Review: Teach the Torches to Burn, A Romeo & Juliet Remix | Caleb Roehrig
Summary: 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 enamoured 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 opinion: I love a modern take on a classic story. At first I thought it would be more in line with the old story and have a Romeo and a Julian or anything along those lines but when Valentine was introduced I knew I was wrong and I loved it! After a few chapters I could tell where the story would end up but the whole journey to get there kept me interested and I needed to keep reading. 8/10
Book stats:
-Published on 22 august 2023
-Pages: 400
-Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+ and Young adult
What I liked:
-Romeo arc and growing where beautifull to me.
-His friendships are to die for! Love the support and help.
What I didn't like:
-Like I said I could tell after a few chapters where this story would end, maybe it’s just that I read too much and know all the arcs by now, but I would have loved it to know less so fast.
—Emma
