Release Date: Expected 1st August
Publisher: Headline
Once upon a time, Romeo and Juliet fell in love. But their story is still waiting for an ending.
Today, Helene has moved to a small town in Alaska after a miserable divorce, ready to live a quiet life, write her novels and try to come to terms with her solitude. But then she sees Sebastien and it doesn't feel like the first time. He is the living embodiment of the prince charming she'd created, written about as a young girl dreaming of fairytale endings. And as she tries to get closer to him, it's clear he's hiding something.
And he is. But how can Sebastien tell her the truth? How can he tell her they've know each other, loved each other and lost each other countless times? Fate drew them together, and it is keeping them apart - away from their happy ending.
"She has no idea who she is, of course. That her presence - or absence - in my life has defined my entire existence. I may go by Sebastien now, but name was originally Romeo. And hers was Juliet."
I absolutely love retellings - it takes some serious bravery to reimagine one of the classics, let alone one of the greatest tragedies of all time. The setting was beautiful, vivid and descriptive full of twinkling ice and blinding snow. Our characters drive the story, giving us insights into their lives before this moment, and their lives before this one - even going back to some familiar faces from literature in a totally new light. I adored them, their complexities and motivations - but honestly I found them more interesting apart than together when they veered into trope territory and lost their sense of self.
The way Skye flipped the narrative was brilliant - keeping the original story as a real thing in the world was a marvellous touch. The story moves slowly, setting the stage and the players - each little moment or detail with a meaning that is waiting to be revealed. But as we approach the end you know it, waiting for an end to a timeless story of curses, love, and loss.
Unfortunately for me, the storyline itself was very flimsy and not much really happened. The last quarter of the book felt like it was lifted directly from a different story and led into a very abrupt ending that felt quite anticlimactic but very heart-warming.
Hopelessly romantic, indulgent and sweeping - this is a magically modern reimagining of the star-crossed lovers that defies time and death in an entertaining and deeply emotional story.
"What Shakespeare didn't realise was that the tragic tale of starcrossed lovers was about more than one boy and one girl. He envisioned only a small sliver of history, and not the span of all time."
⭐⭐⭐
cw: self harm, war, drugs, sex, death, pregnancy, divorce, abusive relationships.
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