If Romeo and Juliet got the Hamilton treatment…who would play the leads? This vividly funny, honest, and charming romantic novel by Dana L. Davis is the story of a girl who thinks she has what it takes…and the world thinks so, too. Jerzie Jhames will do anything to land the lead role in Broadway’s hottest new show, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse … a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns mega-star Cinny won the lead…and Jerzie is her understudy.
Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea–especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless.
Books by Dana L. Davis:
Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now
The Voice in My Head
Roman and Jewel
more
Roman and Jewel gives the story of Romeo and Juliet a new direction as it embarks on a musical and diverse journey.
Unique Storytelling
Davis has taken Romeo and Juliet and given it new life with this story. Firstly, the story is labeled a hip-hopera adaptation, giving this classic tale what the publisher calls “the Hamilton treatment.” Honestly, it was terrific. The musical Roman and Jewel takes place in the background, but every scene and how the story influences the actual plotline makes an engaging read.
To be honest, I would love to see this play brought to life on stage; it was that good. There are thousands of Romeo and Juliet, but the way Davis has gone about bringing to life a classic made it fresh. The play that Jerzie is working on may be the retelling, but the story itself is about a girl who is coming face to face with stardom and everything that comes with it.
However, as much as I thought the storytelling was, I wanted more. Not in a bad way though. The pacing was well thought out, but the story, it felt like there needed to be more substance. Okay, substance is a bad word because this novel was extraordinary, and it had the substance, but I wanted more story to it. The story resolves all the tension with a neat little bow that takes away some of the realism that Davis put into the layers of her storytelling.
My biggest wish is that the story had been longer because it was so good, and I felt like I blew through it too quickly. Not that that is a bad thing; honestly, that just shows you how much I loved this novel.
Characterization
Jerzie is a girl with fantastic talent and brains, and what is even more impressive is the fact that she is a black girl. Honestly, it is great to see African American authors bring their identities and culture into books because they step away from the stereotypes that have plagued literature for decades.
Jerzie can sing, she can dance, and she can write music. All in all, Jerzie worked hard to be as unique as she is, and even more impressive is how supportive her family is. At only 16 years old, she can compose with the greats, and her hard work pays off for her.
Zeppelin is also a great character. First, it is remarkable that her star-crossed love is not the stereotypical white boy with all the looks. He comes from Italy and has an emotional connection to opera, one that connects to his mother. However, Davis could have spent a little more time developing the dynamics between Jerzie and Zeppelin. They have the chemistry to work with one another, but, as mentioned above, I wanted more from it.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Roman and Jewel were terrific. The foundation of the novel is incredible, and the approach Davis took in their storytelling is compelling. However, honestly, her hip-hopera deserves to see the stage lights, and when it does, I’ll be first in line to see that.
An entirely showstopping story of star-crossed love on the modern stage.
A modern theatrical Romeo and Juliet retelling, inside of a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling. Roman and Jewel is the updated HFN version of this story that I didn’t realize that I needed. Everyone knows that I’m a sucker for tragedy and angst, but Roman and Jewel provides a bit of both while still being a fun YA contemporary romance.
We meet Jerzie Jhames as a normal teen. Well a normal teen about to be in a Broadway production, who is an insanely talented singer, and has an incredible knowledge of music theory. What she doesn’t know is that her role in Roman and Jewel is going to bring her to the love of her life. Yes, this book has young instalove, BUT it is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, what were you expecting to happen here? While the love story and the obstacles in the way of Jerzie and her Roman run loosely parallel to the original story, the rest of Jerzie’s path from normal talented girl to IG celebrity and Broadway famous is it’s very own. There’s a modern day villain subplot, a bit of mystery, and so much growth from our heroine. She struggles with jealousy, first time love, making her family and herself proud, and the decisions of what life path she should ultimately take.
This book is honestly just sweet, and I enjoyed that there is representation in this book that feels real and natural. The theatre plot throughout the story isn’t as heavy as one may think, but I do love the world that was built, and the characters that we are given because of the world it’s set in. So if you’re not a big theatre/musical geek, you’ll still enjoy this read. I also loved that Jerzie was having her own coming of age during this read. She learned things about herself and her family, while falling in love and doing what she loves.
My only complaint is one that’s a bit spoiler-y, so I’m going to leave it vague. I didn’t like the way one of the characters was portrayed a bit poorly. That being said even though I have that complaint, by the end of the story I understood WHY the author made that move with certain characters, so while it made me sort of sad/upset in the moment I eventually appreciated it because it left room for growth and it truly shines through in the end as a connection between two of the characters we are following. One of those moments when you recognize your differences, but you see your similarities with someone as well. A good reminder that people are imperfect and characters are allowed to be as well. It makes them more well rounded.
All in all this was a great YA read. I’d highly recommend it if you like that “young girl gets her chance to live her dreams”, modern retellings, or just YA romance in general.