Thank you always to NetGalley for the ARC!

Caleb Roehrig does an excellent job of turning a tragedy into a novel of hope, love, and friendship. An easy, laid-back read with high stakes through much of the journey.

When Romeo's cousin Mercutio drags him along to a party in rival Capulet territory, Romeo doesn't expect to fall in love. He's always known that girls aren't his thing. But Valentine isn't a girl. After Romeo is accused of sneaking into the party to steal the chastity of headstrong Juliet, he grapples with his feelings for Valentine and they try to come up with a plan to escape and be together. Then tragedy strikes, and Romeo must make a new plan if he hopes for a happy ending.

This remix of Romeo and Juliet does have a happy ending, for both of them and for Valentine. I couldn't really imagine this ending in a tragedy, and for me the romance felt a bit forced and the plot slow moving - but maybe that was only because I knew what was going to happen, and readers who haven't read any Shakespeare won't have any spoilers. While I liked that Juliet was presented as asexual, she seemed like a convenient way out for the two male leads. Even though it slowed the plot down, I liked the historical details.

5/5 stars

god this was everything i wanted and more! i love how this was conceptualized, and how the author explained his intentions with the “remixing” decisions in the end notes.

i have been unsuccessfully trying queer retellings lately. they are allowed to hold some sort of grief but, in my experience, they have mostly been dnf levels of upsetting thus far. we are often erased from history, so i don’t prefer our rewrites to have undercurrents that lack all faith in humanity or our ability to effectively heal. this retelling balanced SO well the struggles and sacrifices of being queer with the joy, fulfillment, and ability to try for a better future. this book was not free from bad things, bad thoughts, or bad people. the difference is that i felt good during and after reading it- which is my personal hallmark of a meaningful retelling. like, why would i essentially reread a book i was required to read in school/enjoyed in my youth that finally includes people like me if it’s going to upset me more? this book deftly contemplated the difficulty of balancing and strategizing how we defy and maintain expectations for our identities and our life paths to create both safety and fulfillment. plus, remixing the story of romeo and juliet to be queer just makes the original messages that much more relevant and meaningful. i would devour a sequel or spinoff!

the prose in this novel was absolutely magical. it was sophisticated and embellished in the way that classics are, but was still endearing and accessible (imo). the prose was especially engaging due to the fact that this novel and its main couple were EXTREMELY romantic.

the development of the characters and their relationships was honestly better than i expected. i was scared for so many lives and so much of their love being mishandled; but things developed very logically and meaningfully. the allyship was a joy. the main couple was tender and deeply endearing. i was also quite surprised (multiple times) by benvolio and mercutio’s arcs and what they contributed symbolically and emotionally to the novel. the exploration of romeo and juliet's connection was kickass.

one thing i will say is that i wish we had at least one or two more scenes where romeo and valentine pursue their romance alone. i wish we got to see them sketching in the countryside together or gardening for friar laurence or something!!!! i just wish they got more time together away from the chaos that was benvolio and mercutio and the murderous rivalries of it all.

the plot itself was very well drawn out. for a romance that is supposed to be kinda insta-love with a super quick turnover, it never felt like it lacked depth or logic. everything kept a good pace and was engaging.

simply a delicious novel. i hope the author writes more books like this.

thank you netgalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review! xoxoxo

My students are going to absolutely love this queer retelling of Romeo and Juliet! It was so well written and the characters were really fleshed out. Highly recommend and definitely buying it for my library.

Fun twist on a classic tale for young adult audiences. The character development and romance between the two boys is captivating and you can feel the tension between families throughout the story. I would recommend this book to any teens who might need a read that they can relate to; the pressures of society around us can be very discouraging for young adults who are discovering their identities. This book illustrates that you should never change who you are to conform to society.

Please note, I am one of those English majors who dispute that Romeo and Juliet was a tragic love story: it wasn't. Even as a teenager I knew their choices were horrendous and their parents were awful. Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo and Juliet Remix takes the tragedy of teenagers desperate to escape their roles as pawns in their controlling parents' chess game and turns their story into a magnificently satisfying wish fulfillment tale. The bones of Shakespeare are still there, holding up the overall structure of Romeo and Juliet's story, but the substance is a lovely rewrite of character and circumstance, and turns Romeo's tale into a true love story.

Romeo Montague, scion of one of the two most powerful families in Verona, Italy, is a woeful seventeen year old artist who wants nothing to do with the life laid before him. His parents, particularly his father, disapprove of his preference to draw and paint instead of working in the family business, and they are pushing for him to take a wife. Romeo's cousin Benvolio (Ben, in this book, which I thought fit the boy perfectly), is rather a scoundrel with the ladies and has been trying to get Romeo laid for years. Romeo, unable to express that he's not interested in girls because he can't quite bring into focus why he's not interested, uses the fair Rosalind as his excuse. Conveniently, Rosalind has taken a vow of chastity, so she's safe to admire from afar. Ben and their compatriot, Mercutio, drag Romeo to a costume ball at the Capulet villa to cause trouble, and here is where our scene changes.

