These Violent Delights

I’m really not having a good year when it comes to YA. And I was so excited for this one, too! Though I’m not big on Romeo and Juliet, the representation and the setting of this one (1920s Shanghai, rival gangs, a monster on the loose) had me desperate to get my hands on it.

Content warnings:
- fatphobia
- child abuse
- insect swarming & infestations (very detailed)

Representation:
- the main character and many secondary characters are Chinese
- two secondary characters are gay/bi men
- a secondary character is a trans woman
- a secondary character has OCD (at least, as someone with OCD, this is how it seemed)

In 1926 Shanghai, two rival gangs with a blood feud control much of the city. The French and the British have what’s left. Communism show more and nationalist groups are simmering among the chaos, too. To make matters worse, a monster is spreading a contagion wherever it goes. In the middle of all this is Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet gang, and Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers gang.

Former sweethearts who were torn apart by distance and tragedy, Roma and Juliette will have to put the blood feud and their own hatred aside to work together, solve the mystery behind the monster, and figure out how to stop it.

It seems wild to give this only two stars when I loved so much about it, but it was a struggle to finish this one. I DNF’d it several times before pushing up my sleeves and getting back into it.

But I’ll start with what I loved:
Over everything else, I loved and appreciated all the notes about colonialism, the city being torn in every which way and how the characters felt about their home being occupied, etc. I can absolutely tell so much heart and research went into this novel and its setting.

And though I did have problems with the writing style (more on this later), there were little glimpses of really strong writing here and there. If Chloe Gong just took a little more time to edit, her writing could be gorgeous. I think the biggest problem this book has is a lack of good editing -- which is partly the author’s fault, partly the editor’s. I know editors are being underpaid and getting less and less time to edit, so while I’m inclined to give them a little more slack, this book really, really needed more editing.

This all brings me to what I didn’t like:
Unfortunately, there’s a lot. I’ll mention the writing again, more specifically. It takes about twenty words to say what could be described in one or two, and it gets stuck on specific phrases that are repeated over and over throughout the book (I should’ve counted how many times “her heels clacked on the floor” was used).

I also don’t think the omniscient pov did the story any favors -- it made it so the mystery behind the monster was ruined from the very beginning. We as the audience know everything before the characters even start to piece things together, which makes for a frustrating reading experience.

But above all, the characters and their dialogue made me want to put the book down, despite what I loved about it. Though I know Juliette is supposed to be a strong badass, she came across as a spoiled brat throwing tantrums and treating others awfully (“Miss Cai, can I help you with anything?” “Help me like this--” With one hand, Juliette mimed her lips zipping shut. / “How long have you been wiping at that table for?” [... Juliette wipes the table three times and cleans it] “Use your elbows. It’s not that hard.”).

Their dialogue switches from being period-appropriate to being something straight out of the 21st century: “I do not know his name, nor have I seen his face”; “I do not know what it is you speak of” existing alongside “Get out of my face”; “I think this is simply my resting expression”; “Too soon?” “Way too soon”.

I feel horrible to critique so much, but I can’t not mention the showing vs telling, probably my biggest issue with the writing (and editing). We are constantly told what people are thinking, but seldom shown -- and what we’re told doesn’t always match up with the characters’ actions.

The constant telling gets in the way of the storytelling (especially the backstories -- so much backstory … even of minor characters, backstory that doesn't affect the plot or story or characterization in any way. It feels like it’s part of the author’s character sheets, and she just wanted to get it across to us in some way, but it doesn’t work). Because we’re constantly told about how Roma and Juliette used to be lovers, we never actually understand their relationship in the present.

One more mention, and then I’m done, I promise: the ending also ruined any chance of me picking up the sequel. It ended in exactly the same place as it began. Roma and Juliette hate each other again, the second book will have the same plot as the first (people dying from the madness, trying to figure out how to stop it), and the characters have not gone through any major changes. It’s so frustrating.

But I applaud Chloe Gong for being able to get a book published in college. This book is so well researched, has beautiful and meaningful representation, and shows many glimpses of beautiful writing. With some editing, she’s going to go far. I may not pick up the sequel, but I will most likely check out what else she writes. show less

Take a cup of history flavored with Shanghai, China in the 1920s, half a cup of rival gangs with a violent history of killing each other, a quarter cup each of varied foreign intervention and rising Chinese communism. Blend well, then add a dangerous romance and top with a truly horrific monster that seems to appear and disappear at will. Let age nicely for 400+ pages before tossing a couple dandy gotchas, setting you up for a sequel. This describes this book nicely. It's a dandy, not only for the setting, but for how the plot elements blend, confuse and reveal. I'm definitely on board with what comes next.

