In this book, Julie is basically trying to come out from Janice's (Her twin) shadow. Everything has ALWAYS been about Janice. Both girls were orphane...more In this book, Julie is basically trying to come out from Janice's (Her twin) shadow. Everything has ALWAYS been about Janice. Both girls were orphaned at the age of 3. leaving Aunt Rose as there motherly figure. Out of random, Aunt Rose dies and leaves everything in Janice's name. The only thing Julie recieves is the key to a box in Siena, Italy (Which is where her parents met each other, got married, and eventually died). Julie heads off to Italy and meets a man on the plane named Alessandro, who she later suspects in the killing of her parents. Once she arrived in Italy, Julie was determined to find the banker that held the box. When she arrives, the box contains a necklace, a paperback copy of "Romeo and Juliet," as well as manuscripts with the original story. While in Italy, she tracks down her Italian family and attempts to learn her legacy. The book jumps back and forth between "Romeo and Juliet" as well as Julie pursuing her dead mother's clues.
Recommendation: Personally, i would recommend this book. It tells a love-story, as well as a murder mystery. An overall good book.
Theme: The overall theme to the story is to never give up on things, and sometimes it takes longer to realize who you really are. Sometimes all you need is just one person to point you in the right direction.
Authors purpose: Juliet was inspired by Anne Fortier's mom who always considered Verona her true home, until she discovered Siena. Same in Juliet, Julie's heritage came from Siena. Her whole family history was there.
Cultural differences: In Siena, the Palio hores race is held twice every year. The horses are rode bareback and the riders are dressed in appropriate colors of the 17 city wards. Rituals occur on July 2nd && August 16, which are the days of the races. The first race is in honor of Madonna of Provenzano, and the second race is in honor of the Assumption of Mary. The book also talks about the ancient buildings, neighborging families and how the parents choose who the woman marries (typically based on royalty and money).
Comments: I enjoyed how the book is close to reality. It takes people different amounts of time to figure out who they really are. Janice established herself really quick. Julie didn't and it lowered her self esteem dramatically. The whole book is about her discovering herself. One thing that really interested me was the Palio race. It has roughly the same popularity as the running of the bulls in Spain. Its a huge deal in Siena, Italy.
The book is quite the tear-jerker. Its very sad and almost makes the reader mad at times. The book demonstrates how our world focuses on one select st...moreThe book is quite the tear-jerker. Its very sad and almost makes the reader mad at times. The book demonstrates how our world focuses on one select stereotype for women. Pecola is a black, 11 year old that just wants to have blue eyes and feel pretty like the other blond-haired, blue-eyed girls. At another point in the story, a white man in a candy shop treats pecola so badly. He treated her like she wasn't pretty enough to have the "maryjane" candy. There is alot of symbolism in the book, so at times you have to go back and re-read it. But overall, i really enjoyed the book. Its very mature and profound. I would recommend it to high school aged kids as well as adults. Specifically, someone who would understand the metaphors, symbolism and language.(less)
This book is by far my favorite book. For one, the situation is somewhat relatable to my life experiences. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, howeve...moreThis book is by far my favorite book. For one, the situation is somewhat relatable to my life experiences. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, however, hers hasn't spread. The book starts off with Ronnie and Jonah moving in with their dad for the summer. They don't know about his illness. Ronnie resents her father for leaving her mom. She refuses to read any letters, answer any phone calls or play the piano (which she spent much of her childhood taking lessons from her dad). Since he left, she's stumbled down the wrong path. Her grades are down the toilet, she got accepted to Juliard but turned them down and even got caught by the cops for stealing. (less)
Loading...
