TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN

No matter which direction Romeo runs, the dreaded shadow of his family’s expectations follows him, and the walls of Verona block his path to freedom.

“Ancient animosities” between the Montagues and Capulets divide Verona. Seventeen-year-old Romeo, heir to the Montague fortune, frets more over his destiny—a loveless marriage and a forced choice between apprenticing with his silk merchant father or joining the army—than the increasing provocations of Tybalt Capulet. Secret romantic feelings push him ever further from his two best friends, cousin Benvolio and unrequited crush Mercutio, who don’t understand why he refuses to pursue the women they introduce him to. But one night, at a masquerade at the Capulets’ house, an unexpected encounter with a mysterious boy ignites Romeo’s hope for a bright future. 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. Set in 14th-century Italy, the book presents both Romeo, who is awakening to his attraction for boys, and Juliet, who firmly has no interest in romance at all, with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Written in the first person from Romeo’s perspective, the plot follows the original closely enough to build tension and an expectation of tragedy before veering toward its own satisfying resolution. The characters are predominantly white.

A lush and romantic escape.