This is a hard review for me to write, because I really wanted to like this book. I was absolutely ready to declare this my book of 2020 without having read a page. So when I say that I feel a bit let down, I really mean: I feel let down.
The whole idea is spectacular. Romeo and Juliet. In 1920s Shanghai. As the heirs to rival gangs. There is no way you could pitch me a book I wanted to read more. So when I was sent a copy through Netgalley, I almost cried with excitement. And I read the first chapter. I thought, it reads slightly oddly, but maybe it's first chapter nerves.
It was not first chapter nerves.
The whole book just feels slightly clunky. A lot of the dialogue is just awkward enough to feel strange, the descriptions are lovely but they also sometimes just fell a little flat. The sheer amount of exposition in the first thirty per cent of the book had me genuinely slightly shocked. 'Show don't tell' feels like such a basic thing that as a criticism for one of the biggest releases this year I'm a bit left for words.
Can I be very, extremely petty for a second? I hated the names. Juliette translates beautifully. I barely noticed. But Roma? Every time I read it I cringed a little bit. It's not an inherently Russian name, and it doesn't immediately make me think 'Romeo'. I was not feeling it. Montagov is genius, but Cai feels tenuous.
Like the names, the characters didn't feel like they translated well. I sort of want to just change the names entirely. The whole book would probably read slightly better without the 'Romeo and Juliet' angle, but then, almost all the best lines of dialogue were lifted from Shakespeare, so maybe not. But the characters- I liked Juliette. I liked her a lot. She felt authentic and strong and deeply conflicted. But Roma, for me he was just bland. A cardboard stand-in for a main male character. He says the right things, but I really didn't get much of any real character. I did however, spend a long time wondering why Juliette was wasting her time on this guy, so maybe it captured more of the spirit of Shakespeare than I gave it credit for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this?? Amazing. The execution of it?? Even better.

When a madness plagues 1920s Shanghai, heirs to the cities two opposing gangs Juliette and Roma must work together to put an end to it before the entire city falls prey. A task made more difficult on account of their history as lovers before a betrayal ripped them apart. This Romeo and Juliet re-imagining is a vivid exploration of politics, loyalty and love.

I loved this book with every fibre of my being it was so good.

The imagery of this is so vivid that I was instantly transported into this world. The world-building, characterisation and plot all wove together so well there literally is no weak link to this book.

I am a sucker for good writing and damn this book has good writing. The kind of writing where I would read a well-written sentence and be like okay but that’s a sexy sentence. “This place hums to the tune of debauchery” that is one sexy, sexy sentence and the whole book is like that.

Roma and Juliette my god their dynamic is incredible, being the heirs to opposing gangs with a blood feud and having a history together created some delicious banter and tension and I was here for it. Genuinely in love with them.

I loved all of the characters like I obviously adored Roma and Juliette, but the other characters had such rich stories too that I was invested in all of their lives. Like Kathleen??? Would 10/10 die for her.

Overall, this book was an incredible blend of rich imagery, political intrigue and romance and I ate it all up. I cannot see where the story takes us next.

I have quite mixed feelings about this book. While I love the premise of These Violent Delights, a losely Romeo and Juliet retelling in a Shanghai setting about a blood feud between two rival gangs, I personally did not enjoy (most of) the execution of it. I feel like a lot of the interesting parts of the story got lost in the slow pacing so the book ended up being longer than it should've been. I usually dislike multiple POV's, and again in this case, I thought it was quite unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story. I lost interest halfway through but it picked up again in the end! I really enjoyed the action as well as the romance and all the angst surrounding it. Juliette was a really strong and complex character, I'm so looking forward to reading more about her in the sequel! Overall, Chloe Gong's writing is beautiful which is why this book had a lot of potential, but I unfortunately didn't vibe with it too much. I totally understand why this book is appealing to everyone else though!

"Shanghai knows. It has always known. This whole damn place is about to fall apart."

A monster prowling around 1920s Shanghai with unfolding enemies to lovers to enemies tension?

Why would you NOT want to read this book?

I devoured this during a stressful work period and what a welcome distraction it was; a story so vivid in descriptions and emotions you can feel completely immersed from the first chapter.

Although it's a Romeo and Juliet inspired/influenced book, it totally stands on its own in terms of originality and excitement. It's gripping, wonderfully balanced between dialogue, descriptions and action, and knows when to slow things right down to a painfully tense and emotional exchange between Roma and Juliette.

