This is an example of a book that has a brilliant idea, but isn't well executed. The plot and the characters as well as the setup of the book are all classically Shakesperian, and the story is really cute, but I found myself kind of confused as Harper hops from character to character without really giving the reader a warning. I also found myself asking too many questions about why the characters were doing certain things and how they made sense, which is never a good thing. I loved the idea of this book, but never really got sucked into it.
Reviewed by Harmony for TeensReadToo.com
THE JULIET CLUB is about six teenagers taking a Shakespeare Seminar in Verona, Italy, which is the same place where the famous Romeo and Juliet is set. The three Americans, Tom, Lucy, and Kate, are winners of a Shakespeare essay contest and have traveled halfway around the world to attend the seminar. They're all excited, for different reasons, to be spending a month in the beautiful country of Italy. The other three teenagers, Benno, Giacomo, and Silvia, all live in Verona and happen to be studying at the seminar.
Each of the teenagers is very different from the rest. Kate is very educated and her father is a noted Shakespeare scholar, who just happens to be the main rival of Francesca Marchese, who will be teaching Kate's seminar. Kate, who's still suffering from a broken heart whether she'll admit it or not, plans to spend the summer studying and discussing Shakespeare even more than before. Lucy, a friendly, bubbly, and beautiful southern, is crazy with happiness about being in Italy. Unlike the girls, Tom doesn't seem interested at all in Shakespeare, but more in playing soccer (football). Benno is happy and ready to work for whoever will pay him. Giacomo, Benno's best friend and the boy all of the girls fall for, is less than thrilled about going to the seminar, but his mother insists. Silvia is an angry but beautiful girl who gives off the vibe to stay away from her. Somehow, these six very different teens end up together in Italy, where romance is always blooming.
During the seminar, they are to act out scenes from the play and to answer letters written from Juliet's point of view, because hundreds of teens throughout the world write to her every year about their love problems. But the teens are not only studying love - they're experiencing it. Their lives are filled with the same experiences of falling in love, heartbreak, and jokes that Shakespeare's plays were filled with.
This book had a fun setting, great characters, and a whole lot of potential. The thing is, it switched points of view so often, and focused on so many relationships, that it was hard to keep track and relate to the characters. But even so, I'm still looking forward to reading Ms. Harper's previous books and any books to come.
THE JULIET CLUB is about six teenagers taking a Shakespeare Seminar in Verona, Italy, which is the same place where the famous Romeo and Juliet is set. The three Americans, Tom, Lucy, and Kate, are winners of a Shakespeare essay contest and have traveled halfway around the world to attend the seminar. They're all excited, for different reasons, to be spending a month in the beautiful country of Italy. The other three teenagers, Benno, Giacomo, and Silvia, all live in Verona and happen to be studying at the seminar.
Each of the teenagers is very different from the rest. Kate is very educated and her father is a noted Shakespeare scholar, who just happens to be the main rival of Francesca Marchese, who will be teaching Kate's seminar. Kate, who's still suffering from a broken heart whether she'll admit it or not, plans to spend the summer studying and discussing Shakespeare even more than before. Lucy, a friendly, bubbly, and beautiful southern, is crazy with happiness about being in Italy. Unlike the girls, Tom doesn't seem interested at all in Shakespeare, but more in playing soccer (football). Benno is happy and ready to work for whoever will pay him. Giacomo, Benno's best friend and the boy all of the girls fall for, is less than thrilled about going to the seminar, but his mother insists. Silvia is an angry but beautiful girl who gives off the vibe to stay away from her. Somehow, these six very different teens end up together in Italy, where romance is always blooming.
During the seminar, they are to act out scenes from the play and to answer letters written from Juliet's point of view, because hundreds of teens throughout the world write to her every year about their love problems. But the teens are not only studying love - they're experiencing it. Their lives are filled with the same experiences of falling in love, heartbreak, and jokes that Shakespeare's plays were filled with.
This book had a fun setting, great characters, and a whole lot of potential. The thing is, it switched points of view so often, and focused on so many relationships, that it was hard to keep track and relate to the characters. But even so, I'm still looking forward to reading Ms. Harper's previous books and any books to come.
This was a great, light read that was enjoyable. I was pleased with this book and delighted with the incorporation of shakespeare in the plot. If you are thinking about reading it, then you should pick it up and start!
