Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo and Juliet Remix (Remixed Classics #7)
Caleb Roehrig
Feiwel & Friends
Published August 22, 2023
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About Teach the Torches to Burn
In TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN, a breathlessly romantic remix of Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET and seventh book in the Remixed Classics series, a queer teen boy discovers first love amid a bloody, centuries-old feud.
Verona, Italy. Seventeen-year-old aspiring artist Romeo dreams of a quiet life with someone who loves him just as he is. But as the heir to the Montague family, he is expected to give up his womanly artistic pursuits and uphold the family honor–particularly in their centuries-old blood feud with a rival family, the Capulets. Worse still, he is also expected to marry a well-bred girl approved by his parents and produce heirs. But the more Romeo is forced to mingle with eligible maidens, the harder it is to keep his deepest secret: He only feels attracted to other boys.
In an attempt to forget his troubles for just one night, Romeo joins his cousin in sneaking into a Capulet party. During a fateful encounter in the garden, he meets the kindest, most beautiful boy he’s ever encountered, and is shocked to learn he’s Valentine, the younger brother of one of his closest friends. He is even more shocked to discover that Valentine is just as enamored with Romeo as Romeo is with him.
So begins a tender romance that the boys must hide from their families and friends, each of them longing for a world where they could be together without fear. And as the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets escalates out of control, Romeo and Valentine find themselves in danger of losing each other forever—if not by society’s scorn, then by the edge of a blade.
My Review
I’ve read Caleb Roehrig’s mystery/thriller novels and love them. This book is a totally different kind of story, so I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of the writing style.
It’s also the third book I’ve read in the Remixed Classics series by MacMillan. The other two, My Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron and Into the Bright Open by Cherie Dimaline, both had distinctive styles to the writing that reminded me of the original work.
Teach the Torches to Burn doesn’t sound like Shakespeare, but it does capture the feel of the historical setting. I thought it hit a really good balance there.
Because the story centers around Romeo and Valentine as his love, I wasn’t sure how much it would follow the original play. And again, I thought the author was totally clever with the way he worked that out.
Romeo and Juliet still have some interaction, just not romantically so. I loved Juliet’s character. Instead of being the object of romantic desire, she rails against that idea, wanting to be seen and valued for her identity, not her virtue or as something precious to protect. There are a couple of scenes in which she speaks to that idea pretty eloquently, which I really appreciated.
There’s still a marriage between Romeo and Juliet and a moment at which someone fakes their death in a way that carries a lot of stakes. (I feel like those aren’t really spoilers unless you really have no idea what happens in the original story.)
All in all, I loved the ways in which this story is completely its own and the ways it honors the original text. I’m gonna have to call it another win for the Remixed Classics series and proof that Caleb Roehrig has some serious range as a writer. Bravo.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 12 up.
Representation
Romeo and Valentine are gay.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. Another boy uses a girl’s virtue as a reason to start a fight (more than once). In one scene, two boys kiss and the scene ends, hinting they may have done more.
Romeo’s cousin continually tries to set him up with girls to sleep with, though Romeo isn’t interested. His cousin, Benvolio, references some of his experiences, keeping it vague because some of the women he sleeps with are married.
Spiritual Content
Both Romeo and Juliet seek counsel and confession from a monk.
Violent Content
One scene shows a fight between two groups of people armed with swords and daggers. It’s chaotic. One person dies. Another remains gravely wounded.
Drug Content
Romeo and his friends drink alcohol together. They’re seventeen but seen as adults in their culture.
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