Fans of Pullman's trilogy should receive a fair warning before moving any further. This is not Lyra's Oxford, this is our Oxford so expect thugs, sex, crime but also love, trust and friendship.Pullman retells the story of Romeo and Juliet with extreme adroitness. He manages to keep the lyrical beauty and truth of the play and avoids desperate attempts of retaining any elements that would seem dated and out of place in a modern novel.This is a novel for younger adults but if you feel that your 13+ year olds have never heard about sex, you may need to read it first yourself. The danger is you may get hooked on Pullman seriously.