

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May 07, 2011 Leandra marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Finally! Somebody who is going to portray Romeo & Juliet as something other than true love!!!(sorry, my high school English teacher rather thought Romeo was an idiot...and I agree)

48 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Juliet Immortal was one of my most anticipated books of 2011. I loved Stacey Jay’s Dead on the Delta, and when I learned that she was writing a Shakespeare spin-off involving an original type of paranormal being, it seemed like too much awesomeness in one package. I really wanted to like Juliet Immortal, and it makes me sad that I did not.

Here’s the premise: Romeo and Juliet fell in love in medieval Italy, but their story ended rather differently than the version we all know. Romeo sacrificed Ju...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-uns, retellings, girls-who-do-things, ya

Originally published here.

What a beautiful cover. I remember when I first saw it my initial thought was, Oh, please don't let it suck. I know that sounds harsh, but sometimes a cover just calls out to you and you know when you finally hold a physical copy of the book itself you'll just want to stroke it and love it and tell it it's found its home on your shelves. Unfortunately, the innards (as my boy is fond of saying) don't always match the outtards. And then I am forced to cry. Because . . . s...more Originally published here.

What a beautiful cover. I remember when I first saw it my initial thought was, Oh, please don't let it suck. I know that sounds harsh, but sometimes a cover just calls out to you and you know when you finally hold a physical copy of the book itself you'll just want to stroke it and love it and tell it it's found its home on your shelves. Unfortunately, the innards (as my boy is fond of saying) don't always match the outtards. And then I am forced to cry. Because . . . so pretty. So when a review copy of Stacey Jay's JULIET IMMORTAL came my way, I held my breath. Just a bit. Okay, maybe for the first five pages or so. Thankfully, that's all it took. Because this innovative retelling (of sorts) of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has teeth. And they sank into me with delicious ferocity. This was my first foray with Stacey Jay, though I know she has a handful of books already out. After this encounter, I look forward to checking out her other work.

Juliet Capulet's nightmare is never going to end. No one knows what really happened to her. Murdered by her true love, Juliet is saved at the last minute by powerful but nebulous forces of good (known as the Ambassadors), who recruit her immortal soul in their timeless battle against the powers of evil (known as the Mercenaries). Filled with grief and hate at Romeo's unforgivable action, Juliet accepts the offer and finds herself pitted against Romeo, who essentially sold his soul to the Mercs for promised immortality. And the two of them face one another over and over and over again. For seven hundred years, they've been racing against the clock and each other to save (in Juliet's case) or damn (in Romeo's) pairs of soul mates, literally slipping into human bodies (in Juliet's case) and dead ones (in Romeo's) in order to sway their charges for good or ill. Each and every time Romeo tries to kill Juliet and Juliet fights back and escapes, though she is forbidden from taking his life as part of her mission for the Ambassadors. But this time--this mission--something is different. And they can both tell. This time more seems to be riding on the outcome than just a point scored for one side or the other. This time it's difficult to tell just who exactly are the soul mates, just who loves who. This time Juliet may not escape with her immortal soul intact.

JULIET IMMORTAL wins because it is both a competent retelling and re-envisioning of the most famous star-crossed lovers of all time, while managing not to forget the ruthlessness, violence, and eerie inevitability of the original. In fact, I thought Stacey Jay's clever explanations went a long way toward fleshing out the characters and events of the play. I certainly loved the life and depth she breathed into both leads. How brave Juliet is. And evil Romeo? Where have you been all my life? There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. This Romeo is evil, he's out for Juliet's blood, and the enmity between them is real. The story starts off with a bang, literally, as Juliet is flung into the body of a girl who has just decided to end it all and drive the car she's in off a cliff, taking her shoddy date with her. It's one of my favorite scenes in the book and the first one to give me real chills. Right after the crash (taken from my uncorrected ARC):

Dylan's eyes flutter open.

Even in the moonlight shining through the ceiling they look dark, peculiar. There's something strange about this boy, something warped inside him. I'm not surprised that he played a cruel trick on Ariel, but I'm curious to see what he'll do next. How will he deal with the fact that she nearly killed them both?

"Ariel?" he asks, his voice slurred. "Are you okay?"

