Book Review: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

By: Stacey Jay

Published by: Delacorte Books / Random House

Released on: August 9th, 2011

Source: Purchased

Series: Juliet Immortal #1

4 stars: I Really Enjoyed It

Purchase from: Random House |  Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Indiebound | Book Depository.

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 husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

"These violent delights have violent ends

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,

Which as they kiss consume."

—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare - quoted from Goodreads

Stacey Jay has written an incredibly mesmerizing story about Romeo and Juliet, and given it a hauntingly romantic, and utterly heartbreaking twist. We all know of the tragic love story that befell these two historic love birds, but there's a lot more to this story we don't know. I loved the exciting twist Stacey gave this love story. Juliet Immortal is a love story in every essence. It's also one ripe with redemption, sacrifices, self discovery, and making the impossible possible. What we learn about Juliet and Romeo's eternal connection is horrifying, unimaginable, and despite all we learn, I love that this love story is also about redemption. 

I always thought of Juliet as a tragic victim who was driven by love, and blinded by her distress over seeing her lover supposedly dead. I never thought of her as weak, nor did I think she was strong. I always thought of her as just, well Juliet. There's been times I've read this play and felt heartbroken for her and understood why she did what she did and other times I wondered why she did it. Stacey Jay gave me a Juliet I saw in a whole new light. She wrote a character who is strong, someone I felt sorry for and someone I cheered on at the same time. Above all, she gave me a complex character whom at first I thought I had figured out, but quickly realized there are many layers to Juliet. Her grief,  her new found determination to love again, as well as to forgive make Juliet a character determined to overcome a past marked with pain, and give her a future full of hope, and the ability to find true love, again.

Romeo, Romeo, Romeo. Wow! Is he a well written character! I have to say I battled the will to like him, and try to understand him in this book, but man he made it so hard to do that. He is so incredibly complex. Part of me wanted to run and cower in the corner when he enters a scene and the other part of me was drawn to him, and wanted to learn more about him. What I first thought about him, is not at the character he turns out to be. He really surprised me. I desperately want to elaborate on his character, but I feel what I want to say will ruin the surprise of what/who he is in this book. 

Part of the story's appeal wasn't just the fantastic twist Stacey gave Romeo & Juliet's story, it's how she wrote her characters. Nothing about them is what I thought. She enticed me with the mystery and the painful past her character's have, and the untold future that lies in front of them. The history, the romance, and the heartbreak are just a few of the things I enjoyed about this book. Stacey Jay's writing is incredible! It's beautiful and compelling. It hooked me, and gave me so much more than I had excepted to get from this story. What she did with the greatest love story ever told is remarkable. It's intense, addicting and one I couldn't stop reading. I am in love with this Romeo and Juliet. This is a forbidden love story I highly recommend picking up.