Reviews

Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix by Caleb Roehrig

ckreads28's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was a bit disappointed in this retelling. It was pretty much a copy and paste of the original. I did chuckle at a few of the characters antics. I also loved the spectrum of queer rep but the pace did kill me a bit.

taleisin's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

3.0

green_ghost's review against another edition

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I got pretty bored with this one, unfortunately :(

molliemole1019's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

faithnomoar's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

kangetsu's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

babybasil's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

himalaya's review against another edition

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3.5

very much just about first love + the escalating family feuds, about what you'd expect, I enjoyed it well enough
definitely very clear the conflict is the main thing and not based on their relationship (or his percieved relationship w juliet), but I wonder if it made tybalt the main villain and cause of everything a little too much? or maybe it's just that the audiobook narrator had a really caricaturistic-villain voice for him (and paris tbh) that made him seem too over the top


read this bc i saw someone say "juliet is ace" - she's aroace, actually, and so is friar lawrence! I enjoyed that aspect and how it was discussed, and shown in comparison to the gay MC not as contrast

pageb's review against another edition

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5.0

Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC!

This Romeo & Juliet retelling takes on a big plot twist -Romeo isn't in love with Juliet, but with a young man (I won't name him to avoid spoilers). The Montagues and Capulets are feuding, just like in the classic Shakespeare play, but in this version of the story, Romeo & Juliet are friends instead of lovers. What happens when Romeo's love is someone that he is not supposed to want? Will he and his love be able to find their happily ever after together, or will it all end it tears?

I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audiobook and I feel like the narrator did a great job. The characters are developed well, even though they are familiar (since this is a retelling) and I came to care about them over the course of the book. The atmosphere was also well-written and built, creating vivid pictures in my mind as I read. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the original play, as well as anyone simply looking for a good, romantic story.

soobles's review against another edition

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i thought this was going to be a more faithful recreation of romeo and juliet, rather than one that rewrites most of the story. the pacing is also slow to me, i needed more action in the first quarter. also reading that it’s a wholesome romance with a happy ending rather than a tragedy like the original…. it’s just not for me right now