"Ye-yes, I think so." Maybe he doesn't remember how the car crashed? If so, I won't be helping him with his recall. I keep my expression carefully blank. "Are you okay?"

"I think I'm fine. I . . . think I might be . . ." His words fade as he leans closer. He's staring at me. I can feel it, though his chin is tipped down, creating hollows the light through the roof can't touch.

The roof! I look up, and a sigh of relief escapes my lips. Glass. It's made of glass! Thank goodness. Getting out of this car seems like a better idea with every passing second. If Dylan is this disturbing at eighteen, he'll be a serial killer by the time he's twenty.

"We'll be fine. We just need to get out." I lift blood-slicked fingers to pry at the latch, ignoring Dylan when he leans even closer.

The sunroof is manually operated. I see that the glass panel can pop out, but the mechanism gives me a bit of trouble. Still, I'll get it open and there will be plenty of room for us to fit through the hole. Me first, of course.

"I'm sorry, could I--" He exhales, his breath hot on my neck. I fight the urge to shudder. "Could I ask you something?"

He wants to talk. Lovely.

I sigh. "Sure." I pull on the hinges, then realize I should have been pushing and sigh again.

"Has anyone told you your hair looks silver in the moonlight?"

I glance in the rearview mirror. My new hair does look silver, like something from a fairy tale. And the rest of what I can see of myself is equally haunting--shocking, really.

Why does Ariel think herself so repulsive? Huge blue eyes dominate my new face, dwarfing my small nose and thin lips. The scars on my cheek and jaw are visible, but they aren't as terrible as Ariel thinks. The face looking back at me is attractive, compelling. There's something about it that makes you want to look twice.

So I do, staring a little too long, giving myself away.

Dylan laughs, his lips suddenly far too close to mine. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?"

No. It can't be. We've never-- He's never--

"Did you miss me, love?" He kisses me on the cheek, a rough, playful kiss that leaves a bit of wet behind.

Dylan has died after all. And Romeo has found a corpse. It's my last thought before his hands are around my throat.

Yep. Chills. There's also a pretty sweet love story going on within the pages. I was delighted with who Stacey Jay chose for Juliet and how she updated him for a contemporary take. Their initial encounter is another of my very favorite scenes in the book, and my affection for them lasted for the duration the story. So much so that I actually could have done with a little more connection between the modern boy and the one from the play as it would have enriched the bond for me. That part, along with one section in which Juliet sort of uncharacteristically fails to make a few connections, are the only instances that bothered me a bit. Otherwise, the novel's strengths stood out, particularly older-and-wise Juliet herself. She's such a strong character, able to contain a plethora of rich and complex emotions. She is clawing her way toward revenge or peace, whichever comes first. I loved her fire, and I loved how the writing reflected her rage and pain, without marring that original, first love between the two kids from Verona. Rather, it supports its authenticity in all its breathless perfection. Which then only highlights the atrocious betrayal and the loss she feels. It's all very affecting and enjoyable. As is Juliet's foray in young Ariel's body. Her interactions with Ariel's well-nigh estranged mother and her problematic best friend Gemma are nuanced and gripping. Lastly, I do have to say that my favorite thing about this book is that it scared me. There are a couple of scenes in particular that gave me the cold shivers, and I just love it when that happens. All in all, JULIET IMMORTAL is an unexpectedly visceral read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to handing it around.(less)

21 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Sounds like a very different, twisted take on Romeo and Juliet. Can't wait!

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 April rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, ya, fantasy

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay reexamines the Romeo and Juliet mythos. You see, Shakespeare gets it all wrong. Romeo and Juliet didn’t die for love. Instead, Romeo killed Juliet to get immortality as promised by these beings known as the Mercenaries. Yet, Romeo’s plans go awry when Juliet doesn’t stay dead and is offered a position fighting for love and soul mates on behalf of the side of good known as the Ambassadors. Over the centuries, Romeo and Juliet find each other in battle in different ti...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Evil ex-boyfriend fans

Shelves: buddy-or-group-read, evil-horned-ones, fat-kitty-judges-you, zomg-i-must-have-him, paranormal-fix, rotten-stinky-walking-dead, whiny-bitches, ya-is-dead, dafuq-did-i-just-read, d-oh, reviewed-2012, a-bit-of-mush, facepalm

`~ Romeo’s song ~`

There comes a time in every weird underweight scar-faced teenager’s life when another soul inhabits her body and does a quick repair to her life. This may be also known as growing up to some, but to others this is called Juliet Immortal inhabiting your body to fight the forces of evil.