Romeo does indeed meet Juliet at the Capulet masquerade, and they exchange quick wit and a communal sense of practicality. She thinks the families' feud is ridiculous and has no interest in being chattel for her father to pawn off in exchange for political or monetary wealth. She chafes against her cage in ways Juliet in the original play did not, and it's wonderful. Juliet here is feminist, clever, and brave.

Mercutio also matches much of his Shakespearean personality, being brash and fun and also protective of Romeo. And here's where the story expands. Mercutio's family had a tragic loss and fall from status years before, and his younger brother, Valentine, was sent to live with a distant relative. Valentine was thirteen when he left Verona, and Romeo didn't remember him well. Now he's back, and Romeo is utterly lovestruck. And that's when the fights and deceptions and scheming truly start.

Caleb Roehrig expertly weaves Romeo and Valentine's story through the big plot points of the original story. The twists that lead to crypts and poison feel true to Shakespeare even as they're newly developed with expanded characters. While some of the reactions to Romeo and Valentine seemed a little too easy, the solution to Romeo, Juliet, and Valentine's predicament is believable and satisfying.

Roehrig's Teach the Torches to Burn is an excellent reimagining of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It's a fun read full of action, adventure, and angst; a wonderful queer romance tale for young adults, Shakespeare fans, and anyone else who had their own ideas of how the tragedy should have ended.

It took me a while to get into this book but that’s because I had other books to read. Glad I finally sat down and dedicated some time to read this book. All the characters were very likable and enjoyable to read about. I honestly kept wondering how the author would handle the ending of Shakespeare’s play. Would recommend this book to others.

This was a reinvention of Romeo and Juliet, but not in the way I expected! I enjoyed being surprised by a story I'm already very familiar with, and all the references hidden within it. (Spoiler: does not bury the gays!)

This Romeo & Juliet remix does not just retell the story - it blends it up and spits it back out in a very pleasant way. Good writing, dialogue that seems suitable to the period but is not unreadable, and fleshed out characters make the book a pleasure to read. There's excellent queer rep - including ace rep! - and the pining is fantastic. I like how the author handles character growth for characters that are firm in the culturaly mindest without changing them too much, and it does not fall to the tropes of some retellings - the original couple hates each other, the only support comes from newly introduced characters, etc. Teens who do not already have an interest in Romeo & Juliet might not pick it up based on the merits of the book alone.

i genuinely have nothing negative to say about this book. i got it as an ARC after seeing ‘My Dear Henry’ from the same collection come in at work- and noticed that the Romeo & Juliet remix was available to get.

i absolutely ADORE the writing style & prose of this book, it’s gorgeous & lovely & i was able to love & be attached to each and every ( good ) character. it was definitely like a week or two in terms of total length, which i would normally be opposed with in terms of a relationship moving super fast- but the way it was worked through and described- i genuinely could not be happier with how rewarding & slow-burning-ish this felt, even though it was incredibly fast paced!

i was a lit kid & theatre kid all throughout high school, but reading shakespeare was always hard for me & i never remember details from them- so this, while knowing the main points- still felt like an entirely new & still edge-of-your-seat story. it was gripping & i was still waiting with bated breath every new chapter to see what would happen of our lovely little ot3 ( heh ) & the amazing and fantastic friends of romeo himself.

truly a lovely book, fantastic writing. i have not a single thing negative to say- and honestly would love to explore more of Caleb Roehrig’s work!!!

I was very attracted to the idea of a retelling of the classic story from a queer perspective. I found the narrative quite uneven. It started out with a lot of words that did not engage me or connect me with what I expected would be the main filament of the story. For the rest of the narrative of the story alternated back and forth between verbose language and interesting / engaging story telling. I found myself occasionally lost as to the family connections and connections to the characters in the traditional story. Wanted more meat and less words. Part of may disappointment comes from expecting an adult reimagining of the story and getting a young adult story full of teen angst. Yes, teen angst if a core part of the story of a romance between two teenagers. It was the deep dive into that angst that got in the way of my full enjoyment of the text. The deviations from the original thread of the story were also uneven. Some made the narrative more interesting. Others broke the link to the traditional telling and did not add value.
Maybe a young adult reader would be more the audience for this telling.

Romeo & Juliet -- a tale as old as time. This tragedy follows the life and death of two children who are barely older than the high school freshman forced to choke down this saccharine 'love story' in their English 101 class. Many consider Shakespeare's tale to be one of the star-crossed lovers, a romance that is ill-fated from the start. So when I began reading Caleb Roehrig's "Teach the Torches to Burn," I did so with skepticism that this story would be much of the same, with only a new queer aspect to the ancient plot.

