A modern-day telling of the French opera Carmen along the lines of what West Side Story did for Romeo and Juliet. Saucy and vivacious chica del barrio Carmen knows how to wrap guys around her finger, so when she sets her sights on Officer José, he never had a chance to resist. Carmen likes undying devotion in her men, but José gets a little too possessive to her liking. She drops him for the flirty rapper-turned-producer Escamillo which leads into a tragically explosive conclusion.

I had been excited to read a Walter Dean Myers' modernization of Carmen, but I was not prepared for a script whatsoever. I wish I had been more familiar with Carmen and the music because it definitely contributed to my confusion as to what was going on and when the characters were breaking into song. As a cold reading, I couldn't picture what was happening - but I wonder how it would play out as a live performance. I'll have to keep an eye out for the accompanying music that is supposed to be part of this retelling.