WARNING. Long quote ahead. Read it or you won’t get any dessert!

He is a romantic, a dreamer, and never afraid to play the fool. He is fearless and reckless and brave and I love him for it. Despe

...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Danielle marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction

Another book due in September (do publishers want returning students to ignore their studies???) Sounds quite intriguing, and the few reviews on this site liked it.

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2011 Amanda Ashby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book! Stacey Jay manages to turn the story of Romeo and Juliet on its head with this haunting retelling. Beautiful!

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 Susana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, stacey-jay, ya

Dark, original and romantic
A very original idea that the author developed. Beautiful writing in a story that doesnt let go, until you have finished it. It was the last book that i read on 2011, and a story that i wont soon forget.

On the cover you can read:" The greatest love story ever told is a lie."

Juliet Capulet didn't kill herself, she was killed by her husband, Romeo Montague. Whom, in a way to achieve immortality decided to sacrifice Juliet. What he wasn't expecting, was that the same thi...more

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May 29, 2012 Drottni rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

wow, I was pretty close to not finishing this book at all, which is so sad because I was SO looking forward to this book

-The idea of a twisted Romeo and Juliet story was just amazing. From the minute I heard about it I couldn't wait to read it and find out why the most tragic love story ever told was completely false, and why the sweet Romeo we all know would be evil. The twisted version of the story was the only good thing in this entire book. And even that was barely good. Some mumbo jumo abou...more wow, I was pretty close to not finishing this book at all, which is so sad because I was SO looking forward to this book

-The idea of a twisted Romeo and Juliet story was just amazing. From the minute I heard about it I couldn't wait to read it and find out why the most tragic love story ever told was completely false, and why the sweet Romeo we all know would be evil. The twisted version of the story was the only good thing in this entire book. And even that was barely good. Some mumbo jumo about forces of good and bad, true love, how really Romeo was doing something he thought was going to end well, and that's it.

-I felt connected to none of the characters. They were all just these flat words on flat paper that I couldn't bring myself to care about. They were all boring, lifeless and just plain uninteresting. The only character I felt even a little bit of interest for was evil Romeo. He was the only character with imbalanced amounts of good and bad, with regrets and despair, with loneliness and an endless desire for happiness.

-The love story. Errrghhh >>> I just don't believe in love at first sight and find it absolutely ridiculous. And there was nothing to show why Juliet and Ben fall in love with each other. Nothing. Just...bleh.

-The plot. Hmmm....not much happens really. No epic fights of good vs. evil, no super intense action scenes, no heartbreaking moments.

-The supernatural aspect of the story made NO SENSE. Half the time I had no clue how things were happening and why. And the completely bizarre and contradicting explanations just made me feel like the author was spitting out words for the sake of having some sort of explanation. None of it made sense, and eventually I gave up on trying to understand it. Plus most of the story doesn't even deal with the supernatural parts. It mostly reads like a non-fantasy book about a girl having teenage issues. Even Romeo, who was supposed to be her arch nemesis, never seemed much of a threat.

-More than half the book is just Juliet coping with relationship issues and self-esteem issues. That's it. The ending is probably the only part where things got interesting and made me feel just a little pinprick of "maybe I'll read the next book, just to see what happens". But I probably won't, just because so many of the pages before were blah. And the second book will probably do that too. But the ending was also completely out of the blue and didn't really make sense. Kind of felt thrown in just for the sake of having a seemingly happy ending in which everything works out. Only part that was interesting was--you guessed it-- Romeo's part. Seriously, this book should've just been about Romeo. Would've been wayyyy better.

I just might read the second book if it's from Romeo's perspective. If it's another rant from Juliet about love and blah blah, then forget it. Or even Ariel, because I have a feeling she'll end up sounding a lot like annoying Juliet.

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Sep 08, 2011 Mimi Valentine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I actually love all things Shakespeare, so I was really excited to read this book. And it was completely original in every way!

