Romiette and Julio

by Sharon M. Draper

Romiette and Julio

published	May 1st 2001 by Simon Pulse
binding	Mass Market Paperback
isbn	0689842090 (isbn13: 9780689842092)
ebook
pages	336
description	<BLOCKQUOTE>Star Crossed Lovers</BLOCKQUOTE> When Romiette Cappelle meets Julio Montague, she feels as though she has met the sou...more [close] <BLOCKQUOTE>Star Crossed Lovers</BLOCKQUOTE> When Romiette Cappelle meets Julio Montague, she feels as though she has met the soul mate who can rescue her from her recurring nightmare about fire and water. But like the Shakespearean characters whose names echo theirs, Romiette and Julio discover that not everyone approves of their budding romance. In their case, it is because Romiette is African-American and Julio is Hispanic, and the Devildogs, a dangerous local gang, violently oppose their interracial relationship. When the Devildogs threaten to teach them a lesson, Romiette and Julio come up with a risky plan to escape from the gang's fearsome shadow. But things go terribly awry, and the two find themselves caught up in a deadly reality more frightening that Romiette's nightmare -- and in a desperate struggle to avoid the tragic fate of Shakespeare's famous young lovers. [close]
date added	05-22-07 edit book

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 201)

Jessica

Jessica rated it:

04/03/08

bookshelves: compliment-to-the-classics

Read in April, 2008

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

Reference information:
Title: Romiette and Julio
Author: Sharon M. Draper
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks Year: 1999
# of pages: 320 Genre: Teen Fiction
Reading level: 13 Interest level: 13+
Potential hot lava: gangs, violence, kidnapping

General response/reaction:
This book was wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed this modern-day Romeo and Juliet novel. The pacing of the story was perfect because I could not put down the book as I read. Draper does a wonderful job building suspense and ...more

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Rachel

Rachel added it (review of isbn 0613337239)

04/03/08

bookshelves: compliment-to-classics

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

Title: Romiette and Julio
Author: Sharon M. Draper
Publisher: Simon Pulse Year:1999
# of pages:320 Genre: Fiction
Reading level Interest level: 9th-10th grade
Potential hot lava: Gang Violence

General response/reaction: I thought this book was a very simple read and it kept my attention. Reading this book as a college student, I thought the romance was a little cheesy, however it stayed very true to what most high school relationships consists of. Sharon Draper did a good job bringing in aspe...more

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Molly

Molly added it (review of isbn 0613337239)

04/28/08

Read in March, 2008

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

General response/reaction:
This story immediately grabbed my attention and held it throughout the entire story. I was quickly pulled into the lives of the characters and could relate to several of the issues that they were faced with. I believe this is a great book to have in a high school classroom because it’s written in a way that most teenagers, despite their personal stories and backgrounds, can easily relate to. Draper did a great job at using young adult language and relatable points...more

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Katy

Katy rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

04/25/08

bookshelves: complement-to-classics

Read in April, 2008

recommends it for: NOBODY!!!

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

Reference information:
Title Romiette and Julio
Author Sharon M. Draper
Publisher Simon Pulse
Year 1999
# of pages 320
Genre Fiction
Reading level 13-15
Interest level 13-15
Potential hot lava: Gangs, kidnapping, guns (never fired), racial prejudice, gang violence.

General response/reaction: “‘And I can’t help thinking how close it is to the Shakespeare story—sort of,’ added Julio. Romi laughed, ‘I don’t even think Shakespeare could have imagined this one!’�...more Reference information:
Title Romiette and Julio
Author Sharon M. Draper
Publisher Simon Pulse
Year 1999
# of pages 320
Genre Fiction
Reading level 13-15
Interest level 13-15
Potential hot lava: Gangs, kidnapping, guns (never fired), racial prejudice, gang violence.

General response/reaction: “‘And I can’t help thinking how close it is to the Shakespeare story—sort of,’ added Julio. Romi laughed, ‘I don’t even think Shakespeare could have imagined this one!’” (Draper 319).

You’re right, Romi. Shakespeare imagined something better. And Julio, my friend, your story was no where close.