"These heirs think themselves kings and queens, sitting on a throne of gold and overlooking a glittering, wealthy empire. They are not. They are criminals - criminals at the top of an empire of thieves and drug lords and pimps, preparing to inherit a broken, terrible, defeated think that looks upon them in sadness."

See? Don't you already want to read more? It's a story filled with bloody murders, powerful families and the heirs trying to piece together their painful memories and wounded hearts during all this chaos.

Recommended for fans of: bloody knife-wielding girls, atmospheric writing, enemies to lovers to enemies to....you get the picture!

A strong debut that takes Shakespeare down an interesting path. I love her writing style and her characters are well developed, I just wish the antagonist was a little bit stronger to match the strength of the rest of the book. I can tell even better things are on their way from Chloe, and as a fellow lover of Romeo and Juliet, my heart sang at seeing it remade in such an exciting way.

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???!!!

I can't wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with this masterpiece of a YA urban-esque fantasy that is bloody, badass and utterly delectable. Chloe Gong writes about a 1920's Shanghai that is gritty and dirty in more ways than one, a city where only the strong and the shrewd survive. She's almost seamlessly blended this opulent setting to the premise of Romeo and Juliet, but I'll tell you, if future ganglord Juliette Cai had been a Capulet, Shakespeare's tragedy would've gone a whole other direction. (Hint: Tragic for everyone but bb Juliette)

The writing was to the point, at times veering into tasteful descriptions that really brought old Shanghai to life and I loved how smart this book was, showcasing the colonial impact from the eyes of those who were colonised. It will make you cry, having yourself depicted every bit as smart and clever as the ones who colonised you - and sometimes more - yet have to suffer under their yoke of power. It also depicted the beginnings of communism and how it seemed to evolve but the plus of all this political intrigue was that it came with a dressing of monsters on the side.

That cliffhanger ending destroyed me but makes me super excited for the next book! Bring it on, Chloe Gong!

I am struggling to get my head around the fact that this beautifully composed, heart-wrenching, invigorating read is Chloe Gong's debut novel. Not only is the setting lusciously rendered with layer upon layer of accomplished imagery but the characters are authentically drawn, forcing the reader to completely immerse themselves in the chaotic energy of 1920s Shanghai. I have taught 'Romeo and Juliet' to my students multiple times but Gong's re-imagining of the feud brought new life to the love, loss and pain of Shakespeare's play.

Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are our central protagonists (antagonists?! The complexity and murky morals of these characters is amazing), representing the heir to the White Flowers and Scarlet Gang groups who, as with the original story line, are in a longstanding blood feud. However, a new madness is sweeping the city, striking down members from both gangs alike. I won't spoil the effect of the madness but be forewarned it is graphically violent, an equalising force striking down both factions and rich and poor alike.

Gong has skilfully woven the more fantastical aspects of this plot with the history of Shanghai, making this not only an enjoyable read but also fascinatingly educational. She also tweaks the story of the original play, making some really nice references to the source material (Roma writing off Montague as an implausible cover name because it sounded too Italian had me in stitches) but challenging reader expectations. Rather than this being love at first sight, the central couple are jaded past lovers which put a really interesting twist on the familiar tale.

Overall, this is a fast-paced ride of a novel with thrilling plot twists coming out of nowhere all over the place. I predict huge things for this book and Gong's future writing career as adults and young adults alike discover her fantastic debut novel. Also, I am not at all sure how I am going to patiently wait for the sequel of this book after THAT ending! A phenomenal read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Chloe Gong, and Hodder & Stoughton for my arc of These Violent Delights in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: a retelling of Romeo & Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. Two rival gangs are at the centre of this epic, fast paced YA fantasy. Juliette heir to the scarlet gang and Roma heir to the White Flower gang. Years ago their forbidden love put their families at war, but with a monster now attacking both gangs they must reunite to save them all.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year but if I'm honest I found it just 'ok'. The writing is incredibly beautiful and Chloe Gong is a fantastic writer there is no doubt about that. I think the only reason I didn't love this book is just personal preference. The writing was quite flowery and full of metaphors and similes that just felt a bit 'too much' for me. The storyline itself just felt like it was missing out parts like I could quite work out why certain parts were important because a lot of things went unexplained. There is nothing wrong with the book per se and I think the many, many 5* reviews speak for themselves it just really wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

My favourite Shakespeare play has been Romeo & Juliet ever since I was in high school and we were assigned one of his plays every single year in English. Of course, this was never the assigned play but the overachiever in me went and read more than I had to and simply fell in love. When I saw this described as a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1926 Shanghai following a gang feud nothing was stopping me from deciding I had to read it, and I’m still so over the moon that my eArc request was approved and I’ve been able to read this work of art.