Juliet Immortal was nothing like I thought it would be, but that wasn't a bad thing! Although a little confusing at first, Stacey Jay quickly sucked you into Juliet's world where Romeo was to be hated, her very existence was for saving other soul mates, and falling in love with the super-awesome new boy (Ben) was impossible.

I just adored everything about Juliet. She wa...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-hardcover

“The greatest love story ever told is a lie.”

That catch phrase was enough to make me pick up this book. When I read the excerpt, it just made things a lot more interesting. And thus, I began reading the story of Juliet and her Romeo in a different kind of light.

So the first part of the story takes us to where Juliet and Romeo are at present. Of course, they’re already dead but their souls jump in and out of different bodies for centuries now. They do this to accomplish their missions; Juliet, wo...more “The greatest love story ever told is a lie.”

That catch phrase was enough to make me pick up this book. When I read the excerpt, it just made things a lot more interesting. And thus, I began reading the story of Juliet and her Romeo in a different kind of light.

So the first part of the story takes us to where Juliet and Romeo are at present. Of course, they’re already dead but their souls jump in and out of different bodies for centuries now. They do this to accomplish their missions; Juliet, working as an Ambassador of Light, saves true love/preserves soul mates and Romeo tries to win one of them to the Mercenaries’ cause, where one has to sacrifice his/her soul mate’s life, just like what he did with Juliet. Juliet is in Ariel’s body while Romeo inhabits the now dead body of the boy who made a fool out of Ariel.

Oh, Juliet, nothing tastes as bitter as the grudge of woman scorned! LOL. Juliet had a lot of hate-issues in her. I really pitied Juliet on how her fate ended up at. Not that I can blame her for falling deeply in love with a boy she thought would give her the world, she was young and naïve; and I hated Romeo for what he did.

But as I progressed through the book, I realized that Juliet wasn’t the only one who was gullible, Romeo was just the same. They were both young after all. I felt how Romeo, despite being a total jerk, regretted his actions.

I wish I got to know more things about the Mercenaries and the Ambassadors of Light though, since they seemed so significant in Juliet and Romeo’s present lives, but there weren’t much of them to be seen around.

I was very much surprised about the ending. I don’t know if this book has a 2nd one from the way it ended but I cringe at the idea of what happened. I’m not going to say what it is, but it seems that no matter how the author tried to make it seem like a happy ending, it was still tragic.

Although, I have to say; I’d give Stacey Jay a pat on the back with how beautiful her writing style is!

I really enjoyed reading this book even though it’s not particularly my type of stories. I’m not one to go for the somewhat-dramatic kind of books but I’m happy I gave this a try.

Juliet Immortal is a story that teaches us that in spite of all the pain, we can learn to love again; and that in more ways than one, we can learn to forgive others but mostly, forgive ourselves.

For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com (less)

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Oct 31, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, paranormal, romance, young-adult

I picked this up awhile ago, but the re-imagined Romeo and Juliet was just so weird to me that I couldn't get past the first three chapters. I tried again and am really glad I did.

After the infamous double suicide--suicide in Romeo's memory, but murder in Juliet's--the legendary couple are reborned in the afterlife on opposing sides of a mythical mission. Juliet is an Ambassador, sent from the Gods to ensure that soul mates meet and fall in love; Romeo is a Mercenary, whose goals are the opposit...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Soumi(in love with Puck) Roy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Soumi(in love with Puck) by: Nobonita Chowdhury

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy-others, reincarnation

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.”

description

Focused on our star crossed lovers and their immortal love, which was a total lie, an ironic tragedy, Juliet Immortal is new tale of love that will show you love is more than a word, a feelings that is never a mistake, only mistake is choosing the wrong one to love.

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Feb 27, 2012 Shelby Matsch rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We all know of that Romeo and that Juliet, and the ending of tragedy, love, and life. But what if it didn't happen that way? What if Romeo killed Juliet for eternal life, and Juliet dies and went to this mist? The mist where she could only be called out to help save true love, and fight the Mercanaries (Romeo) from destroying it. As an Ambassdor of light Juliet has spent centuries saving lovers, but what happens when she falls in love with a soul mate, meant for someone else?

