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Still Star-Crossed
by Melinda Taub
I'll be honest. I picked up Still Star-Crossed because I heard that this book was going to be adapted for television by Shonda Rhimes and I just wanted to see what sort of story it was going to be. And the story really didn't disappoint because it was pretty sweet, largely in keeping with Shakespearian dialogue although there were some anachronisms that appeared (though these weren't jarring and didn't take me out from the story).
After the death of Romeo and Juliet, an uneasy peace has settled upon Verona where the Montagues and Capulets have agreed to a truce. Enough blood has been shed on both sides and the death of the young couple is just an additional tragedy to all the bloodshed over the years. But Prince Escalus is worried that the peace wouldn't last, especially given that someone has defaced young Juliet's statue with the word "HARLOT".
Rosaline is heartsick from the death of her young cousin Juliet, a girl that she had grew up with but who had later lost contact with after her family's fortunes had fallen. This is the same Rosaline who Romeo was in love with before he turned his attention to Juliet and she's aware that there will always be the niggling question at the back of her mind: what if she had accepted Romeo's love? Would the same turn of events had occurred?
Benvolio aches from the loss of his best friends, Romeo and Mercutio. The three of them were as tight as brothers and now, he is the only one left alive. Without Romeo, he is now the handsome young heir to the Montague name. But what good is the family name without having two of his best friends to share it? There is now only him and there always be only him left.
When the defacement of Juliet's statue is discovered, the uneasy peace between the Montagues and the Capulets threatens to shatter and Prince Escalus decides that the only way to resolve the issue is to marry a Montague to a Capulet, in hopes that this union would be less tragic than Juliet's with Romeo. But Benvolio deems Rosaline a shrew and Rosaline considers Benvolio no better than swine, with her heart having been captured by Prince Escalus since childhood.
There is only one way out of this predicament: to figure out some other way to resolve the city's strife, some way that does not involve matrimony.
The story is told from alternating perspectives, so we don't only get to hear from Rosaline or Benvolio but from a whole slew of characters such as the young heir Prince Escalus, who is trying his best to maintain his hold over the city's peace to avoid further bloodshed. We also hear from Livia, Rosaline's extremely spirited sister who is hurt by Rosaline's secret plans for the future.
The stand-out character from Still Star-Crossed has got to be Rosaline. We don't know much about her from Romeo and Juliet but Melinda Taub has created an excellent back-story for her. I loved Rosaline, although I have to admit that sometimes the book's descriptions of her from the other characters' perspectives comes across as a little bit Mary-Sueish. But no matter, Rosaline is brave, smart and frustrated at how she is entangled in the Capulet's fortunes when they had paid her no mind during Juliet's life. But now that Juliet is gone and she is the only one of marriageable age, they are now looking to her to usher in peace by marrying a Montague. Rosaline is not going to stand for that!
In comparison, Benvolio isn't as strong a character. Benvolio is a responsible, steady young man who detests Rosaline but is willing to marry her in order to bring peace to the Montagues. But when Rosaline hatches a plan to find out who is causing strife between the two families, he agrees to the plan in order to avoid marrying her, who he deems to be a harpy.
And of course, the selling point of Still Star-Crossed is the love story. There is a love triangle involved her but I was pretty certain who I shipped right from the start. I'm pleased to say that the pairing is extremely cute. I will say that I loved the Prince Escalus that Rosaline remembered too.
Of course, there's also the mystery that propels the plot forward: who is deliberately trying to destroy the truce between the Montagues and Capulets? I had my suspicions about who was involved but I have to say the mastermind is truly diabolical.
Still Star-Crossed is worth a read for any Romeo and Juliet stan but also for anyone who is looking for a romance with sprinkles of mystery in it.
After the death of Romeo and Juliet, an uneasy peace has settled upon Verona where the Montagues and Capulets have agreed to a truce. Enough blood has been shed on both sides and the death of the young couple is just an additional tragedy to all the bloodshed over the years. But Prince Escalus is worried that the peace wouldn't last, especially given that someone has defaced young Juliet's statue with the word "HARLOT".