I was hooked from the first chapter, the descriptions, world-building, and characters pulled me in and I found myself getting invested really early on in the book. The writing started mentioning the monster and I was pulled in even further, obsessing over the plot before the bulk of the plot had even started.

Let me take a moment to focus on the characters, I’m such a character-based reader that I focus so much on them and I was not let down! I left this book-loving some characters, hating others, and feeling the betrayal they felt. While already knowing the characters from the play and other adaptations, seeing them in this setting held them in a whole new light, and Gong wrote them all so well that they were so individual from the expectations I held and I’m so thankful for that. The addition of a trans character who is never misgendered by family and who exists as a character outside her gender just filled me with joy, and she was able to become one of my favourites in a sea of characters I was destined to love. Then there were the characters I left this book despising and the fact she was able to write them in such a way that I felt this guttural reaction to them.

The writing itself was really great, the location descriptions made me feel like I was teleported there and I could see the lights of the city at night, the people on the streets as the characters moved along them and the rooms they found themselves in. The writing of the monster and the plotline regarding it was easy to digest but also really played on my mind. The descriptions at times made me have to react out loud in an otherwise silent reading period, just moved to loudly react by the writing on the screen.

I have to comment on the romance separately because as a whole hopeless romantic it broke me apart. Without wanting to add in any spoilers in my reviews, there were scenes between Roma and Juliette that just shattered me, leaving me in tears and highlighting words exchanged between them to revisit because the scenes were written in a way that made me ache and also yearn.

This book gave me well-developed characters, multiple sources of LGBTQ+ representation, and a world I want to revisit, knowing I’ll both be rereading this book upon release and the sequel when we’re blessed with its release. This book was an easy 5-stars and I was right to have said it was one of the 2020 books I was most looking forward to.

Maybe younger readers will find this to be a more absorbing read than I did but I wasn't charmed or blown away by Chloe Gong's writing style. Her story and characters too left a bit to be desired.
Clunky flashbacks interrupt the flow of the story and don't serve to make our protagonists any more compelling. Juliette is a cold killer who is portrayed as a badass who seems for some reason to feel strongly loyal towards her gang and yet hold no fondness for her relatives or her parents (she seems to tolerate two of her cousins, that's it). Characters are constantly 'pivoting' and at times urgency seems to be created by how fast the characters move.
The monster mystery didn't intrigue me, the love story wasn't all that interesting (especially since Juliette and Roma were a former couple or whatever so their dynamic felt as if it had been developed off page and the flashbacks didn't really flesh out the beginnings of their relationship).
But readers who haven't read a lot of historical/paranormal YA will undoubtedly fell differently than me.

"In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens."

Aah, I was so excited to get approved for this ARC, since this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I love the cover, I love the synopsis and I love fantasy retellings. I was almost scared to start reading since I worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but I am relieved to say that it did.

The book is set in Shanghai in the 1920s, where the city is run by two rival gangs: the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers. After four years away, the heir to the Scarlets arrives back in town. Juliette Cai is fierce, proud and hates nothing more than Roma Montagov. But Shanghai is changing. There are sightings of a monster and whispers of a communist revolution among the workers. However, when a contagious madness starts killing people from both gangs, the two heirs must put aside their differences and work together.

I cannot believe this is a debut. The author's writing was atmospheric and I thought the worldbuilding was exceptional. Shanghai came to life in my mind so clearly, without any lengthy descriptions or info-dumping. I loved Juliette and her determination to prove her worth to her patriarchal family. She was strong-willed and totally ruthless. In contrast, Roma was quieter and more thoughtful. His hatred of violence was a surprise and I loved the reversal of gender stereotypes.

I also loved a lot of the secondary characters. Kathleen was intriguing and I adored the banter between Beneditik and Marshall. Despite being a retelling, the plot never felt predictable and I liked that it was a slow burn. I would definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read for the sequel to be released.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down.

This was enjoyable, but lots of small grievances I had with worldbuilding and character development kept me from being able to give it a higher rating. When the action gets going, it’s an incredibly fast read and it kicks off said action immediately. It has great horror elements (if you really don’t like insects, maybe give this a miss or go into it with eyes wide open) and the slight body horror makes the supernatural part of this book appropriately violent. However, I often felt like the book was preoccupied with creating an “aesthetic” rather than doing any meaningful worldbuilding for the political landscape or the existence of the gangs.

