The Juliet Spell - Book Review

Title ~ The Juliet Spell
Series ~ Single Title
Author ~ Douglas Rees
Release Date ~ September 27, 2011
Publisher ~ Harlequin Teen
Source ~ Harlequin Teen

GOODREADS SUMMARY

I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.

I didn't get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren't any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I'd cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?

Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William's younger brother.

Good thing he's sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he's from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.
Still, there's something about him that's making my eyes go star-crossed....

REVIEW

The Juliet Spell is all about drama; both real-life drama between friends and the kind of drama that takes place in the theater. I was drawn to the idea of a book that would blend real-life with theater-life, and add in some magic too. Plus, the whole idea of a Romeo and Juliet spin caught my attention.
I should be careful what I wish for.

The real-life characters were all the same characters who were trying out for the play. And they had what I would call too much drama going on. They were constantly getting into arguments over relationships, casting, and basically EVERYTHING that had to do with the play. Miranda was one of the worst at all, and she came off as very self-centered to me. I wanted to like her, but I just didn’t care for her.

Then there is sweet and nerdy Drew. While he had his own crush on Miranda, he helped her through all the craziness of Edmund Shakespeare’s trip through time. I laughed at all the freaky things Drew studied and how they came in handy in odd ways. I had a nerdish crush on Drew!  Edmund, on the other hand, just seemed like any other character even though he arrived from the past. 

While I was looking for drama in The Juliet Spell, I found there was more than I could handle. If you are a theater lover, perhaps the plot will appeal to you more. For me, I was underwhelmed.