Romeo and Juliet is probably Shakespeare’s most popular play. It has been remade, referenced, and adapted so many times. But Chloe Gong has a fun, fresh, and feisty angle to look at the story that really adds to the original idea. This book is also a great YA series opener that does not feel like it is forcing a sequel setup and did not bore me or make me mad at tropes!
Juliette Cai is back in Shanghai after spending four years as a flapper in early 1920’s New York. She came back ready to learn all she could about her job as heir to the Scarlet Gang, one of the two gangs that lead the city through violence and power. On her first day back, her former lover, Roma Montagov, comes into a burlesque club in Scarlet territory. Roma is heir show more to the White Flowers gang, the Russian gang controlling the other half of the city. While they are interacting, a man freaks out and claws out his own throat! The two realize that this ‘madness’ is spreading through both their gangs. Together, with the help of Roma’s friends, they work to figure out what is causing the Madness, while dealing with their interpersonal issues.
There was so much more to the story, but I honestly don’t want to spoil.
The connections to the original were not too overbearing. I loved the names (Tyler for Tybalt, Benedikt for Benvoilio) and the little callbacks (Juliette using Montague as a fake name for Montagov, Rosalind being repurposed as Juliette’s cousin). However, with the mystery of the madness and the history the characters had with each other, there was not a beat for beat following.
The characters were well developed and had very strong motives. Juliette wants to prove that she is smart enough to save her city and rule more peacefully, and Roma wants to stop the madness because it has someone close to him in a medically induced coma. The side characters all have different levels of wanting to help or hurt the leads. There was no one that felt unnecessary or two dimensional, except Tyler, but hopefully he has more room in the sequel.
The setting of the story was awesome. I don’t know much about Shanghai’s history, but Gong’s research into 1926 Shanghai is clear. The city is not only home to the two gangs, but also Communists, British, French, American, and more foreigners. The foreigners are trying to take control of the city from the gangs, and the Communists are the closest to succeeding. Roma and Juliette have to find a way to keep power from all of those groups. The setting also included different areas of the city, giving it a full, real feeling.
My favorite thing about this book is, of course, the romance. The romance takes a bit of a backseat, which I really like. The main issue is the madness. But Roma and Juliette are dealing with their former relationship, and how they left things on bad and confusing terms. I don’t really want to talk about those terms, for fear of spoilers. However, the way that the past revelations affect their relationship is intriguing and surprising. They’re drawn together then apart, but there is no need for a misunderstanding that could be solved with one conversation. The conversations keep making things worse! I also worry about romance series, but this book moves slowly through time, so the ending doesn’t worry me.
The book seems like it is wrapping up, but the last about fifteen pages make your eyes zoom and start panicking about page count. There is just not enough room to fix it! I am now in a mega book hangover and dying for the next one. I highly recommend you pick this up so you can suffer like me! show less

I was actually pretty upset initially because so many of my friends got the arc of this book while I didn’t, and I was jealous that they were raving about a book I couldn’t read. It took me this long to finally get to it because naturally, the waitlist at my library was long and but definitely worth it.

I can’t say I’ve read any Shakespeare but I do know the basics of some of his popular works because I’ve seen the movies. So even if I don’t know how close to the original Romeo Juliet this retelling is, I felt that that author managed to capture the vibe of two feuding gangster families perfectly well. The writing is very beautiful and evocative, digging into our hearts and making us feel everything the characters are, as show more well as the horror of what’s happening in the plot. The pacing is also breakneck, with everything happening quickly and I was left worried about what was gonna happen next. But the best part of this book is totally the setting. The world of 1920s Shanghai, on the cusp of modernization due to partial colonization by the British and the French and the entitlement and contempt with which the foreigners treat the locals; and the political turmoil between the Nationalists and Communists which might result in a revolution any day, is captured perfectly and tugs at the heartstrings powerfully of those of us readers who have similar feelings about our own colonial history.

Juliette and Roma are such compelling characters to follow along, especially Juliette. She is bold and ruthless, deserving of her title as heir of Scarlet Gang who loves her city and people, but she is also angry about having to confront her complicated feelings about Roma. He on the other hand really longs for a better, less bloodthirsty world and to be honest, it broke my heart because it was obvious that this world would swallow him whole for standing by his principles. The author does a marvelous job letting us feel the tug of war between their hearts, the endless yearning and the slow rebuilding of a truce, and it was a delight to read.

There are also many side characters and it was so much fun that we got short POV chapters from them as well. I particularly enjoyed Kathleen, Juliette’s cousin who is one of her greatest supporters and always tries to help her, no questions asked. Benedikt and Marshall who are Roma’s BFFs also share a very bantery dynamic which was a breath of fresh air in between very intense scenes. There were also quite a few characters who can be termed as loose cannons and I can’t wait to see what more havoc they will wreak in the future.

