100 YA Novels: When You Were Mine
Book 4
vnfan had just mentioned that she was going to read When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle when I found out it was this month's selection for the book club I belong to at Teenlitrocks.com. I was really excited about it. I like books that examine alternate points of view of a commonly known story (must be the fan ficcer in me), and WYWM is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Rosaline, the first girl Romeo fell in love with. This Rosaline is a 17-year-old girl living in Southern California. She and her friends, Charlie and Olivia, are the popular girls in school. Their senior year is just beginning, and they're eager to have a fabulous and fun year. Rose is also excited that things are finally progressing between her and her best friend, Rob.
But out of the blue, Rose's cousin Juliet moves back to town. Almost immediately, Rob drops Rose for her cousin. There's a complicated family history that compounds the situation (Rose and Juliet's fathers have been estranged for nearly ten years), but the betrayal falls squarely on Rob's shoulders for doing such an awful thing to Rose.
I liked Rosaline a lot. Most of the time Charlie and Olivia are shallow and mean, especially to those not inside their small circle of friends, but Rose is kind. I think that makes what happens to her especially heartbreaking. Even though you know the entire time where the story is headed, you can't help but root for Rosaline. More than half the book takes place before Rob and Juliet meet, so you have a chance to get to know her and like her. I still remember exactly what it was like to be on the verge of something with a guy, having all those expectations and hopes, and then having it all crash down on me because he chose another girl instead of me. So my heart broke for Rose as she watched Rob, the boy she had loved and trusted since childhood, ditch her for her cousin.
And then there's Len, the class clown that is always rumored to be getting in trouble, and doesn't seem to care much about school. Much to her dismay, Rose ends up as his lab partner for AP Biology, which she is terrible at. She and Len don't move in the same circles, though she used to take piano classes with him when they were kids. As she tries to get over Rob, she's pleased to discover that Len is actually a cool guy, and that he's willing to make the effort to get to know the real her in a way that Rob never did.
My biggest criticism of the book is that I wished at times that Rose had been rounded out a little more. We know she's had a lifelong dream of going to Stanford, but we don't really know what she wants to study there. I wanted to know more about what made her tick. Throughout much of the book she doesn't seem to care about much besides Rob. It was also difficult at times to push down the unease and sense of dread waiting for the inevitable to happen. Still, I enjoyed the book.
Bonus: You can read an interview with the author conducted by Teenlitrocks.com here. You can also see my book club's reactions and win a copy of the book for yourself here
vnfan had just mentioned that she was going to read When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle when I found out it was this month's selection for the book club I belong to at Teenlitrocks.com. I was really excited about it. I like books that examine alternate points of view of a commonly known story (must be the fan ficcer in me), and WYWM is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Rosaline, the first girl Romeo fell in love with. This Rosaline is a 17-year-old girl living in Southern California. She and her friends, Charlie and Olivia, are the popular girls in school. Their senior year is just beginning, and they're eager to have a fabulous and fun year. Rose is also excited that things are finally progressing between her and her best friend, Rob.
But out of the blue, Rose's cousin Juliet moves back to town. Almost immediately, Rob drops Rose for her cousin. There's a complicated family history that compounds the situation (Rose and Juliet's fathers have been estranged for nearly ten years), but the betrayal falls squarely on Rob's shoulders for doing such an awful thing to Rose.
I liked Rosaline a lot. Most of the time Charlie and Olivia are shallow and mean, especially to those not inside their small circle of friends, but Rose is kind. I think that makes what happens to her especially heartbreaking. Even though you know the entire time where the story is headed, you can't help but root for Rosaline. More than half the book takes place before Rob and Juliet meet, so you have a chance to get to know her and like her. I still remember exactly what it was like to be on the verge of something with a guy, having all those expectations and hopes, and then having it all crash down on me because he chose another girl instead of me. So my heart broke for Rose as she watched Rob, the boy she had loved and trusted since childhood, ditch her for her cousin.
And then there's Len, the class clown that is always rumored to be getting in trouble, and doesn't seem to care much about school. Much to her dismay, Rose ends up as his lab partner for AP Biology, which she is terrible at. She and Len don't move in the same circles, though she used to take piano classes with him when they were kids. As she tries to get over Rob, she's pleased to discover that Len is actually a cool guy, and that he's willing to make the effort to get to know the real her in a way that Rob never did.
My biggest criticism of the book is that I wished at times that Rose had been rounded out a little more. We know she's had a lifelong dream of going to Stanford, but we don't really know what she wants to study there. I wanted to know more about what made her tick. Throughout much of the book she doesn't seem to care about much besides Rob. It was also difficult at times to push down the unease and sense of dread waiting for the inevitable to happen. Still, I enjoyed the book.
Bonus: You can read an interview with the author conducted by Teenlitrocks.com here. You can also see my book club's reactions and win a copy of the book for yourself here