Juliette and Roma took a little bit for me to get into; she’s the impulsive, violent one and he’s the one disgusted by violence which I thought was a nice attempt at subverting gender expectations. But their romance didn’t do it for me. Their more romantic scenes often stalled the plot because it always felt like there were more important things going on than having them get lost in their memories of each other and it grew tedious to have them talk around the Betrayal that happened four years previously. Their relationship only really grabbed me at the end when another layer is added to their angst, so I’m curious to see how the sequel develops that, as well as how far the book will indulge in Juliette’s flaws (I love a messy woman.)

Juliette felt a little one dimensional sometimes (she’s violent and likes knives) but I loved her and Kathleen’s scenes - I loved Kathleen in general - and this book is filled with really great side characters who really help develop the mains, as well as have great dynamics with each other. The simmering potential between Marshall and Benedikt was so good and the idea of book 2 angst is going to keep me going during the wait for it. When these side characters were interacting was when I was enjoying the book the most. When the book was focused on all these characters finding clues and putting things together as a little group of reluctant allies, I felt like it really worked and I loved the moments where things are clicking for them or eluding them. These moments are the main part of the plot so even with my criticisms, the book is for the most part a really enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, my biggest issue: the worldbuilding in the novel felt very underdeveloped. The dynamic between the gangs, the Communists and the foreign interests felt lacking. There’s lots of surface level reference to these groups and how they overlap but it never goes any further. The book wants you to be invested in the survival of the gangs against an inevitable communist revolution, or foreign interests pushing them out of their own city, but there’s little development of how the gangs actually run (outside of their income sources) and Juliette and Roma don’t really spend much time involved in the inner workings of the gangs so these issues don’t really hold much plot relevance. Even their paralleled rivalries with other potential heirs comes and goes. I definitely wasn’t expecting heavy politics but it came up enough to make me think it was relevant, but never really paid off. It feels like mostly set up for the sequel, if I had to guess.

In the end, I did enjoy this despite clearly being in the minority opinion. When the plot is focused on the characters hunting the monster, it works best. There’s a wonderful cast of side characters and dialogue is entertaining, action is fast paced and the horror elements (specifically at the beginning) are great to read, but vague worldbuilding, convenient plot details and a lacklustre main romance did leave me underwhelmed.

This book was amazing! I do enjoy a retelling, and this is a retelling of romeo and juliet. I loved this book, and cant believe how young the author is. I expect great things in the future!

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



★★★★★ 5/5

Set in 1920's gang-run Shanghai, you're either a member of the Chinese Scarlet Gang, or the Russian White Flowers. With a blood feud raging between the gangs, only your own gang controlled territory is safe. 

That safety becomes compromised when reports of a monster lurking near the Huangpu river begin to spread, as well as a contagion sweeping over the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers members alike. No side is safe from what is coming, and as more and more people begin succumbing to the madness, Shanghai is dying along with its people. 

Juliette Cai (the Scarlet Gang's heir) and Roma Montagov (the White Flowers heir) are not only enemies, but they were once friends, and closer than that - lovers. After a betrayal that tore them apart, they can and never will be that again, both have responsibilities to their families and gangs. Yet when their fathers task them both with finding out what is taking down Shanghai's people, there is no other choice but to work together and try and save their city and their people.

I knew I was going to love this as soon as I read the synopsis, and sure enough, barely 50 pages in, I was sold. From the Romeo and Juliet retelling, to the enemies to lovers trope, These Violent Delights had everything I could have wanted and more, including fantasy elements.

I also loved the historical and political side to it (shoutout to that history class I took last year that required a lot of research and came in very useful whilst reading). Gong doesn't shy away from the theme of colonisation, and rightly so. It's done in a way that not only highlights the foreigners in Shanghai, but what they bring with them and change about the place they now inhabit.

For a debut, it's strong and promising and doesn't let down at all throughout. The narrative voice is cleverly crafted between multiple POV's, and the story never feels flat or boring with nothing too heavily described either. The secondary characters are also fully fledged and given their own time to shine, not only benefitting both Juliette and Roma, but the plot as a whole. 

It's an incredible story and definitely one of my favourites from this year. Chloe Gong for this first book alone, is already on my favourite authors list, and one I'm eagerly anticipating more from. Including the sequel! After the ending of These Violent Delights, fall 2021 seriously cannot come soon enough!



Did I like the book? Yes

Did I love it? Yes! I loved everything, from the plot to the characters, I genuinely couldn't find a single thing I didn't like about it.

