Title: When You Were Mine
Author: Rebecca Serle
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Books UK
Publishing Date: April 26th 2012
Length: 334 pages
Keywords: YA fiction, contemporary romance, tragedy,
star-crossed lovers
Source: Publisher
Rosaline
has been best friends with Rob since they were little kids. Recently, something
deeper and more electric has entered their friendship, and when Rob returns
after the summer break and asks Rosaline on a sort-of date, it seems they are
destined to become a couple, just as Rosaline always knew they would be. The
next day at school, a mysterious, beautiful girl arrives: Rosaline's long-lost
cousin, Juliet. And suddenly it looks as if Rosaline might be about to lose her
best friend AND her new boyfriend…
A new
interpretation of one of the most read tragedies in the world? Yes, please!
Romeo & Juliet was one of my favourite reads in high school and is one of
my favourite classics in general. The two doomed lovers dying a tragic death.
It was always a story I found myself fascinated by. So you can probably imagine
how excited I was to read WHEN YOU WERE MINE.
WHEN YOU
WERE MINE is an amazing read, a fabulous YA contemporary romance with just the
right amount of tragedy, drama and love. Some of you might say that a story
like Romeo & Juliet can’t be copied so easily or that another retake only promises
to be tiresome. Whereas the story follows the main events of the classic Romeo
& Juliet, in the end it is only roughly based on it. This time it’s
Rosaline’s story to be told.
Rosaline is
the girl no one has really thought about much, until now. Rebecca Serle chose
the famous tale of the two Italian cult star-crossed lovers and transformed
the story to California
with a pretty impressive storyline in mind. I loved to find out what of the
original story she decided to keep and in how far she adjusted single details,
added characters or wrote riveting new dialogues.
The book is
divided into acts and scenes just like the original play and based on various
tendencies and main events of Romeo and Juliet. The names of the WHEN YOU WERE
MINE characters are very similar to the original names like Rosaline Caplet,
Rob Montag, Juliet Caplet. That similarity bothered me a bit in the beginning,
because just from the sound of their names, I imagined the characters to be
copied, too (they are really not!). In the end I appreciated even that tiny
detail, the names, that led to an excellent new telling about that ancient love
story. Or better, the story of the girl who got hurt in the process and
forgotten over the years.
Without
telling too much about the story, I can tell you that much about WHEN YOU WERE
MINE. The focus doesn’t solely lie on one love story. There’s more to that book
than Rob loving Juliet or Rosaline’s feelings for Rob. It needs some time to
discover in which direction the story is headed and that was what made WHEN YOU
WERE MINE such a spectacularly enjoyable read.
A major
plus is that WHEN YOU WERE MINE is not all about love, but friendship, too. You
can imagine Rosaline must go trough many hardships and it’s an invaluable gift to have
friends by your side. I’m sure you’ll love her best friend Charlie just as much as I did and highly
appreciate the thread of their friendship’s story.
Rebecca
Serle wrote her book with the knowledge that her readers’ would be expecting a
certain outcome or start into it with predefined pictures of the characters
Juliet, Rob and Rosaline. Of course Juliet would be the innocently cute girl
who captured Rob’s heart, Rob her knight in shining armour and Rosaline the
jealous ex not worthy of an own story.
Now Rebecca managed to shape the characters in a completely new and exciting way and I admit that
Shakespeare couldn’t have done a better job. I was infuriated with the
irrational, immature and mindless behaviour of some characters, moved by the
emotional conflicts other characters had to go through and simply enraptured by
the true major love story that hasn’t been told all that time.
1) of an
essential character addition to the classic Romeo & Juliet cast
2) there’s
always room for a new seven
3) it’s not
fate that defines who we are and what we do, but our own choices
4) of the
things that might not be visible yet, but that have always been there
5) it’s an
amazing re-telling of Shakespeare’s drama
5/5 ***** WHEN YOU WERE MINE- The profound and
adorable Romeo & Juliet retelling I didn’t know I had always been waiting
for to find, devour, and love. Rebecca Serle makes YA and Shakespeare readers’
dreams come true.
YA
contemporary readers, there’s no way around Rebecca Serle’s debut WHEN
YOU WERE MINE. This Romeo and Juliet retelling is inspired by Shakespeare’s
story, yet bears ever new surprises and turns the story way round. Rosaline’s
been the star all along!
* Listen to
the WHEN YOU WERE MINE playlist.
* Thanks to
Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of WHEN YOU WERE MINE for review!
