Such Sweet Sorrow by Jenny Trout Published by Entangled on February 4, 2014
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Never was there a tale of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo…But true love never dies. Though they’re parted by the veil between the world of mortals and the land of the dead, Romeo believes he can restore Juliet to life, but he’ll have to travel to the underworld with a thoroughly infuriating guide.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, may not have inherited his father’s crown, but the murdered king left his son a much more important responsibility—a portal to the Afterjord, where the souls of the dead reside. When the determined Romeo asks for help traversing the treacherous Afterjord, Hamlet sees an opportunity for adventure, and the chance to avenge his father’s death.
In an underworld filled with leviathan monsters, ghoulish shades, fire giants and fierce Valkyrie warriors, Hamlet and Romeo must battle their way through jealousy, despair, and their darkest fears to rescue the fair damsel. Yet finding Juliet is only the beginning, and the Afterjord doesn’t surrender souls without a price…
Such Sweet Sorrow is a lot more than a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I was pleasantly surprised to find many more of Shakespeare’s characters represented in this book and while it had it’s flaws, it was an enjoyable read.
Jenny Trout has a way with words. Such Sweet Sorrow is beautifully written. However, I feel like combining a Shakespeare retelling with some heavily descriptive writing might not have been the best route. Such Sweet Sorrow was a good story but it dragged. It wasn’t a long book but the combination of it being a Shakespeare retelling and having Jenny Trout’s writing style made it seem like it was never going to end. I found myself setting it aside to pick up other books because I never seemed to make any progress with it. Maybe it was just me but it was a really heavy read.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is more than a Shakespeare retelling. Hamlet makes an appearance, there are Valkyries, and of course Remeo and Juliet are present. Sure, the story mainly focuses on Romeo going to the underworld to get Juliet back but Hamlet is there as his guide and the Valkyries play a big role in the story as well. It was a really unique take on Shakespeare’s story. Also, Juliet was pretty badass! She didn’t want to rely on Romeo for her freedom and her life. She took control of her own destiny and I loved that about her. She always seems to weak in the original story and in many retellings but not this one.
Overall, Such Sweet Sorrow is a flawed but fun read. Romeo and Hamlet’s friendship as well as their journey through the underworld make for a great story.
What others are saying about Such Sweet Sorrow:
Blood, Sweat and Books’ review: “Sounds bizarre and even I admit it is but somehow it worked out in the end.”
The YA Kitten’s review: “This is definitely one of those novels that will either work for you or not work for you.”
Reviews by Molly’s review: “With rollercoaster thrills, young love romance, and an ending that leaves you dying for a sequel, this story is definitely a keeper!”
I’ve heard very few things about this one, and I got an eARC of this awhile back as well, but I’m not very motivated to read this one after reading your review. While it does seem quite enjoyable, I can’t stand books that drag. Trout’s writing style seems lovely, but combined with Shakespeare? That sounds like a tad too much. Hooray for creating a badass Juliet though, that’s a different twist to the original story for sure! Fabulous review, Katie, and thanks for your thoughts!
This book sounds so interesting, I love Shakespeare and I think it’s cool that the author places Hamlet and other characters into it as well. Great review, even though you said it dragged a bit, I think I’ll still pick up and see what’s all about.
I really loved this one! I enjoyed the mix of mythology and Shakespeare quite a lot and felt like I couldn’t put it down to see what would come next!
I’m not a huge Shakespeare person, but I’m interested in reading someone’s re-telling of one of his works just to see what’s it like. I really like how you include snippets from other blogs! It’s a nice touch!