Book Review: Romiette and Julio

Romiette and Julio by Sharon M. Draper

SUMMARY: Romiette and her friend Destiny have been trying to find romance through the Scientific Soul Mate System dream program. However, Romiette keeps having horrible nightmares about fire and water. All this seems to change when she meets Julio, a new student at her school. It is love at first sight! However, a school gang violently opposes interracial dating and puts the lives of Romiette and Julio in jeopardy.

OPINION: I wanted to read this book because the title is humorous. And, as I expected, the story is a modern version of the Shakespeare classic. It is simultaneously romantic and suspenseful, although the author does tend to reference the Shakespeare stuff a bit too often. Everyone knows the story. However, the author is a high school teacher, and it is obvious that she writes from experience with students. I really liked the characters and thought the book was very clever.