In the end, this is a book that blends many genres perfectly - it’s a historical fiction that explores themes of colonialism with lot of heart; it’s a thrilling mystery where the characters have to work together to find the monster before more people are killed; and it’s a brilliant rivals to lovers second chance romance which is brimming with yearning. If all this can’t convince you to pick up this book, then I don’t know what will. And now I’m left with dread about what’s gonna happen in the sequel because the author left the story at a major cliffhanger and all I can do is wait. show less

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
0 🌶 (YA)

These Violent Delights is a dive into another era and another world, through the lens of a Romeo & Juliet re-telling. Set in 1920s Shanghai, the star-crossed lovers are from rival gangs that run the city. One gang comprised of a local Chinese family with roots running old and deep in Shanghai. The other comprised of Russians that had fled the Bolshevik Revolution and decided to settle far far away from Moscow.

The author seamlessly blends the reinvention of an old tale with additional layers of clashing cultural identity, political upheaval, threats of white colonization, and a mysterious madness plaguing the city. Through a story set over a century ago, we can see the relevance of culture wars and show more the the battle for racial supremacy still running rampant today. So often as an American reader we see those clashes as Black and White, but diving into this story gave an important perspective in the mindset of other cultures and groups that have had to fight off the ever looming entitlement and power-hungry nature of the colonizing / enterprising white man.

I loved the view into not just Shanghai as a setting, but also Chinese & Shanghainese culture that this book provided. The author paints such a vivid picture of every aspect, from the different neighborhoods to the stark cultural divides drawn across sectors of the city.

I'm very happy that there is another book in this duet, since we left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. If you're in the mood for an exciting read with complex turns, a decent amount of violence, a badass set of female lead characters (the male ones aren't bad either), and an incredible setting, this book is for you. show less

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5
0 🌶 (YA)

These Violent Delights is a dive into another era and another world, through the lens of a Romeo & Juliet re-telling. Set in 1920s Shanghai, the star-crossed lovers are from rival gangs that run the city. One gang comprised of a local Chinese family with roots running old and deep in Shanghai. The other comprised of Russians that had fled the Bolshevik Revolution and decided to settle far far away from Moscow.

The author seamlessly blends the reinvention of an old tale with additional layers of clashing cultural identity, political upheaval, threats of white colonization, and a mysterious madness plaguing the city. Through a story set over a century ago, we can see the relevance of culture wars and show more the the battle for racial supremacy still running rampant today. So often as an American reader we see those clashes as Black and White, but diving into this story gave an important perspective in the mindset of other cultures and groups that have had to fight off the ever looming entitlement and power-hungry nature of the colonizing / enterprising white man.

I loved the view into not just Shanghai as a setting, but also Chinese & Shanghainese culture that this book provided. The author paints such a vivid picture of every aspect, from the different neighborhoods to the stark cultural divides drawn across sectors of the city.

I'm very happy that there is another book in this duet, since we left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. If you're in the mood for an exciting read with complex turns, a decent amount of violence, a badass set of female lead characters (the male ones aren't bad either), and an incredible setting, this book is for you. show less

While falling along the rim of a Romeo and Juliet retelling, this dive into Shanghai during the 1920's allows for so much more than an intriguing tale.

Juliette has spent the last four years studying in the U.S. and returns to take her place as future heir to the Scarlet Gang, who rules Shanghai and is at constant odds with a Russian gang, White Flowers. While she's no stranger to the ruthlessness involved, she's soon faced with more than the already difficult task of gaining respect. Add an ended but once intense relationship with a potential heir to the White Flower gang, and she's got her hands full. But things aren't done there. She needs to fight to keep her status in a very violent and unforgiving world...and that as a monster has show more crept up into Shanghai and started to kill people with random reason. But monsters aren't Juliette's greatest concern.

The writing in this book is very well done. It is beautifully worded...and sometimes, with a touch of structure which almost reminds that Juliette doesn't have English as her own mother tongue. She's from Shanghai, through and through, but broader and more world-minded thanks to her studies abroad. And she's tough. She knows what being the heir to the gang means, and she has no qualms about taking on this role. So, yes, it's a violent book, and she's not a gentle woman. And yet, she's hard not to like.
Roma, on the other hand, is the softer of the two.

The parallels to the original tale are clear, but there is definitely enough originality to this retelling to keep it more than interesting. Juliette and Roma might have a true-love romance...if the bloodshed, family politics, territory wars, and monsters would allow a sweet romance to occur. But then again, Juliette isn't a sweet romance kind a girl. There's simply too much gore in this book to every qualify as sweet.

The world building is very well done, and this was probably my favorite aspect of the book. It's rich enough to make every scene vivid and draws in enough history to make it feel realistic to the time. I especially appreciated the building up around colonialism...not just for setting purposes, but the author incorporates many of the feelings involved. The mix of various backgrounds and fights to find foothold...or keep foreigners from gaining too much...creates an intriguing historical glimpse alongside the main plot.

It's an interesting read and not just for Romeo and Juliet fans (which....if I'm allowed to admit it...I'm definitely not) Still, I enjoyed this read quite a bit. show less