Ronit & Jamil

Pamela L. Laskin's beautiful and lyrical novel in verse delivers a fresh and captivating retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Julietthat transports the star-crossed lovers to the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict.

Read more

Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict—much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.

The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

Audience
young adultchildrens
Length
short · 192 pages

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it. Point at it (on a phone, tap it) for less of it instead.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked Ronit & Jamil? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked Ronit & Jamil. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Street Love Shares young adult, poetry, verse
  2. Spindle Fire Shares retelling, young adult, romance
  3. Bull Shares young adult, poetry, retelling
  4. Literally Shares young adult, contemporary, romance

“People who read Ronit & Jamil tend to reach for these next.”

  1. The Queens of Innis Lear
  2. Gem & Dixie
  3. When Dimple Met Rishi
  4. Our Own Private Universe

“If you want more of the same (romance about diversity), start with these.”

  1. The Weight of the Sky
  2. We Come Apart
  3. Audacious
  4. Capricious

“If it was the retelling that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. Romeo, Juliet, and Jim
  2. Catherine
  3. The Frog Prince
  4. Ghosting

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. Civil War #3
  2. The Other Side
  3. Where the Sun Hides
  4. The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors