Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Vault of Verona

Rate this book
How is this happening? How can I possibly be in a time 600 years before my own?

Harriet Hunter is living the life of an everyday teenager. In her final year of high school, Harriet is under pressure to balance friends, family, study and life. But all is not as it seems, and Harriet soon finds herself sucked back into a centuries old story - to the time of the fictional Montagues and Capulets. But are they imaginary - or simply the ancestors who came before us?

In 14th Century Verona Harriet is mistaken for the infamous Juliet Capulet, to whom she bears more than a passing resemblance. Showing nerves of steel and a quick mind, Harriet takes the place of the missing Juliet while she figures out which part of the play she has been dropped into. Desperate to escape the oppressive influence of Lord Capulet and the ever present threat of marriage to Paris, Harriet jumps at the chance to escape the city with Caterina, a Capulet maid. But what she finds on the outskirts of Verona will change everything, and could end her chances at returning to her own reality.

Can Harriet save two tragically doomed lives, and her own skin, before time runs out?

Price reimagines the classic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of a modern woman accustomed to the attitudes and prejudices of her own time: not those of a medieval society.

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2017

1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read

About the author

Marissa Price

7 books12 followers
Imagine you had the power to change history. Your actions, your decisions, your values will alter the way that history remembers some of our most famous literary characters. What would you do with that power?

Harriet Hunter is a Tasmanian teenager living a normal, carefree life. Until she is catapulted back in time to medieval Verona: into a story of betrayal, love, family feuds and bloodshed. Every decision that Harriet makes is based on her knowledge of Romeo and Juliet – and as she makes her moves, the story threatens to skid out of control. Can Harriet give Romeo and Juliet their happy ending? Or will it all end in tragedy?

“An interesting twist on a classic tale. The book is easy to read and very enjoyable. I particularly liked how I wasn't able to guess where the story was going to take me. The author was able to create strong female characters in time when female empowerment was non-existent. Looking forward to reading Marissa's next book.” – Emma Heywood.

“An excellent read with a very clever storyline. This book had me hooked from the first chapter using a classic story with a modern day twist. I can't wait for the next book in the series. Even though it is classified as for older teens, it will appeal to teens and adults of all ages.” – Kim Williams

Mother of two, Marissa Price, is a high school teacher who also runs The Literature Factory, teaching literacy and creative writing skills to kids in the local community. She is passionate about reading and writing, and hopes to reach out to a new generation of readers through her own stories.

For further information, please contact Marissa Price at theliteraturefactory@hotmail.com.
Further information is available at www.theliteraturefactory.com.au or marissapriceauthor.com.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
13 (46%)
4 stars
12 (42%)
3 stars
2 (7%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Lauren.
16 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2017
Great twist on an old classic. This book had me hooked at page one. I couldn't wait to find out how Harriet was going to impact life in Verona. It was a hard book to put down.
Profile Image for Catherine Girard-Veilleux.
163 reviews49 followers
September 11, 2019
*I received this free ecopy in exchange for an honest review. No compensation has been given and I write this book review willingly. A big thanks to BookTasters and Marissa Price!*


Introduction:

I was browsing the selection of books by BookTasters when I stumbled upon this gem: a Romeo & Juliet retelling! You have to know that it's my favorite love story, ever. And yes, I know it's not realistic (don't care) and it's a tragedy (exactly why I love it). I read the blurb and... a modern girl who goes back to 14th century Verona?! As Juliet?!

You guessed it: I chose The Vault of Verona as this month's book. Let's be honest here: I couldn't have possibly scrolled past it. Not with my love for the play, retellings, AND such a good idea with a modern girl facing the Middle Ages as one of them!


The Blurb:

Harriet Hunter, a modern Australian and teenage student, has to write a homework about Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Harriet's feminist personality doesn't like this story, nor weak Juliet much, and she draws a picture of what she'd look like if she existed. Overnight, Harriet is transported back in time to Verona with Paris, Romeo, Friar Lawrence, and other play characters... but she finds herself as Juliet! And so the race begins to try and end the play (or is this real life?) in another manner than the original and to find a way back home.


The Positive Sides:

For a start, the MC, Harriet, oozes feminism and equality as the pop references and the story itself do. This story has strong beliefs and stands up for women. I enjoyed how it paints women from earlier times just like us but without the means and rights to be who they were, as well as how other people aren't magnified, but simply human and humane (for the most of them, that is). Also, I love, love, love Harriet's feminist interventions with the ladies in Verona. It's so funny and empowering! In summary, it's undoubtedly a novel written by a woman for women and lauding their strength.

