Roman and Jewel

November 1, 2020
A teenage singer gets a backup role on Broadway and lessons in fame and love. Sixteen-year-old Jerzie Jhames is a Black singer from New Jersey who dreams of being a Broadway star. She auditions for the role of Jewel in Roman and Jewel, a hip-hopera retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and is disappointed when she only gets the part of standby to superstar Cinny, who plays the lead. On her first day of rehearsals Jerzie meets Zeppelin, the musical's Roman, and declares it love at first sight. When a video of Jerzie and Zeppelin singing a duet goes viral, Jerzie begins to realize that she may be in for more than she anticipated. Conflict arises when Cinny stakes her claim on Zeppelin and warns Jerzie to stay away from him. Despite her occasional resistance, Jerzie comes to find that she will need the support of her friends and family to help her navigate both Broadway and first love. Unfortunately Davis' prose feels heavy-handed at points, and her execution of the story, restricted by attempts to create parallels with the classic tragedy; Jerzie's love of musicals comes across as more intriguing than the insta-love storyline. Many characters read as one-dimensional, making it hard to get invested in the outcome. The cast of characters is racially and ethnically diverse. Like its inspiration, Romeo and Juliet, this love story contains much drama and unfulfilled potential. (Fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Sixteen-year-old Jerzie Jhames has studied voice, music composition and theory, and acting all her life. She's also a walking, talking, singing encyclopedia of Broadway knowledge. Now she's been cast as the understudy for superstar Cinny's "Jewel," the lead in a new Broadway hip-hop retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Immediately, she meets Zeppelin, the model/musician cast as "Roman," and falls hard for him. But when unauthorized videos of rehearsal are anonymously uploaded and go viral, tempers flare, egos combust, and emotions short-circuit. Readers watch Jerzie plunge into the head-spinning world of first love mixed with a fiery helping of fame and tempered by Jerzie's good heart and supportive family. She is a likable and upbeat narrator who sings her way into readers' hearts while carrying her own tune. Despite a semi-clumsy attempt to parallel the Shakespearean masterpiece, Davis hits the stage running with an insider's look at the pre-preview rehearsals for an untested show, a peek into city nightlife, and an unabashed love of musicals. Hand to theater aficionados everywhere.

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January 11, 2021
All Black 16-year-old Jerzie Jhames wants is to become a Broadway actor—and maybe to change her name (a nod to her home state) to something “more amazing than ever.” After seven auditions for Roman and Jewel, the upcoming Broadway “hip-hopera” reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet, Jerzie is informed by the creative team that she’s the best Jewel they have seen—but she’ll have to play standby to “R&B sensation, double platinum, Grammy award winner” Cinny if she wants to join the production. When a dark-haired, blue-eyed white “pretty boy” accidentally smacks a door into her face at rehearsal, Jerzie discovers that the initiator of her awkward-yet-flirty encounter is actually the 19-year-old leading man, Zeppelin Reid. But their instant chemistry and growing bond is put to the test when a secretly recorded video of Jerzie outperforming Cinny in a romantic scene with Zepp goes viral. Tensions begin rising between Cinny and Jerzie as the latter tries to resist the intriguing, Broadway-quoting Zepp at Cinny’s orders while navigating her newfound fame. While inclusive, most of the cast doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, but this is a fun romp for Broadway buffs and contemporary romance fans alike. Ages 13–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US.

January 8, 2021

Gr 8 Up-Jerzie Jhames may be a new name on the Broadway scene, but she is a shoo-in for the lead role of Jewel in Robert Christian Ruiz's new Romeo and Juliet-inspired hip hopera. Unfortunately, megastar Cinny is cast instead as a means to garner interest in the musical from her widespread fanbase. Jerzie is relegated to the sidelines, cast as Cinny's standby despite being a better fit for Jewel. On her first day working with the cast, Jerzie falls instantly for Zeppelin, the gorgeous, mysterious guy who plays Roman. It seems like Zeppelin reciprocates her feelings-but then why do Cinny and Lorin, another cast member, each seem to be dating Zeppelin? And who is this Ava person that Jerzie keeps hearing about? Jerzie and Zeppelin's love story mirrors Romeo and Juliet in over-the-top, obvious ways: Jerzie's family forbids her from seeing him, Zeppelin comes to woo her via her balcony, and a climactic scene involves a suspected suicide attempt. Also overt is Ruiz's similarity to a real-life three-named Latino composer who brought hip hop to Broadway, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jerzie's Aunt Karla and brother Judas are refreshingly realistic characters in this otherwise clumsy romance novel, rife with generic archetypal characterizations. Supporting characters are diverse with LGBTQ+ representation; Jerzie is Black and Zeppelin is white and Italian American. VERDICT Broadway lovers and musicians may enjoy the references to popular musicals and details about music composition. An additional purchase for libraries seeking to expand their romance offerings.-Shira Pilarski, formerly at Farmington Community Lib., MI

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