Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix

Remixed Classics, Book 7

By: Caleb Roehrig

Narrated by: Max Meyers

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. Queer star-crossed love amid a centuries-old feud takes center stage in this Romeo & Juliet remix that knows sometimes, the best way is to make it gay.

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 met, 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.

The Remixed Classics Series
A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee
So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow
Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi
What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix by Tasha Suri
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron
Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix by Caleb Roehrig
Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends.

©2022 Caleb Roehrig (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

The Boston Globe Best New Book of Summer 2023
Paste Magazine Most Anticipated LGBTQ YA Book of Summer 2023

"Vivid, poetic prose and snappy banter bring to life this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet as a drama of burgeoning adulthood, queer romance, and found family. ... A lush and romantic escape." —Kirkus Reviews

"An exquisite reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, Teach the Torches to Burn honors the source material while bringing new meaning to Shakespeare's work. Romeo, Valentine, Juliet, and the entirety of Roehrig's cast of characters are true gems, each sparkling with wit, determination, and most of all, love for one another. From thriller to horror to historical remix... is there anything Roehrig can't write?" —Lillie Lainoff, bestselling author of One for All

"From Roehrig I always expect (and cherish) an insight as sharp as it is elegant, but Teach the Torches to Burn offers so much more. Roehrig masterfully rewrites the world's most famous love story into a brilliantly remixed tale that will serve as a blazing beacon of hope for a new generation of impossible loves." —Ryan La Sala, bestselling author of The Honeys and Reverie

This is so Jegulus coded

You can’t convince me this wasn’t a Jegulus/R+J crossover fanfic turned into a book.

Loved it!

I remember being forced to read Romeo and Juliet in my English Lit class in high school and was never a fan. I would yawn and not pay attention. I was more into Shakespeare's other works like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar, but I WOULD BE ALL EARS if I had this version in high school.

The story is simple yet passionate, the story draws you in with the performance of the narrator making it very hard to stop listening to, I think I finished this within two days, if I didn't have to work I probably would have finished it in one. I like that there was a completely different aspect to Romeo and Juliet's relationship also, they didn't just switch Juilet for Valentine, Juilet has her own storyline and it was a fantastic one also. This was a great remix retelling.

WELL DONE ALL AROUND!!!

A wonderful listen!! The author’s use of language is as an updated version of Shakespearean vernacular - hinting at the writing of the Bard, but without some of the more cryptic phrases. And the narrator (though “performer” is a much more apt word here) did a marvelous job of finding different voices for all of the characters, male and female alike.
Truly one of the best listens I’ve had this year!

Fantastic Narration and Fun Twist on the original

loved the narration and story. lots of suspenseful moments and intriguing portions. some parts felt like they dragged on a tad, but overall well worth the listen and time!

Intense dialogue and character interactions

The dialogues and character interactions in this audiobook are a blast to listen to. They seem to hark back to Shakespeare but I've never read the Bard so I don't know for sure. I just kept wishing I could talk like these characters. As for the story, it is much more than a gay retelling of Romeo and Juliet (yes, I do know the outline of the tragedy). The plot, its twists, the character introductions, even the villains' efforts at sabotage, are all highly original and so much fun. And the narrator is pitch perfect, even when doing female voices. This audiobook will end up stealing a lot more of your time than you might plan when you go ahead and download it. You won't be able to stop listening. Fantastic, imaginative and fun. Go ahead and get lost in it. Your family, friends and coworkers can wait.

Loved it

The kind of story I wish I had growing up. It will take you through all the emotions (if you have a soul).

the happy ending

loved it, i like the retelling alot. its joyful and uplifting. in a storybwe all know tonend in death its amazing to see how hope and dreams can take flight in this remix.

Perhaps a better read than listen?

Updated review:

Since my original review, I did try to read the book to see if I enjoyed it more. The truth is, I did not, and did not finish. While I loved the concept, I could never get over my frustration that this is essentially Romeo's story and everyone else is there to support his experience. The other issue I had is that the author tried to modernize the story to reach a modern audience. Instead the story felt dumbed-down, and the inclusion of Juliet as a feminist character missed the point of the story. While a strong woman could help the story, had Roehrig wanted to do justice to the source and add this twist, Valentine should have been the Capulet and Juliet the cousin who sneaks into the ball with Romeo. Below is my original review for comparison.

I purchased the print copy with every intention of starting but have been so busy that my sit and read time has been greatly reduced. Looking forward to the story, I decided to also purchase the audio version. So let’s start there.

Max is an amazing voice actor, covering a broad range of characters. I was surprised by the servant who sounded almost Irish, and felt Lawrence could have used a hint of French to differentiate him from the locals in Verona. Those are both minor compared to the issue I have with many narrators when young men are concerned - the breathless, slightly feminine approach. Valentine was coy and coquettish, much as I would have expected for, say Juliet had she been written more traditionally. Before I sound tied to conventional expectations around gender, this is a pattern I have noticed in many books. Whether it is meant to suggest the younger age, or that Valentine is different, breathy is rarely a satisfying vocal tone to convey character. He is supposed to be a year younger than Romeo, and they are both supposed to be quiet in nature, they could easily have a similar tone. That breathiness made it impossible for me to give that fifth star.

Then there is the story. By choosing to tell the story strictly from Romeo’s POV, we are subject every aspect of Romeo’s life and how he interacts with everyone else. Had this been written in the omniscient narrative and allowed to experience other characters thoughts and motives the tension and the romance could have been heightened. Having to recount everything back to Romeo, in my reading, made every other character a supporting to him. As this is based on Romeo and Juliet, it would have been great to balance the story, like the source material.

Roehrig does a good job of keeping the original cast in place. Was I hoping for more of the grit (and body count) along the way to reach this titles ending? Absolutely. I like the approach the author took with regard to Juliet, and her world view, but I was expecting more interaction of the core families but that ended up very one note. Both sets of parents were interchangeable, along with being nearly invisible.

Ultimately I liked the idea and would recommend. Is this one I will listen to again? Not likely. I am keeping it in my stash of books to read as Roehrig’s vocabulary and phrasing are quite enjoyable, I might appreciate the story more without someone else’s interpretation.