Speaking of Harriet more precisely, I loved her! She's intelligent and cultivated. She thinks quickly. All these elements are so hard to pull off. Her intelligence and the deft writing that shows it believably. I so rarely see this in books that I read—I'm just awed! FINALLY that's a smart character and not one-whose-author-tried-to-make-them-like. The three only other intelligent characters done well (in my opinion) are Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and Thomas from the Maze Runner, and Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson. So, cheers to the author for this feat! Moreover, I loved how Harriet cared about saving Juliet and the lives of those around her in the 14th century. Her gradual understanding of Juliet's character and own strength by being in her shoes is beautiful and inspiring.

On a character side note, I love the Nurse character. Her love for Juliet is clear to see and so heartwarming. I also appreciated the switch of POV to Paris and other characters we either saw very little of in the play, or not at all. It allowed us to explore their thoughts and personality as well as situations.

As for the realism of the Middle Ages, I liked the details of life in that time such as the velvety black sky with twinkling stars that is so much different from the one we see in cities nowadays. Also, the short breaths because of corsets and the very pale lights due to only the moon and a candle. Nice ones!

The friendships were on the spotlight in The Vault of Verona. I loved the talk of equality between one of the main characters and Harriet and her interest about marriage equality as well as the truth of women's equality and how it had to be fought for. It filled me with pride and hope for women and other marginalised people.

As for her writing, the vocabulary is well chosen and not childish, but often literary. Admirable. Indeed, she has good writing, mostly in metaphors and comparisons (as well as her literary words). For example, "against the hunger of the dark" (I find this beautiful, poetic and poignant.) The descriptions of her settings are precise and gripping without being overwhelming. Also, the transitions are smooth between thoughts, actions, events and chapters. The hooks at the chapter ends are awesome and make you want to find out the famous "What happens next?"

But what about the rhythm and coherence? Well, the tension and action imposed by the situation and Harriet's actions are fun and engrossing. You feel the ticking bomb. Something else that pleased me was how every little thing or mention finds meaning at some point in the story. It's beautiful. Another thoughtful thing is how the author talks about all the characters' new situations at the end. There is a real satisfying closure.

All in all, this book messes up with your expectations and there's an excellent middle plot twist!! It was a long time since I was so hooked to a book, thinking about it even when I wasn't reading, while doing banal chores (I'm looking at you dishes and showering). I had a blast!

P.S.: There is such a good hint about where she's headed next towards the end.


The Negative Sides:

Now, there were a few mistakes that I can't just toss away such as how the dialogues are a bit too revealing about information the characters should already know. Also, the Harriet's main setting (Wineglass Bay, Australia) was hard to grasp before a good thirty pages. The author gives such small crumbs of info it was hard to piece them together until she mentioned the name of the city later so I could google it. This was more annoying than a real mistake per se, mind you.

Also, I found a few spelling mistakes ("focussed", for example), but the real problem was the editing. Let me explain with examples. There is an instance where Juliet's father is called "Lord Montague" instead of "Capulet". Wrong family. Moreover, there's this part where it says "Taking a deep breath (...), she took a deep breath." in the same sentence! And such other editing issues appear throughout the book. Has this been edited? Because I'm sure an editor would have caught them and it would have made this already awesome book into a perfect one.

Lastly, Romeo doesn't seem to care about the murder of his best friend, Mercutio—he only has eyes for Juliet. And I noticed a bit of head-hopping, but it's always introduced with the name of the following head-hopped character in a sentence right before it. So this doesn't really count as a mistake, but more of a technique to improve, I think?


In Conclusion:

Seriously, this read was captivating and thrilling! Like I said, it's been a long while since I was so hooked to a book. Despite its editing flaws, I think this book is a gem in terms of historical fiction, retelling, and feminism; it makes you care. I took out a point for the editing, but I can't give The Vault of Verona any less than a rating of 4 stars out of 5 for how fun reading this book was and how many emotions it made me feel.