When Juliet gets...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Luckylyn86 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: retelling, romantic, good-vs-evil, kick-ass-heroine, paranormal, relationships, ya, waste-of-time

The opening was what drew me in. The snarky, sadistic personality of Romeo was fun and interesting, but soon afterwards my interest dropped off. The love story was drawn far too quickly and was far too contrived and full of cliches to really have me rooting for them. Outside of that, the plot of mercenaries and ambassadors was too weakly developed to really create a believable, exciting story. Also, the characters were too wishy-washy especially Juliet/Ariel who doesn't make up her mind to the v...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Cerise rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those interested in YA supernatural romance and true love

When I first saw this book, it seemed right up my alley. I've always hated the story of Romeo and Juliet, being on the side that always said that it was a satire (though really, we don't know for sure what Shakespeare intended exactly), but I really enjoyed this.

At first, the present tense through me off a bit, but after about a chapter, I forgot about it and it didn't detract from the story for me. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in certain parts (view spoiler)...more When I first saw this book, it seemed right up my alley. I've always hated the story of Romeo and Juliet, being on the side that always said that it was a satire (though really, we don't know for sure what Shakespeare intended exactly), but I really enjoyed this.

At first, the present tense through me off a bit, but after about a chapter, I forgot about it and it didn't detract from the story for me. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in certain parts (view spoiler) but I thought some parts seemed too saccharine. (view spoiler) had a fairly typical YA writing style - being simplistic - but had plenty enough details that I was able to picture everything, and her writing did not detract from the story at all. It only really added to it in a few parts where the atmosphere was particularly good, but it was fine. I also enjoyed Juliet's narration for the most part - it was very honest.

I'm not really a fan of stories with true love and soul mates, but since this story made it a fact that people had soul mates (not just a fantasy), it worked. The only time the rules of Stacey Jay's universe bothered me was when (view spoiler)

I rooted for Ben in the beginning, but as the story went on and Romeo developed character, I liked him more. Sure, he was a bad guy, but (view spoiler) Also, his character was just far more in depth. Ben was sweet, Ben fought for those he cared about, and Ben was in love. Sure, we're revealed some tidbits about him, but that's about the extent of the depth of his character, and while he didn't annoy me at all because of it, I didn't feel as invested in his character as I should have.

A lot of the story revolves around themes of love, and while that's of course a given, I personally would have enjoyed a bit more darkness. Yes, the mist, the Mercenaries, and the specters were horrifying enough, but I would have liked more to balance it out - perhaps near the end, I don't know. I feel like the evilness of the "good guys" (view spoiler) could have been gone into in more depth, but enough was done nevertheless.

Overall, it was a good read and I definitely enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll revisit it any time soon.
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Sep 17, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

3.75 stars

My second dark YA romance of the day. I really disliked reading Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet in high school (it inspired me to read more Shakespeare, I thought that his plays had to be better if we still had to read them). Romeo worked really well as the tragic villain. Will be very interesting to see where Jay takes the next book.

Another case where the villain is more vibrant than the heroine, but that's because she's carrying around a lot of hate and loathing (understandable when...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Nafiza rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, magical-mixture

"Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo?"
"Why, right here, my love!"
"Oh Romeo, whyfore dost thou kiss me so?"
"All the better to suck your soul away, my love."

I couldn't resist, okay! And I know Shakespeare is turning over in his grave (I feel obliged to apologise to Krystle too) but people, Romeo and Juliet! In a YA novel set in contemporary times. How awesome is that? And Romeo and Juliet on opposite side of the spectrum with Romeo batting for the bad guys! Even more awesome. But (and Shakespeare c...more "Romeo, Romeo, where art thou Romeo?"
"Why, right here, my love!"
"Oh Romeo, whyfore dost thou kiss me so?"
"All the better to suck your soul away, my love."

I couldn't resist, okay! And I know Shakespeare is turning over in his grave (I feel obliged to apologise to Krystle too) but people, Romeo and Juliet! In a YA novel set in contemporary times. How awesome is that? And Romeo and Juliet on opposite side of the spectrum with Romeo batting for the bad guys! Even more awesome. But (and Shakespeare certainly did roll over for this one) Romeo and Juliet are out to annihilate each other. (You can't kill someone who's already dead. You have to annihilate them.) So yes, fantastic premise. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it and examine it in great detail and with great delight.

