“For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” Maybe, in Shakespeare’s eyes, but Lisa Fiedler’s Romeo’s Ex : Rosaline’s Story may add some more “woe”.

Lisa Fiedler is the author of several popular young adult novels, and this is her second retelling of a Shakespearean story, Romeo and Juliet, from a female’s point of view. The first book being Dating Hamlet, from Ophelia’s perspective.

The title Romeo’s Ex : Rosaline’s Story already tells you the main character of the story, Rosaline. The title makes you think back and try to remember details of Rosaline, only to find that there are very few details about Rosaline in the story Romeo and Juliet. The only detail is that Romeo was in love with her and she refused to love him in return.

This story has all the characters of Romeo and Juliet, but also has more ( a few from other Shakespear plays, The Taming of the Shrew and A Twelfth Night for example). There are many characters in this story so I will only list a few: Benvolio, Romeo, Mercutio, Juliet, and Tybalt. The story also takes place in the same time and place as Romeo and Juliet ; Verona, Italy, 1595, spring.

You must be wondering “What makes this book unique?” First of all, there are two reasons why Romeo and Rosaline didn’t work out, one, she was a Capulet and he was a Montague. If you didn’t know the Montague’s and Capulet’s are in a huge feud, and nobody knows what it is about. Two, she wasn’t interested in Romeo. So Romeo went sulking and Rosaline went home and joked with her cousin Juliet. During a fight in the town square, Rosaline gets into some trouble, but in the process she meets two gentlemen, Mercutio and Benolio, only one of whom will love her and she in return will love him. “Romeo, wherefore art thou the fortunate man who first glimpsed and chose fair Rosaline?” Romeo and Juliet go on with there story. But these two new lovers Rosaline and a Montague try to end the famous feud between the Montague’s and Capulet’s “Two households, both alike in dignity in fair Verona...” But when every thing goes wrong will Rosaline be able to do what she must and what is right?

In warning if you plan to read this book you must be able to understand the Shakespearean way of writing, because that is the way this book is written. I had to reread some parts to understand what it was saying, but once you learn it, it’s hard to forget. I think it would be a good book to read if you are going to read Romeo and Juliet in school or just because you want to. You will know the characters in Romeo and Juliet better and understand it better.

If you have read Romeo and Juliet this book may change your opinion on Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other, it did for me. Before this book I thought it was just another love story gone wrong, but after I read the book I think Romeo and Juliet were idiots. Because, they knew each other for one day and in that day they got married and instead of telling there family they killed themselves.