I'll gladly recommend this book to everyone I know, mostly if you have tastes in these genres! Also, I'll keep myself updated about the author and her books because this is certainly not the last of hers I will read! In fact, I'm staring at the second volume. I'll try to get it as a review copy (because more promotion for this great series!), but if I can't it's a sure purchase!
Profile Image for Mary Pettit.
311 reviews11 followers
December 21, 2017
I hated learning about Shakespeare in HS. I don't remember anything useful about it. But this book... I LOVED and learned more about Shakespeare from reading this adorable modern day twist on Romeo and Juliet than I ever learned from studying the play! Marissa price is so talented, she made the characters in Romeo and Juliet seem like present day teenagers with relatable issues facing teens today... overbearing parent problems, love triangles, deceit, suspense, school, and adventure! What a great fast paced story that any teenager would sure to love!
7 reviews
July 9, 2019
The Vault of Verona (Into the Abyss, #1) is a novel written in the young adult/teen genre which introduces a new character, Harriet Hunter, from the modern era and transfixes her into the plot of Romeo and Juliet which is set 500 years prior to her current time period. Romeo and Juliet is often the first of Shakespeare’s classics that many teens encounter in their English classes in high school and many students struggle to comprehend the plot due the complexity of the language used by Shakespeare during this time period. The author of Vault of Verona, Marissa Price, takes a piece that is a complex read for many young people , dissects the plot of the original tale, adds new twists to the story and modernizes the characters to embrace current themes familiar to today’s teens. From an educational perspective, this novel is an excellent resource for comparing and contrasting themes from the past and present. Weaknesses in this work are relatively minor. For me, the details related to time travel seemed a little far fetched and unrealistic but isn’t all time travel a little unrealistic anyway? Also, although there was the sense that the characters could encounter difficulty at any moment, everything seemed to go fairly smoothly for them throughout the novel. I would have liked to see them encounter a mishap or two along the way and see how they resolved it to add to the excitement of the story. However, I feel the author was able to keep my interest regardless.
Profile Image for Cleo.
171 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2019
First off, I would like to thank Booktasters and the author for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
Harriet, an Australian, travels through time to Italy during the period of Romeo and Juliet. There she is mistaken for Juliet due to some similarities in appearance. She knows how the play ends and so she does everything she can to change it. It was really interesting to see how she will accomplish this with a few twists here and there. With her 21st century mindset, she was able to encourage the two women, Juliet and Caterina, to speak for themselves during a time when equality for women did not really exist. The ending was wrapped up very nicely.
I really liked all the characters. This was a really interesting spin on the classic. I loved it so much, I couldn't put it down. This book made the story of Romeo & Juliet quite enjoyable contrary to the times I had to read it in school. I really enjoyed reading the whole book.
11 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2019
Vault of Verona, was is a gripping book for people who love female protagonists. The author gave voice to the women of the past who were as good as speechless, which was an amazing change. On one hand I fell in love with the character and chivalry of Paris and on the other hand a frustrated Escalus stole my heart. I felt frustration when Escalus got frustrated to know more about Harriet but didn't want to ask. My wishful heart wanted Harriet to come back to her time with a certain prince in tow somehow. The book was simple, straightforward and unique.
Hats off to Marissa Price for the start of an amazing series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Emma De Smet.
53 reviews
August 24, 2017
An interesting twist on a classic tale. This is the first book of a new Australian author. Story of a young girl who travels back in time (and place) to Verona, Italy and finds herself in the middle of one of the most famous love stories of all time - Romeo and Juliet. The book is easy to read and very enjoyable. I particularly liked how I wasn't able to guess where the story was going to take me. The author was able to create strong female characters in time when female empowerment was non existent. Looking forward to reading Marissa's next book. Well worth the read :)
Profile Image for Bonnie.
477 reviews8 followers
June 29, 2018
This was a very readable young adult novel which actually made Shakespeare enjoyable! Harriet, a Tasmanian schoolgirl, finds herself thrown back in time, waking up in 15th century Italy with the task of averting the tragic ending of Romeo & Juliet that we know today. The novel highlights some of the social and political issues we face today including women's rights, equality (marriage, class & gender) and several others but manages to remain enjoyable & entertaining. Recommended.
Author 9 books11 followers
March 28, 2019
I'm going to say it—but this is not the kind of story I usually read, and yet, I kept reading. I can see how well it would be received by those younger than myself too. Its strong characters, feminism and Shakespeare hook would be great for teenage girls. When my nieces are old enough, I'll certainly give it to them.
Profile Image for Ruru❤.
6 reviews8 followers
October 8, 2019
{ received a free copy to review }

I really like the story, but I’m not very well on reading an E-book

But I’d recommend this to everyone who likes YA and it is creatively done!

