I read every page of this book. Yes, it was that good. (I even found one ending that I missed because of an unfortunate page break in section 423, but I *think* I can forgive that.) In some ways it's better than its prequel
To Be or Not To Be
(TBONTB). First, the branching narrative structure is more internally consistent. You can tell that great attention was paid to the concurrent Romeo and Juliet timelines to make sure that the two of them match up temporally. Some of the choices are temporally dependent too; unlike the text-based computer games of old where you can go back and forth between points A and B in an infinite loop indefinitely and it will take zero time, in this book if you take too long (in book time) to make a choice, dire consequences can ensue! It's very clever, and if you are feeling nostalgic for the aforesaid text-based computer games there's an entire subadventure in the book for that too!
How else is this better than TBONTB? Well, TBONTB has only *one* book-within-a-book, and this book includes *at least* three. It's also more self-referential and more meta than TBONTB. And--surprisingly this is an important factor--the physical book itself is lighter, which makes it easier to flip back and forth among alternate paths. This brings me to the one feature I wish the book had, which is some way to go backwards, since it's so easy to get lost. Just some way to resolve problems like "I'm at 132 and forgot how I got here, how do I go back?" would be great.
Of course TBONTB was an amazing book to begin with, and all the good stuff from that book is still here in this one: awesome illustrated endings, half of them involving deaths *that you look forward to*; smart, modern commentary on Shakespeare (and sometimes on life and love); and, of course, fancy-vs.-plain versions of famous passages from Shakespeare that enhance your appreciation of Shakespeare's poetry (one of them in slideshow format!).
Now obviously (looking at some of the other reviews) this book isn't for everyone. If you don't like Dinosaur Comics you probably won't like the style of this book. Are some of the endings ridiculous and silly? Yes, but that's the whole point. Me, I literally laughed out loud every other page. There's also something very satisfying about telling your friends that you're reading Romeo and/or Juliet and you're stuck at a section where you have to get them past ninjas.
P.S. The unlockable character totally and completely puts the book over the top. I would give 5.5 stars if I could!
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Reviews with images
Great for drumming up student enthusiasm
Ever feel frustrated with the depressing ending of Romeo and Juliet? Have the urge to slap their pining, pathetic, whiny Shakespearian "Millennialism"? Well then you're sure to love this truly unique read that allows you to "rewrite" the Bard and change the stars! Also great for getting students excited to learn Shakespeare.
Top reviews from other countries
Brilliant replacement for lost buttons on much loved jacket, they feel heavier and better quality than I expected.
Fun book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2023
