Teach the Torches to Burn
by Caleb Roehrig TPB

In this queer YA reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, a teen boy discovers first love amid a bloody, centuries-old feud.

• The seventh book in our Remixed Classics series, wherein authors from marginalized backgrounds take different classics and reinterpret them through their own unique cultural lens. This collection serves YA readers as both a series of fun, engaging reads as well as a subversive overall look at what our society has deemed “classic”-works that are overwhelmingly cishet, white, and male.
• The Boston Globe Best New Book of Summer 2023
• Paste Magazine Most Anticipated LGBTQ YA Book of Summer 2023
• An ALA Rainbow Book List selection

• “Roehrig has done a splendid job of imaginatively revising Shakespeare’s perhaps most frequently retold text, creating an often-suspenseful story populated by vividly realized characters. Best of all, however, is his beautiful dramatization of Romeo and Valentine’s love for each other.” –Booklist, starred review

   

• “Rather than simply gender swap Juliet, the casting freshly and uniquely explores agency and queerness in the 14th-century setting. … A spectacularly queer, heartwarmingly hopeful take on the star-crossed classic. An essential purchase for all teen collections.” –School Library Journal

   

• “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