Recently Read: Juliet

Just yesterday I finished Juliet by Anne Fortier. I picked up this book a while ago, and knew nothing about it before reading the back and decided it sounded good. I love books about other books or authors (I'm going to call this genre literary fiction because I don't know if it has a real name, or what that name would be). Recently, everything I have bought or read has belonged to this genre.

The main character of the book is Julie Jacobs. She has a twin sister, Janice, who she does not get along with and the girls live with their Aunt Rose. Neither of the girls remember their parents, or their life in Italy before both of their parents died and they went to live in the States with Aunt Rose. Their aunt passes away and Julie embarks on a journey to Italy to find a mysterious treasure her mother was looking for when she died. Julie finds out some shocking facts on her journey, for example her real name and her famous ancestor who is believed to be the basis for Shakespeare's Juliet. The book also tells the story of Giulietta and Romeo, going back and forth between 1340 and the present as Julie discovers the story of her ancestors and an ancient curse her mother believed was still harming the ancestors of all involved with the young lover's deaths.

 

I really liked this book. The characters are funny and relatable, and the author's creation of the original Romeo and Juliet is intriguing and romantic. The book has so many twists and surprises that keep you excited, but it is easy to follow. Even if you are not a fan of the Shakespeare play, I would recommend this book. Julie is a strong main character, as well as Giulietta. I believe they are just as strong as Juliet in Shakespeare's version.