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.