Reviews

Romeo and Juliet and Vampires by William Shakespeare, Claudia Gabel

bewareeitsmaree's review

dark funny medium-paced

2.0

vikingwolf's review

3.0

Juliet is the only daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet, who were the vicious hired killers of Vlad Tepes before his downfall. In a few days, her 16th birthday will mark the end of her human life as she becomes a vampire like the rest of her family, a destiny that disgusts her. Romeo is the youngest son of the Montague vampire slaying family who has never had a chance to kill a vampire himself, and with the new Prince insisting on a peace treaty, he will be spared from taking the life of another creature. A chance meeting between Romeo and Juliet will set off a chain reaction of events that will have serious consequences for both families.

This was an interesting version of the love story. You had to feel sorry for poor Juliet with the family of monsters that she belongs to. Not that Romeo's family and friends were great either. In fact, other than Juliet's nurse and the Friar, I pretty much despised the rest of the supporting cast! You do find yourself rooting for the young couple as Juliet's death approaches and the vampire twist to the story was nicely done. It blended vampire lore with the play in a way that I found interesting and fun to read. Easier to digest than the Shakespeare version if you pardon the pun...

bookishbibelot's review against another edition

4.0

This book was brilliant in just how dreadfully awful it was. I loved to hate it.

bjkatcher's review against another edition

5.0

A retelling of the classic romance between two warring families. And Juliette drinks blood! I hope to see a lot more of this sort of book, I really enjoyed it.

aggielexi's review

2.0

A very quick and easy read. It's just ok, and as Geico says, "Just Ok, is not OK".

Pros:
Novel format vs Play
More modernized language
It's a fun idea

Cons:
Misses everything that is good about Romeo and Juliet
Themes are not really the same
Campy underwhelming vampires
The Montague, Capulet feud does not feel the same

Just very underwhelming

caitlin1599's review against another edition

3.0

Romeo and Juliet usually is a bit...annoying(?) but this was actually entertaining and I didn’t want to slap either any of the main characters

sepitz's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

ginalyn's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

My obsession with paranormal romance and Shakespeare plays come together wonderfully in this book. I truly enjoyed it  but if cheesy isn’t for you this book probably isn’t either

amberinpieces's review against another edition

4.0

Everyone has read Romeo & Juliet or at least knows the story. I cannot remember when I first read the play, but it was likely in high school at some point. But even before reading it, I just knew the story. In this updated mash-up version, the language is in modern prose rather than Shakespeare’s verse. Of course, the big differences are that the setting is Transylvania rather than Verona, Italy and the Capulets are vampires and the Montagues are vampire slayers, hence the huge feud.

Read the full review here.

foreveryoungadult's review against another edition

Graded By: Jenny
BFF Charm: Nay
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: More Cowbell
Bonus Factor: All's Well That Ends Well
Relationship Status: 'Tis Not Thou, 'Tis Me

Read the full book report here.