Would I recommend it? Yes! And I will be recommending it to anyone who wants badass characters, a Romeo and Juliet retelling, or simply a well done enemies to lovers story.

I have to preface this review with how unbelievably talented I think Gong is, her writing is atmospheric and breathtaking. And to say that this is her debut novel? Even more impressive. The only thing stopping me from giving this a 5 star review is the pacing, it felt a little slow around the 60% mark and I found myself wanting the plot to further a bit quicker. However, everything else was wonderful. I felt as if I really was in Shanghai surrounded by gangs, murders and monsters. Gong's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was refreshing and thrilling. The characters could stand on their own two feet, without needing the original Shakespeare characters to lend to their development. I particularly enjoyed the changes she made, from names to plot twists. It's the perfect example of what a retelling should be, inspired by the source material but different enough to hold merit as its own piece of creative work. The ending especially exciting, without getting into spoilers I'll leave it at saying I was on the edge of my seat. A brilliant read overall.

An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

PHEW.
Where do I start with this book? There is a lot to unpack here, and all of it is highly positive. It's been a while since I enjoyed a book SO MUCH. I went into this book with high expectations, and this book delivered and how.

My favourite part about this book was easily the writing. Often told from a third-person omniscient perspective (which is actually my least favorite perspective because it's not easy to pull off) this book manages to avoid ALL the issues that usually come with that POV. Most of the time the perspective was pretty close, and was used as a tool to really get the reader into not only the characters but the scene as a whole. We not only got a lot from the main characters through this perspective, but also from the side characters, who I will get to in a bit.

The writing was so IMMERSIVE. every scene was established vividly, and I felt the history, the setting, the violence come alive in front of me. There were parts that made my skin crawl, and parts which made my jaw drop open. I read this book in a couple of days despite its length, and despite my slow pace, because it was that much of a page-turner.

Coming to the characters, I did not expect to like Roma so much. I knew right off the bat that I would love Julliete, but I adored Roma too. Both the leads were strong, interesting, and worked so well together. their sizzling chemistry, their constant banter and their yearning was an instant hit for me. The rest of the cast was extremely well fleshed out and I cared for all of them as much as I did for the main characters.

The plot was intriguing and kept me guessing till the end, and the ending was cathartic, yet heart-breaking and the final scene made me want to read the sequel immediately.

Chloe Gong has indeed presented a fantastic debut, one which has a lot of heart, passion, and of course, guns and knives. The attention to detail, the research and the twists kept me hooked till the very end.

Reading vlog to come soon.

A Romeo and Juliet retelling with a twist. Set in 1920s Shangai a tale of two gangs fighting to take control of the city and the heirs are trying figure out whats cause people to attack themselves.
I really enjoyed this book, it had great characters and world building!

I loved this.

I always enjoy a good reimagining, this one of the classic Romeo and Juliet but not how you ever could think of them.

A fantastical setting, two rival gangs, two heirs to thrones drenched in blood. But a monster lurks and a common enemy changes many things....

The beautifully crafted and creatively imagined backdrop absolutely makes this story - our Romeo and Juliet stalk the streets of Shanghai tracking death, dancing around each other, in an intensely addictive narrative that doesn't pull punches...the rivalry determined by history yet tempered by an attraction neither can ignore. Twists and turns, a vibrant and descriptive prose, plenty of cleverly layered characters and an ending that keeps you on the edge of your seat all adds up to a brilliant read leaving you desperate for more.

Highly recommended

The book’s title alludes to Romeo and Juliet, and the plot does not disappoint.

Set in 1920s Shanghai, These Violent Delights chronicles two star-crossed lovers, Roma and Juliette, the respective heirs to the two rival criminal gangs operating in the city, one the Scarlets made up on native Chinese and one the Whites made up of immigrant Russians fleeing the communist Bolsheviks. Thrown into the mix are radical communists trying to overthrow capitalism and the British and French colonials vying for power in the vacuum of the Kuomintang.

The story opens with the appearance of a supernatural monster rising from the city’s river that causes its onlookers to rip out their own throats. This common cause, nay plague on both their houses, sees former lovers Roma and Juliette reunited to save their city from the monster.

I enjoyed the allusions and the general plot. Enough was also left open for these two characters to return in future instalments...

So much angst! I loved this book and I loved the relationship between Juliette and Roma! The way they hated each other but it was obvious they had some unresolved feelings made the book for me. I don’t usually like pre-existing relationships but this really worked.
The plot was a bit slow and that did hurt my enjoyment a bit, but overall a great debut!