A review by bak8382
Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis

3.0

This is a YA contemporary retelling of [b:Romeo and Juliet|18135|Romeo and Juliet|William Shakespeare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572098085l/18135._SY75_.jpg|3349450]. First, I loved the premise of it being a Broadway musical, and all the musical theatre references, and not just the ones that anyone would know. I also liked how key moments from the original were brought in: balcony scene, Jerzie worrying about Zeppelin being dead, and having Jerzie's family turn against him. What I didn't love was how quickly and intensely Jerzie and Zeppelin fall for each other, but at the same time I think it does stay true to the characters of Romeo and Juliet. Just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean it didn't fit the story. That being said I don't know the original that well so I can't speak to just how well Jerzie and Zeppelin's entire story stuck to it (though their fates are definitely different from the original), but it hit all the right beats for me. I also thought Cinny's turn around was a little rushed and hard to believe, but once again maybe that relates to something in the original? It was still a quick, fun read.