Rosaline is heartsick from the death of her young cousin Juliet, a girl that she had grew up with but who had later lost contact with after her family's fortunes had fallen. This is the same Rosaline who Romeo was in love with before he turned his attention to Juliet and she's aware that there will always be the niggling question at the back of her mind: what if she had accepted Romeo's love? Would the same turn of events had occurred?
Benvolio aches from the loss of his best friends, Romeo and Mercutio. The three of them were as tight as brothers and now, he is the only one left alive. Without Romeo, he is now the handsome young heir to the Montague name. But what good is the family name without having two of his best friends to share it? There is now only him and there always be only him left.
When the defacement of Juliet's statue is discovered, the uneasy peace between the Montagues and the Capulets threatens to shatter and Prince Escalus decides that the only way to resolve the issue is to marry a Montague to a Capulet, in hopes that this union would be less tragic than Juliet's with Romeo. But Benvolio deems Rosaline a shrew and Rosaline considers Benvolio no better than swine, with her heart having been captured by Prince Escalus since childhood.
There is only one way out of this predicament: to figure out some other way to resolve the city's strife, some way that does not involve matrimony.
The story is told from alternating perspectives, so we don't only get to hear from Rosaline or Benvolio but from a whole slew of characters such as the young heir Prince Escalus, who is trying his best to maintain his hold over the city's peace to avoid further bloodshed. We also hear from Livia, Rosaline's extremely spirited sister who is hurt by Rosaline's secret plans for the future.
Spoiler
Which involve marrying Livia off while she joins a nunnery.The stand-out character from Still Star-Crossed has got to be Rosaline. We don't know much about her from Romeo and Juliet but Melinda Taub has created an excellent back-story for her. I loved Rosaline, although I have to admit that sometimes the book's descriptions of her from the other characters' perspectives comes across as a little bit Mary-Sueish. But no matter, Rosaline is brave, smart and frustrated at how she is entangled in the Capulet's fortunes when they had paid her no mind during Juliet's life. But now that Juliet is gone and she is the only one of marriageable age, they are now looking to her to usher in peace by marrying a Montague. Rosaline is not going to stand for that!
In comparison, Benvolio isn't as strong a character. Benvolio is a responsible, steady young man who detests Rosaline but is willing to marry her in order to bring peace to the Montagues. But when Rosaline hatches a plan to find out who is causing strife between the two families, he agrees to the plan in order to avoid marrying her, who he deems to be a harpy.
And of course, the selling point of Still Star-Crossed is the love story. There is a love triangle involved her but I was pretty certain who I shipped right from the start. I'm pleased to say that the pairing is extremely cute
Spoiler
perhaps because I have a weakness for romances that start off with the couple hating each other before falling in loveSpoiler
But I really disliked the Prince Escalus that arranges the marriage between Rosaline and Benvolio because of how manipulative and gross he is. This Prince Escalus comes across as a disgusting creep who manipulates Rosaline by not only foiling her plans to escape with her childhood best friend Isabella (who incidentally is Prince Escalus' sister) but also threatens to tell everyone that he slept with her unless she agrees to marry Benvolio. HOW GROSS IS THAT. Later on it's revealed that Prince Escalus has helped Rosaline out by being her mysterious benefactor BUT THAT DOES NOT REDEEM HIM IN MY EYES.Of course, there's also the mystery that propels the plot forward: who is deliberately trying to destroy the truce between the Montagues and Capulets? I had my suspicions about who was involved but I have to say the mastermind is truly diabolical.
Spoiler
Who would've thought that the grief-stricken Lady Capulet did it? And I also love the fact that it was a woman who had set all the plans into motion, that was pretty cool.Still Star-Crossed is worth a read for any Romeo and Juliet stan but also for anyone who is looking for a romance with sprinkles of mystery in it.