However, there are a few mistakes.
The spelling and sometimes the grammar, and they aren’t a typo since they repeat themselves

Other than that, i like it
2 reviews
November 7, 2018
Such a great intro to what is normally a difficult topic. Loved it. Loved the fantasy, the dreaminess to the storyline. I hated Shakespeare as a kid....not anymore!
85 reviews2 followers
November 2, 2019
First things first. The concept of a modern-age intruder into the past times isn't something new in the field of literature. But this is an improvement and something new is happening.
Harriet Hunter is a remarkable character. She looks like a common teenager, with a messy room and own rules to follow. As the story unfolds, you can see potential in Harriet. She is quite a planner. Her courage is sometimes a bit dangerous and her action little thoughtless, but due to circumstances, there is a lot of admiration towards her.
Also, Julia Capulet was interesting to follow. Mostly, how her position changed and how mature she became during the story.
Romeo, my sweetest Romeo, was a surprisingly sympathetic youngster.
The "side-story" of Caterina and Paris positively shocked me. It showed the importance of being honest and fight for love, no matter consequences.
Taking a piece of the history of the literature, and changing the end, seemed risky and not much inviting, although it was grasped beautifully and cautiously. All these factors made the book readable and fully recommended. 5/5.
Profile Image for Deyae.
41 reviews10 followers
July 28, 2019
I really liked this book, it was such a refreshing and entertaining read.
It's a kind of retelling of the famous play Romeo and Julie by Shakespeare, the difference here (which makes it unique honestly) is that Julie is not like the Julie we all know, we see a new side of her and of the whole story itself.
The main character Harriet had an English assignment to do which is about writing the play of Romeo and Julie in a different way. Harriet had no idea what to write, she thought that it wasn't necessary for Juliet to kill herself after Romeo died, she thought such things as "dying for true love" or women's obedience to men kind of stupid.
So, instead, she drew a sketch of a fierce Julieta, which surprisenly similar to her. The next morning, she woke up in Juliet's bed in the Capulet castle, wearing clothes that weren't hers, in the 14th century...
I've never read a story like this one before, it was really interesting and pretty good with a great writing style.
Rating:4,5 stars
Profile Image for Satrina T.
896 reviews42 followers
July 27, 2019
This is a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet involving time traveling and newly empowered women. When Harriet Hunter receives an assignment to write an alternate ending to the old tragedy she finds herself struggling with the submissiveness of the women in the 14th century. She wakes in Capulet manor and needs to find out a way back to her time.

Favorite character: I liked Harriet because she's intelligent and she adapted pretty well to the changes.
Least favorite character: Lord Capulet was the worst.
Favorite part: The second half of the book was good and picked up pace nicely.
Least favorite part: I found it unnatural the voice of the original characters (Romeo, Juliet, Caterina, Paris) because it felt too modern, but that lead me to believe

A free e-copy of this book was given to me and I'm providing my review.
Profile Image for Vicky Quenault.
282 reviews5 followers
July 17, 2018
This is a sweet and light re-telling of the tale of Romeo and Juliet. The protagonist of the story is a modern teenager who travels back in time to the Verona of the Capulets and Montagues. With her help, the story changes from the expected tragedy to a triumphant love story.
Its a sweet story that will appeal to young romance readers.
I received a complimentary copy from VRO in return for an honest review.
14 reviews
June 10, 2019
I loved the book. I finished reading it in a day because I couldn't stop, and then it came to the end and I was surprised because for me it felt like 50 pages. The plot may not be the most complicated one in the world - but it didn't need to be! I enjoyed it as it is, a simple but beautiful book I would definitely read a lot of times more. It didn't change my life, but it made me enjoy it a little bit more.
Profile Image for Michele.
81 reviews14 followers
June 26, 2019
Number of stars 4.5 out of 5

I really like this book because of the mystery/ adventure romantic feel. Plus it's great for young adults who is looking for something different to read. I really do like this one and I know a lot of people will like this one too. I really like the writing from the author it's very well written.

You must pick up this book for your teens or for yourself if you guys looking for a fast paced and beautiful story.
Profile Image for K.
235 reviews1 follower
December 3, 2018
Loved this retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Unlike other attempts at setting the well known tragedy in a modern setting, Price deftly brings the modern and age-old face to face. Her unique twist on the tale is
Well plotted, pacy and satisfying. A fun and quick read.
7 reviews
Want to read
November 30, 2019
Loved this clever, engaging story by Marissa Price who has her young heroine become caught up in a homework assignment in unexpected ways. Left me eager to discover more about this compelling character.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.