Boy, am I glad that I picked up this ARC. I was never a big fan of Shakespeare's play, and I found myself relating more to Romeo than Juliet (for reasons that would become apparent to me much later in life), so I often wondered what would happen if Romeo fell for Mercutio versus Juliet. And though that wasn't the exact romantic subplot of this retelling, Roehrig was able to give me exactly what 14-year-old me needed. Romeo's life is fraught with parental expectations, fear of where his romantic interests lie, and the general drama stirred up by the ever-present epitome of toxic masculinity, Tybalt Capulet.

Without giving away too much of the plot, because believe me, you'll want to go into this blind, I can say that the blossoming friendship between Juliet and Romeo and the burgeoning love between Romeo and Valentine gave me that giggly, feet-kicking happiness as I read this, curled up in bed and unable to put my phone down even when my hand started to cramp.

In fact, when I started this book, I fully expected not to finish it, believing that nothing could really be done to make Shakespeare's plot appealing. Cut to me a few hours later when I had absolutely devoured this book, shouting at my other queer friends that they absolutely, unequivocally had to add this to the TBR pile. I strongly suggest that you add it to yours as well!

Bonus points, if I didn't already grab your attention: there's a cat!

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the eGalley!

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THIS WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED IT TO BE!!

Thank you net galley for the arc!

i enjoyed this queer retelling of romeo and juliet, and much appreciated the happy ending. It was an easy, sweet read that I would have gobbled up as a teenager but still enjoyed as an adult!

You can never go wrong with a (queer) Romeo and Juliet story, and this book hit all the right elements. Especially because of the happy ending. I adored the platonic bond Romeo and Juliet created during their few interactions, both of them struggling with being different in different ways and having to deal with society’s expectations. Also, since I had not expected to see it, I really loved the aro/ace rep with Friar Laurence and Juliet as well (though, part of me did wish Juliet was a lesbian).

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan for the E-arc
I adore the books in this series, and this edition was no exception! This whole line is focused on reimaging classic stories, usually making them more diverse and exciting. I haven't read Romeo and Juliet entirely, but this book chaptered my attention instantly. The author does a fantastic job of taking a classic story and adding to it without suffocating the original vibes.

A clever, thoughtful reimagining that goes so far beyond simply making Romeo and Juliet gay (as laudable a project as that is). This book sparkles with wit and verve, the characters feel real, both familiar and developed, and the dialogue flows beautifully. Romeo and Valentine’s love story is utterly compelling while also feeling grounded in its historical and literary setting. The true themes of the original play, the vicious cycle of violence, the dire effects of parental neglect, and the senselessness of avoidable loss, all shine through here. Juliet and her unwanted marriage to count Paris don’t get overshadowed even though the main story is about two boys falling in love; indeed, the Juliet of this adaptation is lively, resourceful, and as cunning as any Shakespearean character ever was. It was a pleasure to read from start to finish and I also appreciated the impressive number of Shakespeare references the author was able to work in (“claim his pound of flesh”, “ghost at the banquet” etc.). This is book is a great example of the wonderful, high quality, gay fiction I wish had been more prevalent when I was a teenager.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible book early! This is the first of the Classic Remix novels that I’ve read and I cannot wait to read more. The queering of Romeo and Juliet is not something I knew I needed, but now this extra layer, this extra tension, that has been added to this classic tale is not one that I’m going to let go of easily. Not only does this story deal with the pressures of familial loyalty, but those of identity and masculinity as well. It reminded me of another classic, one of the four Chinese classics, ‘The Dream of the Red Chamber’, where the main character is pressured to let go of his ‘womanly’ pursuits and interests and find a wife. Just as in Romeo and Juliet, this story does not end happily either. Outside pressure to change who you are, who you love, and who want to be never ends well, it can only end in tragedy. I loved how this remix added these extra layers and while the story remains in its historical setting, it makes the story feel that much more modern. I absolutely loved this and I hope more people who question the relevance of classic stories like Romeo and Juliet, decide to pick this up.

Very lovely retelling that changed the plot enough to keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. The romance was sweet and compelling, and the characters you know from the classic Romeo and Juliet are compelling in their changes. I finished this all in one sitting, unable to put it down.

The only thing that disappointed me was the somewhat abrupt ending, but isn’t that sometimes the sign of a really enjoyable story? Being upset that it doesn’t just keep going?

I’m sad this will take so long to properly be released, because I already know I will be telling everyone I know go read it.

A sweet and easy to read little romance. Nothing super special, but I didn't regret the time I spent reading it. I like that the author didn't just rehash Romeo and Juliet, but put a new spin on their story. Lots of people come in to the bookstore I work at looking for lgbt books for teenagers, and this will definitely join my list of recommendations.