To celebrate the release of Chloe Gong’s phenomenal new book, Our Violent Ends (the breathtakingly explosive conclusion to Gong’s hugely successful Romeo & Juliet inspired series, These Violent Delights) I thought I’d compile a list of some of the best reimaginings of our favourite pair of star crossed lovers.
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong-An undeniably creative Romeo and Juliet Retelling set in 1920s Shanghai—here the starcrossed lovers are reimagined as criminal rivals who have to team up to discover who (or what) is responsible to the madness sweeping the city and the deaths that are incurred. It’s both decadent and gritty—and my absolute favourite Romeo and Juliet retelling.
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman-this series is a modern classic by one the UKs most beloved authors (celeb superfan Stormzy even name checked her in his song ‘Superheroes’ in 2019.) A dystopian take on Romeo and Juliet that manages to tackle race and prejudice in such a powerful and thought provoking way without compromising on the plot—I highly recommend it (as well as the BBC‘s recent tv adaptation)
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le-A contemporary and humorous take on Romeo and Juliet (without the tragic ending), a coming of age story of first loves,feuding families and a complicated past.
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion- A darkly humorous and unexpectedly brilliant take on Romeo and Juliet where Romeo is a Zombie and Juliet, a human trying to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken-This incredible coming of age, time travel reimagining of the Bard’s infamous lovers is really unique with a swoon worthy, slow burn romance and a powerful message on diversity and empowerment.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor-set against the backdrop of Prague this incredible star crossed lovers, angels vs demons YA Fantasy trilogy is definitely not to be missed.
Five Feet Apart by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott- An emotionally moving love story about two teens who cannot get within a few feet of one another without risking their lives—you can’t get more star crossed than that! Perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars.
Roman and Jewel by Dana Davis- This theatrical, broadway reimagining of Romeo and Juliet follows Jerzie who will do anything to play Jewel in a diverse, Hamiltonesque hip-hopera. Only, her hopes dashed when she’s cast as the understudy to mega-star Cinny. when Jewel fall for the leading man things take a dramatic turn as Cinny has set her sights on him too. An interesting take that musical theatre lovers are bound to appreciate.
Verona Comics by Jennifer Duggan-Poignant and emotional, this contemporary (though loosely based) retelling focuses primarily on mental health and uses the backdrop of two rival Comic shops to set the scene. There‘s also LGBTQ rep with both main characters being bisexual and side characters in same sex relationships.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare-It’s hard to believe and I rea rarely see it mentioned but, Shakespeare’s world famous and iconic Romeo and Juliet wasn’t an original concept. It was actually inspired by The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet, a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke (first published in 1562) which itself was based on a previously translated Italian novel.
Five books on this list catches my attention. I will add them to my TBR. Thank you for sharing.