Monday, September 2, 2013

Highlights / Lowlights: WHEN YOU WERE MINE by Rebecca Serle


Title: WHEN YOU WERE MINE
Author: Rebecca Serle
Published: May 1st, 2012
Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 334
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: electronic ARC
Source: GalleyGrab
Rating: The Courtyard
Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her--and when he finally does, it's perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose's best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn't even stand a chance.

Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet's instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob's heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends.

Highlights: I have always thought that Romeo was a jerk from the way he quickly transferred his affections from Rosaline to Juliet in William Shakespeare's play, Romeo & Juliet. So, as a fan of Shakespeare's work, I was very excited to read Rosaline's POV in a modern retelling. While the story wasn't quite what I hoped for, I did enjoy certain aspects. I liked Len's character and Rose's interactions with him, and a few other side characters stood out, especially Juliet. The romantic interactions were solid, and the secrets each family had kept me curious. 

Lowlights: Understandably predictable. It sometimes became over-the-top dramatic about things that didn't really matter1.  WHEN YOU WERE MINE fails to introduce anything new or surprising to the tragic story. Characters treated Juliet like she was the bad guy through most of the book, but honestly, I think most of the blame lies with Rob2. I didn't feel a strong connection to the story or to Rose. Shakespeare's writing is classic, but even with such excellent source material as a starting point, this retelling was nothing special. 

Rating: The Courtyard. I liked WHEN YOU WERE MINE enough to finish reading, but I'd only invite it inside the palace on rare occasions. I would not purchase this book, because the story had quite a few flaws. Still, if I ever feel the need to visit with this story again, I'd be glad to see it hanging around in the courtyard (or in reality, the public library). 

1 But hey, that's high school. Social drama is almost a requirement. 
2 This story would have been more interesting if Rose would have blamed Rob, not Juliet. 


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10 comments:

  1. Mary @ BookSwarmSeptember 2, 2013 at 5:36 AM

    I definitely agree about fickle Romeo. He supposedly loved Rosaline and then *poof* those affections moved on to Juliet. Wasn't Juliet's fault. Definitely sounds like a maybe...and a library checkout.

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    1. Lea (YA Book Queen)September 3, 2013 at 7:31 AM

      YAY! I've never understood why so many people love Romeo, because I've always viewed his character negatively. He's not a bad guy, but he's definitely not this swoonworthy love interest.

      Delete
  2. Christina TSeptember 2, 2013 at 5:54 AM

    I have never been a fan of Romeo and I can't see Juliet as a villain so I don't think I'd like this book. I agree that the story might work better if the blame was placed on him :)

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    1. Lea (YA Book Queen)September 3, 2013 at 7:33 AM

      It was a bit strange seeing Juliet as the villain - there were some moments where it worked for me, and some moments where it didn't work.

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  3. brandileigh2003September 2, 2013 at 8:02 AM

    I enjoyed this one overall too, but didn't fall madly with it

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    1. Lea (YA Book Queen)September 3, 2013 at 7:33 AM

      It was enjoyable, but not as good as I hoped it would be. Glad you enjoyed it, overall! :)

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  4. RubitaSeptember 3, 2013 at 4:02 AM

    Huh. Just from the description, this sounds like an interesting...interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. It's odd to me to think about their "great romance" from an outside perspective, but now that I think about it, Romeo (Rob) was the one I'd have described as needy and unstable. On first glance, I don't really get where the author is coming from. But maybe I'd need to read the book?

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    1. Lea (YA Book Queen)September 3, 2013 at 7:38 AM

      There are a few differences between this story and the play - Juliet and Rob/Romeo are especially different.

      If you do check it out, I hope you like it! :)

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 4, 2013 at 5:39 PM

    I was a little iffy about this one after reading it. On the one hand, I really did like it. I thought it was a neat retelling of the play and a good angle showing Rosaline's story. But, I think just the overall drama of it made me feel kinda meh. I do agree that Rob didn't get nearly enough flak for dumping Rose. That would have made it an even more interesting angle!

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  6. The Insouciant SophisticateSeptember 8, 2013 at 4:23 PM

    I was very disappointed with the portrayal of Juliet because I actually thought she seemed really interesting while Rob was totally the jerk. I would have liked the two girls to become friends and share and support each other instead of the text trying to paint Juliet as the most awful villain ever just like her father.

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