Living in the beautiful palaces of Verona, Italy, two "star-crossed lovers" lay down their tragic tale in Shakespeare's timeless play, Romeo and Juliet. Set in the poverty stricken projects of East Los Angeles, California, Manny Hernandez, protagonist in the novel Parrot in the Oven composed by Victor Martinez, embarks on a journey of life to discover his identity. Although the two storylines are different, and each story occurs in a totally different time and setting, the tales share many interesting similarities. The crises and problems that the protagonists of both stories experience as teenagers are universal obstacles in teenage life. From first love, to gang activities and violence, and the endurance of pressures from their family and community, the main characters in both stories teach themselves, their families, and especially the readers unforgettable lessons.

In Parrot in the Oven, Manny enters his teen life, as Juliet also enters...