Book: Romiette and JulioAuthor: Sharon Draper
Audience: Teen
In a Nutshell: Romeo and Juliet with a modern interracial twist
Romiette is a black high school student in Cincinatti. Her best friend, Destiny, claims to have strong psychic abilities and swears that Romi will soon meet her soul mate- not that any of the boys at school really interest Romi. Then one evening in a chatroom, she logs on as afroqueen and meets spanishlover, and they really hit it off. Turns out they go to the same school.
Julio is a Latino boy who just moved to town from Texas. He hates everything about Ohio, except the amazing girl he just met. It's love at first sight for Romi and Julio. They would be floating on Cloud 9 if it weren't for the gangs at school, who don't approve of a Hispanic boy and black girl dating. Even their loving parents, who have their own racial baggage, don't accept the relationship right away. Conflict and near tragedy ensue, but love and understanding win out in the end.
I thought it was a likable, readable story, but a little uneven in quality. The dialogue is sometimes very authentic, and other times very forced. I mean, what teenager uses appositives in everyday speech? But most readers won't care about this. The romance, likable characters, the online element, and a good (if slightly overstated) message are all appealing.
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