And I liked it. I did. It was very readable and there was only one thing that jumped out at me (which took away two stars) but honestly? As far as entertainment goes, it was very entertaining. Juliet has a strong, clean voice and I appreciated that she made time to work out her body's Mommy issues - and wow, yeah, body, host, you get the idea, right? I liked the atmosphere set, the absolutely chilling feeling that accompanies you when you see a ghost of yourself. Jay does this is all very well and I liked that she did it all very well. The mean girl trope sort of goes through a metamorphosis and changes in ways I'm not sure I approve of but apart from an occasional mutter about the stupidity of it all, it's not as offensive as it has the potential to be. And this is totally girly of me but the love interest? Totally swoon-inducing. At least to me. I thought he was hotness personified which might, in some way, explain this rambling thing that I'm trying to pass off as a review.

But. And you ought to have known it was coming.

The thing that detracted from the novel in a big way, in my opinion solely, is the deus ex machina (which, if you are like I was and clueless about what deus ex machina is, Wikipedia provides a definition: is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object). The ending seemed too abrupt, too neat and way too contrived to be satisfying in any degree. It felt forced. I didn't like that. I really didn't. I mean, you go through the book trying to make your brain forget the fact that Juliet is, you know, 14 in a 16 year old's body but mentally more than a 100, wow, it gets convoluted but you make your Brain ignore that and then, the ending. And you are like...

Oh no... what? Where? How? WHY? (It's not a sad ending though.)

However, it seems that Romeo gets to have his own story so we should look forward to that. Well, I am anyway. Looking forward to it, I mean.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Angel / YA rules!/ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, my-favorites

When I started reading, I had difficulty understanding what was happening at first. But, then it becomes easy and you get to appreciate the whole plot of the story. What got my attention is the plot which is Juliet battling Romeo over time trying to save the two souls that are meant to be one. It promised to have a kick ass heroine battling the person she fell in love with but broke her heart and that's what I got with a lot of twists in between which made me love it more. I would definitely rec...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Cory marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Never in a million years would I have thought I'd put a retelling of R+J on my TR list. This better be good because it sounds awesome.

Plus, the title isn't half bad. And I like the cover, despite the font.

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-own-collection

Want a Shakespearian twist that you won't expect at all? Try this for a change. As I was reading this book, I found myself having quite a distaste with the author's dialogues. Love me now. that was the line that you could read in the entire book. But despite that, the story was really nice.

This book contains: a heartwarming quote on page 183, an unexpected pairing in the end, crazy characters and a different Romeo and Juliet type of plot.

Forget about having a Romeo, I want a Benvolio. ;)

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Dec 01, 2011 Cássia Drobev rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. EM UMA FRASE...

Um livro devastadoramente romântico....

O livro começa com julieta reencarnando no corpo de uma jovem chamada Ariel que está loucamente apaixonada por Dylan que só esta com ela por causa de uma aposta, Ariel sempre foi uma garota triste criada só por sua mãe que quando ela era pequena deixou um panela de aguá quente machuca-la,deixando uma marca pra vida toda em seu rosto.

Julieta e Romeu não vivem a romântica antiga história tradicional, eles nunca foram o casal perfeito que todos...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Shannelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the things that always wins me over in a book is the creativity, and I want to applaud Stacey Jay for twisting the tale of Romeo and Juliet into what is Juliet Immortal.

The beginning slightly threw me off for a bit as I didn't understand what Juliet was, or what her powers were. But after learning about Juliet and her circumstances, it was smooth sailing.

(Juliet's an Ambassador, Romeo's a Mercenary, they're both somehow immortal in different ways, they work for immortal immortals, and th...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Gavin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up this book on the recommendation of a teenage family member, and as a Shakespeare teacher--I had to see exactly what it was about. I thought I would dislike it, but was inexplicably pulled in to the plot.