As a huge fan of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, I was greatly disappointed in this book. I was expecting the story to be closer to Shakespeare’s play, including similar characters such as Mercutio (“A PLAUGE O’BOTH YOUR HOUSES!!!” Ben was sort of close), Friar Lawrence (who was especially significant in the original plot by marrying the lovers and setting up Juliet’s “death” and the tragic fate of the play), the Nurse, Benvolio, Paris (“He is a man of wax!”), and so on and so forth. But there was no such satisfaction; no deaths, no fight scenes, no poison, no Capulet party, no “A PLAUGE O’BOTH YOUR HOUSES!!!” (haven’t I said that already?). There’s no feud to threaten the lovers, no tragic suicide that turns mortal enemies into brothers. This is NOT Romeo and Juliet. I know I can’t expect this complement to the classics to be exactly like the original, but I was hoping for at least some of the same events to be retold in a decent way. But this chatty, drawn out, honey-sweet fairy tale ending version of Shakespeare’s classic changes the story from a famous tragedy to a writer’s tragedy. The author did not succeed in making me care about any of the characters and I was actually hoping that Romi and Julio would kill themselves and put me out of my misery (call me evil, but at least that way it would be more like the play). The Montagues and the Cappelles, the mothers and fathers of the protagonists, were less than interesting and too much like one another; the flat mom characters were so alike they could have been clones. The biggest disappointment was the gang in the story, the Devildogs, who came off as laughable and ridiculous; nothing but empty headed kids who practice getting out of a car in perfect formation and staring at things they don’t like (sure Terrell, Romi and Julio are scared for their lives because you and your boys stared at them in your purple hooded sweatshirts! You must be real tough. Purple is the color of fear!). What’s worse, their idea of “teaching someone a lesson” is to put them in a boat. Shudder shudder. Compared to the Greasers in S.E. Hinton’s classic, the Devildogs are bunch of shivering puppies. I don’t think I would recommend this book to anyone. It’s not Romeo and Juliet. Just because two characters in a story have “forbidden love” don’t assume that they are a modern Romeo and Juliet— if there isn’t a obvious tension between two groups of people (families or gangs or whatever) and the “star-crossed lovers” don’t kill themselves and live happily ever after, then the lovers are just classic character wannabes.

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Mark

Mark added it (review of isbn 0613337239)

04/03/08

bookshelves: complement-to-the-classics

Read in April, 2008

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

Reference information:
Title: “Romiette and Julio”
Author: Sharon M. Draper
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Year: 2001
# of pages: 320 Genre: YA Lit Fiction
Reading level: Interest level: Ages 12-up
Potential hot lava: Typical love story

General response/reaction:
Reading this book, I was expecting it to be almost the same as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but Sharon Draper put her own spin on the book. Although, similar to the original it had a very modern twis...more

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payasa213

payasa213 rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

09/25/07

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: anybodii

Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper is Fiction and is told in first and third person. This book sounds exactly like Romeo and Juliet, two lovers who can’t be together but instead of a war between their families it’s a fight between the Devildogs who are an all African American gang in their school and don’t want them together because she is black and he is Hispanic.It has an edge to it that creates a complete twist from the original Romeo & Juliet theme.Romiette Capelle, Romi to he...more Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper is Fiction and is told in first and third person. This book sounds exactly like Romeo and Juliet, two lovers who can’t be together but instead of a war between their families it’s a fight between the Devildogs who are an all African American gang in their school and don’t want them together because she is black and he is Hispanic.It has an edge to it that creates a complete twist from the original Romeo & Juliet theme.Romiette Capelle, Romi to her friends, meets the new boy, Julio Montague, in a teen chat room on the Net. When she finds out he attends her high school she agrees to meet him to show Julio that there's more to Cincinnati than dull gray bricks and cold because Julio hates it, he moved there from Texas. They begin to hang out together, which draws the attention of the Devildogs, the gang that is trying to take over the school. The gang objects to African American Romi dating Mexican American Julio. Julio, whose family has left Texas in part to escape the influence of gangs, refuses to let the Devildogs intimidate him and the gang in turn begins to threaten him and Romiette. To get proof of harassment Julio and Romi and their friends decide to tape the threats. It all goes wrong.
Sharon M. Draper’s purpose in writing this book was to entertain us with the romance and the conflict of racism, but through it all it showed that we shouldn’t care what color anybody is, we are equal. Especially when its got to do with two people being together.
I loved this book...especially how it was a classic… way more interesting, a contemporary retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story with a happily-ever-after spin on the lovers' fates. It shows what some teens have to go through everyday and the fact that it involved gangs was interesting,
especially being similar to Romeo and Juliet. The book also examines how gangs can gain power and take control. I would recommend this book to anybody I gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars because I couldn’t put the book down, it was interesting!

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Qian

Qian rated it:

03/13/08

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: people who like romance

Romiette and Julio $5.99/$8.99CAN
Sharon M.Draper ISBN 0-689-84209-0

Sixteen year old Romiette Capplell is an African American teenager living in Cincinatti, Ohio. Unlike other teenagers Romeitte is very satisfy with her own life except there is one thing that trouble her the most. A terrifying dream where there is a unknow voice that keeps on calling her," Romiette! Romiette!" The voice seems very distanced, but somehow it's very famil...more

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4 comments

John

John rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

06/12/08

Draper’s novel attempts to tackle many issues with fair success. Julio is of Latin-American descent while his love, Romiette, is of African-American descent. There is opposition to this, most strongly from the high school gang, the Devildogs. There is also the problem of faculty and staff ignoring the problems that are brought to their attention. Another theme of the novel is Romiette’s nightmares, maybe a prediction of what to come at the end of the novel? Draper also tackles the awkwardne...more

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Drama-queen-jay-bird

Drama-queen-jay-bird rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

05/14/08

Read in March, 2008

recommended to Drama-queen-jay-bird by: friend at school
recommends it for: everyone

Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper is a story that resembles Romeo and Juliet. It is Fiction and told in third person. It is about a boy name Julio, who is Latino, has just moved to Romiette’s school. Romiette, who is Black, and Julio first meet in a chat room then they find out that they live in the same city and finally meet each other. When they meet that draws them closer to each other and they end up be together. But the gangs at Romiettes school don’t like the way that they are dating...more

