Beatrice Bunson’s Guide to Romeo and Juliet

by Paula Marantz Cohen

High school begins, and to Beatrice Bunson nothing is the same, not even her best friend, Nan. The “new” Nan doesn’t hang out with Bea; instead she’s running for Student Council and going to parties and avoiding Bea at lunchtime. The boys who were gross in middle school have become surprisingly polite, while the “cool” kids are still a mystery. Bea’s older sister, meanwhile, acts like she’s living in a soap opera.

On the bright side, there’s English class with Mr. Martin, where Beatrice discovers that Shakespeare has something to say about almost everything—and that nothing in life is as dramatic as Romeo and Juliet.

But when Nan gets in over her head in her new social life, it’s up to Beatrice to restore her reputation—and she may need to make a few new friends to pull it off. One of them, the slightly brainy guy that Beatrice meets at her grandmother’s retirement home, is definitely kind of cute, and probably dateable. (Fortunately, nothing is the same in high school.)

As Beatrice and her classmates tackle Romeo and Juliet, they unveil the subtleties of the play as well as broader lessons of love, family, honor, and misunderstandings. Guided by Mr. Martin, these ninth-graders help us to understand Shakespeare, as Shakespeare helps them begin to understand themselves.

"Juliet Capulet would find a worthy BFF in Beatrice Bunson."—Cordelia Frances Biddle, author of the Martha Beale mystery series

"Cohen has made an essential classic cool."—Beth Kephart, author of Going Over

223 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2016

About the author

Paula Marantz Cohen, Distinguished Professor of English, received her BA in English and French from Yale University and her Ph.D. in English from Columbia University. She is the author of seven books and numerous essays on literature, film, and culture.

Her most recent academic book, Silent Film and the Triumph of the American Myth (Oxford UP), was selected as a Choice Outstanding Book for 2003. Her first novel, Jane Austen in Boca (St. Martin's Press), was a Literary Guild/Book of the Month Club Featured Alternate and a Page-Turner of the Week in People Magazine.

She has articles and stories in many journals, including Yale Review, Boulevard, Iowa Review, Raritan, The American Scholar, and The Hudson Review. She is the Co-Editor of the Journal of Modern Literature and a regular reviewer for the Times Literary Supplement. She is the recipient of the Lindback Teaching Award.

Reviews

[Nichola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, as are most YA titles. I liked that the students were shown as independent individuals making decisions and moving between groups, and not blindly adhering to one clique or another. It seemed refreshing and yet realistic to develop new friendships based on common developing interests, and the drama was pretty manageable.

[P Bright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute YA book about Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed the high school drama and the interesting insights into Romeo and Juliet.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise of the book and enjoyed many parts of it. I was disappointed that it was so blatantly pedantic at times, especially with the inclusion of SAT vocabulary words and definitions. However, the overall vocabulary wasn't especially varied or challenging. For instance, I rarely hear teens use the word "neat." They certainly don't use it excessively, as it was in this book.

[Michelle Carrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting. Amazing. A true look into the lives of teenagers. It is weird to look back on this awkward period in life that we all go through. I almost forgot how complicated life seemed during that age.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book about a young girl whose English teacher analyzes Romeo and Juliet and allows the girl to analyze her own life in relation to the book.