I read Romeo and Juliet so long ago in high school that I can't make accurate comparisons, so I just enjoyed the first half of this retelling duology on its own merit, and I thought it was great. The atmosphere created made me feel like I was really in 1920s Shanghai and I think I came away from the book with a better understanding of why communism looked appealing under their circumstances. I loved the sci fi element and Juliette and Roma were bad ass characters. The book has more of a gangster/ sci fi flavor than a romance. I can't wait for the next book.