Teen Zone

VOYA Reviews 2008 June
An amalgam of familiar Shakespearean plot elements, character names, and devices make up this delightful, light, and romantic read. Kate has sworn off love after being dumped by her boyfriend. She heads to Verona for the summer for an intensive institute on Romeo and Juliet. There she meets Giacomo, a boy she immediately dislikes and who happens to be the son of her father's arch-rival Shakespearean scholar. When the two discover that other students are plotting a trick to make them fall in love, Kate and Giacomo decide to turn the tables and stage a romance. The other four participants in the seminar also find themselves smitten during their time at the institute, with most subplot emphasis on the boys trying to figure out how to woo and win the affection of the girls. In true Shakespearean fashion, the couples overcome romantic obstacles and find their way to each other. The chapter titles are each given act and scene designations to keep the structure of a play. Following the formula of a Shakespearean comedy, the novel ends with a grand ball where misunderstandings are resolved and couples are revealed in a magical evening. Readers with knowledge of Shakespeare's works will be reminded of various plays as they read; however, readers who do not catch the allusions and nods to the plays will still enjoy the story.

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