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Joy

Joy rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

06/15/08

bookshelves: complement-to-the-classics

This was a great book that would seem more appealing to females. It has romance and drama with a great happy ending, unlike Romeo & Juliet. The characters Romiette and Julio are both very likeable and easy to get to know. The story helps to introduce both characters and what each one is like along with their interests. I’m not crazy about meeting people on the internet but in this story it helps two teenagers to meet each other and get to know a little about each other before they face ...more

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Brandon

Brandon added it (review of isbn 0613337239)

06/12/08

I wasn’t really into this book all that much. I felt that, if you are going to do a book based on Romeo and Juliet in some way, at least pay it more justice and parallel it a little more to the actual story. For instance, instead of the family being a problem, it’s a local gang. Now, I understand that as the author, you probably aren’t wanting to write something too similar to the original, but this book was just too far-fetched for me to enjoy after already knowing how Romeo and Juliet g...more

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Bobby

Bobby rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

09/03/08

Read in May, 2006

recommended to Bobby by: my sister
recommends it for: anybody that likes mystery a little suspence and real lfe stuff

Romiette and Julio is a wonderful book.ROmiette and Julio meet on a cht room,which we all know is not safe,anyways...they talk and find out that they go to school together.Julio is the new kid.And sure enoughon his first day of school he gets into a fight and gets threatend by the "devil dogs."THe more and more they talk the more and more mad they get.Then one day while romi is walking home with julio they are kidnapped."the devil dogs" yake them to this lke and tell them if ...more

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(B) Archer

(B) Archer rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

03/12/08

bookshelves: girls-have-read

Read in November, 2007

recommended to (B) Archer by: Tati C.
recommends it for: to anybody who liked Romeo and Juliet

School was as boring as always, that’s what 16 year old Romiette thought before she met Julio. Julio, an angry 16 year old that recently moved from Corpus Cristi, Texas is forced to attend a local high school (which he hates a lot) were Romiette goes to school. Romiette and Julio meet and its love at first sight. There's only one problem, Romiette is African American, and Julio is Hispanic (which doesn’t go good with their parents). People start to talk about how Romiette and Julio are d...more

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Sara

Sara rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

06/10/08

Overall I liked this book. It was a very easy read and I could see where teenagers would love it, because they could really relate to the romance described in it. I also thought the characters give teenagers great role models, for boys and girls as Romiette was a strong, smart African American girl and Julio was a caring, loving Mexican American boy. I also thought this book was great in showing how race doesn’t matter and gives readers a new way of looking at the issue. In relation to Rome...more

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Smiley08

Smiley08 rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

05/16/08

Romitte and Julio was written by Sharon M. Draper. This book is written in first person point of view. It was about two lovers. Julio was a new boy in Cincinati School. He used to live in Corpus Cristi, Texas. His family moved because of the gangs there. While there he met a girl named Romiette aka Romi. Thats how her friends call her.
Romiette was a young girl that had no problems. She always helped her mom in their store. It all started when she met Julio. Nothing was wrong with them being ...more

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sandiie

sandiie rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

06/10/08

Like the title, this book mirrors the traditional Romeo and Juliet book, a more modern version. Sharon M. Draper has been one of my favorite authors, so I chose to read this book. Honestly though, I picked it up and put it back down, since the width of the book frighted me. I never really liked Romeo and Juliet, I don't even know why. Yet, this book was pretty good, but a sad ending. But I still chose to finish this book on behalf of Sharon M. Draper.
I don't recommend it to people who ...more

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Samantha

Samantha added it (review of isbn 0613337239)

06/24/08

This book is the modern version of the centuries old story Romeo and Juliet. It presents the two how Romiette's group of people don't like Julio who just moved into the area and so many other impediments in their destined relationship. I loved how the author just made this story just as effective as the classical story that everyone loves, it really had me hanging from ma heart. It really shows me how strong two people can really be and the love that they can have for each other and the passion ...more

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Lexie

Lexie rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

04/01/08

bookshelves: have-read-and-will-read-again

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: any romantic or fan of the original play

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

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Megan

Megan rated it:

(review of isbn 0613337239)

03/19/08

Read in March, 2007

recommended to Megan by: TVMS
recommends it for: 7th-12th graders

I read this book with my 7th grade honors LA class. First we read a summary of Romeo and Juliet so that they would have an understanding of the story that Sharon Draper used as inspiration for this novel. I really liked this story because I felt as though it was a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, and one that teenagers today could relate to. This novel focuses on issues such as race, gangs, friendship, and love. It is a great book and one that I highly recommend for mature readers!

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Thalia

Thalia rated it:

12/18/07

Romiette and Julio is about two High scholars Romiette and Julio fall in love and are harassed about it by Local gangs who don't want it happening because Romiette is Black and Julio is Latino. This book is about their struggle to be together with out ending up like the characters there name sounds like Romeo and Juliet.

I really like the book it wasn't as lovey Dubby as I though it would be. It was a page-turner with a lot of action and adventure to me.

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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.90 (201 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.89 (46 ratings)
number of reviews: 71

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