"It took me almost a month to read 44% of this book. I am not a slow reader.

I read the rest of it in one sitting.

I loved the writing style right from the beginning, but I could not bring myself to believe in the story—in these characters who quoted Shakespeare in the most tense situations. It seemed preposterous. I had to keep reminding myself that this book is a tribute to Shakespeare.

I haven't read as much Shakespeare as I would like to claim, so the way the characters talked was not just hard to believe, but uncanny.

However, the more I read the more I realized that my inability to relate to them should not hinder my ability to accept them, considering their experience of life was clearly so far removed from mine.

There are more impulsive actions/decisions in the book than there are explanations of why a character behaves in a certain way. But impulsive decisions are probably what consisted of most of our youth. That, and this gigantic feeling that what we think is right. We know best.

It is presented quite well here.

It's a bit spoiler-ish ahead

While this book is supposed to be about friendship, betrayal, and murder, I saw it as a love story. A twisted, meandering love story. A late realization of love. A late acceptance of love. I want to reread it sometime soon, and read it while I keep this in mind.
-------------------------------------------

There is no comfort like complicity.

For someone who loved words as much as I did, it was amazing how often they failed me.

When she breathed her sadness out, I breathed it in.

But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.

I have nothing of my own now, not even secrets."