Romeo and Juliet as transmigrating-soul, spiritual energy vampires, fighting on opposite sides of good and evil--well, I was dubious. Jay offered quite a number of plot surprises for even those familiar with the play. It's definitely a new take on Shakespeare, and one that offers a ne...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Eyre Cipriano rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"oh Romeo, Romeo where art thou Romeo" - just shut up Juliet. . seriously. I cannot begin to express my dislike for this whiny little b**** that just happened to be Juliet. it was almost unbearable to finish this book. between Juliet, Gemma and Ben I was almost going insane. I didn't know who to dislike more but I'll probably say Juliet. she cried, she questioned, she whined and she loved (way too quickly in my opinion) no wonder she got her heart broken the first time. if she's going to flounde...more "oh Romeo, Romeo where art thou Romeo" - just shut up Juliet. . seriously. I cannot begin to express my dislike for this whiny little b**** that just happened to be Juliet. it was almost unbearable to finish this book. between Juliet, Gemma and Ben I was almost going insane. I didn't know who to dislike more but I'll probably say Juliet. she cried, she questioned, she whined and she loved (way too quickly in my opinion) no wonder she got her heart broken the first time. if she's going to flounder around and just fall in love within days maybe she deserves to be taugh a lesson. Gemma was just the worst friend anyone could ever be unlucky enough to befriend. she wasn't only a betraying and backstabbing little thing, she lied and treated Ariel in a way she didn't deserve to be treated.
Romeo, however, managed to make things a little better for me. he wasn't like Ben who was just 'there' and didn't stand out or seemed even alive or real to me. Romeo's pain was raw and real and lord bless him for putting up with Juliet for all those centuries. if it would've been me, I would have gotten rid of her the moment she started to annoy me which just happened to be about ever other sentence. God, she was awful and for someone who has been roaming around earth for as long as she had, she was definitely on the immature side. anyway, coming back to sweet yet twisted Romeo- I have to say the bad boy image of the hopelessly romantic boy did it for me.I loved him right from the first sentence (that might have something to do with the fact that he was beating annoying Juliet senseless but. . . ) he was hardcore and despite the fact that Juliet kept turning down his attempts to help her, he kept trying. he was relentless in getting her back. if she had been smart enough she would've noticed that he truly still loved her but Alas! the stupidity remains all throughout the book. he was so much more than just a mean-ass Romeo- he was twisted and broken beyond repair but only seeking the unrequited love he still held for Juliet even after all those centuries. he tried so hard to help her and make her love him again but as I mentioned before, Juliet wasn't the firefly whose ass shone the brightest.
I am going to read book two solely based on the fact that it is now Romeo's story and his turn for happiness. NO MORE INFURIATING, IDIOTIC, IMMATURE JULIET CAPULET(less)

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Feb 16, 2013 Justine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4/5

J'ai beaucoup aimé cette histoire, qui est à des années lumières de la tragédie Roméo & Juliette que l'on connaît. Le côté fantastique m'a vraiment confuse, surtout à la fin. Même s'il est bien exploité, c'est assez tiré par les cheveux. Évidemment, ce n'est pas réel, mais on part vraiment dans des explications farfelues, de différentes réalités, de différentes dimensions, de différentes époques etc etc. Certains détails sont aussi très peu crédibles pour moi, et là il n'y a pas d'explic...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Crazy for Young A...: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay → Start Date: March 27th, 2013	97	37	Apr 18, 2013 11:01pm
Does anyone feel sorry for Romeo??	7	80	Jul 10, 2012 03:01am
This book is not that good.	14	66	Jul 05, 2012 11:33am
BookSpark: Let's Talk...Juliet Immortal	54	29	Mar 12, 2012 05:40pm
Romeo's turn?	7	32	Mar 09, 2012 12:01pm

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About Stacey Jay

Stacey Jay is a recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with three pen names, two small children, and a passion for playing pretend for a living. She’s been a full time mom-writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, waiter, math tutor (for real...more

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Quotes from Juliet Immortal

“Is that love, do you think?" he asks, sounding genuinely curious. "Being crazy about someone no matter how much they hurt you?” — 117 people liked it

“Real love has little to do with falling. It's a climb up the rocky face of a mountain, hard work, and most people are too selfish or too scared to bother.
Very few reach the critical point in their relationship that summons the attention of the light and the dark, that place where they will make a commitment to love no matter what obstacles-or temptations- appear in their path.” — 114 people liked it

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