If you believe in soul mates, or you think the tragedy of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers should have ended differently, Sharon M. Draper’s bestselling novel “Romiette and Julio” is a book you should read. The book is a fast read, with suspense building at every chapter’s corner. But be warned. Unless you could make the time, it’s going to be difficult to put down at anytime. If ever you want to read a true romantic novel this is the one.

As you may have guessed from the title, it alludes to the famous 15th century couple Romeo and Juliet. Except in this novel, the couple’s major antagonists are the school’s gang members, The DevilDogs, who find Romiette’s involvement with Julio unacceptable. Julio Montague moved to Ohio from Texas because of the growing gang that seemed to control his old school. When he met Romiette Cappelle on a chat room, the two felt a natural connection. This book is beyond a simple teenage fling. Dapper gets the reader to think about the concept of racism, as this very concept threatens to end the adventures of the two couples in a deadly way.

When she isn’t writing, Draper is a teacher. In 1997, she was awarded the highest honor of being U.S. teacher of the year. “The Copper Sun” and “Tears of a Tiger” are two of the many novels Draper has written. The greatest thing about Draper’s novel is that she never runs out of techniques to use to reveal a character’s personality to the reader. For example, in “Romiette and Julio,” Draper provides the reader with journal, phone calls, online chats and dialogue with other characters. These techniques allow the reader to view the characters from every possible angle. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone who likes to invest time reading a good book.