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A review by renettereads
One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Okay, this was cool for a number of reasons! In Olivie Blake’s retelling of Romeo and Juliet, we see two magical, warring families battle for superiority in modern-day New York.
For one, the characters were so strong. Masha was a total badass, whereas Sasha was sassy as hell. I also loved Lev’s sense of humour, and even when you didn’t like a character, you still felt moved by them. I love when authors give me strong and distinctive characters. I think with a cast this size (there are four Federov’s and many Antonova's) Olivie knew when to let some fade into the background so the reader wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.
I also loved the form this book took. It makes total sense that a reimagined Romeo and Juliet story should be written as a play with Acts and Scenes, and I really enjoyed that detail. I think the book also had a Shakespearean quality to it. The prose was poetic but not overly pretentious, which made it a joy to read.
There are so many things I liked about this book, but the last I’ll highlight is the plot itself. It’s simple, but my goodness, were there twists and turns. I felt like Olivie always had another card up her sleeve.
One for My Enemy is clever and beautiful, and oddly satisfying.
For one, the characters were so strong. Masha was a total badass, whereas Sasha was sassy as hell. I also loved Lev’s sense of humour, and even when you didn’t like a character, you still felt moved by them. I love when authors give me strong and distinctive characters. I think with a cast this size (there are four Federov’s and many Antonova's) Olivie knew when to let some fade into the background so the reader wouldn’t feel overwhelmed.
I also loved the form this book took. It makes total sense that a reimagined Romeo and Juliet story should be written as a play with Acts and Scenes, and I really enjoyed that detail. I think the book also had a Shakespearean quality to it. The prose was poetic but not overly pretentious, which made it a joy to read.
There are so many things I liked about this book, but the last I’ll highlight is the plot itself. It’s simple, but my goodness, were there twists and turns. I felt like Olivie always had another card up her sleeve.
One for My Enemy is clever and beautiful, and oddly satisfying.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Murder, and Violence