The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, Romeo and Juliet

I'm finished with The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe now, so here is a summary (without spoilers): Gabe Ashe's house burned down, leaving his family no choice but to move in with his grandmother.  He soon finds a friend nearby, Seth Hopper, and they play a game in the woods between their homes, calling the forest Howler's Notch in their game.  They pretend to be Robber Princes, taking back innocent babies that The Hunter stole from villagers.  They play this game all summer, but when school begins Gabe finds other friends, and tells Seth that the game is stupid and he won't play it anymore.  But is it really just a game?  After Seth and Gabe fight, ending in Seth telling Gabe that The Hunter will come for him, strange things start happening.  Thefts, explosions, and dark figures hovering over beds at night become the main topic of conversation among kids at school.  Seth, Gabe, and their friend Mazzy look into these occurrences, leading them to believe that The Hunter is real.  But what is he?  Are their lives at stake?

Romeo and Juliet:
I've never really enjoyed reading romance, but I find it almost funny so far.  Romeo exaggerates his feelings for Rosaline, yet so quickly switches to loving Juliet the moment he sees her.  I think Mercutio is strange, and keeps the mood of the play from being too deep, at least for now, and takes your attention away from the fact that everything is leading up to Romeo and Juliet eventually committing suicide.
However, I also find many things confusing.  The Middle English language, in particular, is very difficult to understand, and it's also hard to comprehend the figurative language Shakespeare used.  I always feel like I've missed something important in the plot line, and find myself reading back several times only to find that I can't figure out where my thoughts got off track.