Fiedler, Lisa. Romeo's ex; Rosaline's story.

FIEDLER, Lisa. Romeo's ex; Rosaline's story. Henry Holt. 246p. c2006. 0-8050-7500-3. $16.95. JS

In essence, Romeo and Juliet is a story about impulsive teenagers, and Fiedler's retelling of the story just emphasizes that aspect. (She has already given us a retelling of Hamlet in Dating Hamlet.) She uses alternate voices: Rosaline, Benvolio, Romeo, Mercutio, Tybalt. In Fiedler's novel, the love story is that of Rosaline and Benvolio, who are onlookers to the tragedy that befalls Romeo and Juliet, and they give their observations on all that happens to those lovers, in effect retelling the classic from their point of view. We like the character of Rosaline, who is more mature than her young cousin Juliet; Ros isn't someone who just waits around for others to make things happen. She is learning how to be a healer and this pursuit is more important to her than any romance. Romeo is seen as a hothead who isn't sure what he wants, and his counterpart, Benvolio, is much more responsible and introspective.

Students familiar with the original will enjoy Fiedler's amusing and often moving version of the story. The language she uses is close to the Elizabethan original, and reading Fiedler will help students understand and enjoy Shakespeare's classic.

This is a complement to the original but certainly not meant as a replacement. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.