May I just start off by saying that this book has FULL permission to push me into the nearest body of water (but like, preferably not the Huangpu River because I’m not trying to be engulfed by mind-controlling, killer bugs) because it was THAT magnificent.

Juliette also has full permission to punch me in the throat. She is, a phenomenal woman. THE GUMPTION. She cannot be fussed! I would lay my flimsy little life on the line for her!

This Romeo and Juliet retelling is set in Shanghai, 1926. The Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers are involved in a major turf war, while foreigners (Russian, French and English) are trying to swoop in and colonize the shit out of their homeland. Say it with me class, “White. People. Are. The. Worst.” (I’m white and I acknowledge this several times a day OK). Juliette and Roma are the heads of their gangs and have a bit of a shared (romantic) past. But they’re enemies. Diametrically opposed foes. They’re not supposed to be on each other's turf let alone speak to one another. I think we can guess how well that works out, tee hee! When a mysterious, deadly illness starts to spread through Shanghai and whisperings of a monster surface, Julliette and Roma and their merry band of pals are forced to work together to figure out what the actual hell is going on.

There are so many things I loved about this book. First of all, it was feminist as hell. Like I already mentioned, Juliette is not about to take any shit from any man. She is in charge of her life and she’s willing to go to extraordinary lengths to protect her friends, family and people. She is sharp. Again, please punch me in the face. Roma and his closest friends are also amazing? These men, I swear. The banter between them felt genuine and warm. ROMA HIMSELF IS A SOFT BEAN. I love him. I want to protect him, Marshall and Benedikt at all costs. I want to wrap them up in blankets and hold them to my breast. Honestly, every character in this book is coolio beans. I felt invested in every single person’s story. The tension and ~ yearning between Roma and Juliette is just *chefs kiss.*

Second thing I loved, the LGBTQIA+ rep. This is the first book in what I assume will be a trilogy and it gives us a little taste of the relationships that are to come. It didn’t go fully into them in this first one, but it’s coming. We can see it coming. And it is going to be so gay and so glorious. We love to see it.

Third thing. I was SO invested, the whole way through. I’m talking on the edge of my seat, yelling, gasping and squealing. At one point, I may have thrown (okay, lightly tossed) my Ipad and thoroughly alarmed my cats. I cannot believe how this ended. I cannot believe we have to WAIT for more. I don’t want to leave this world. I WANT ANSWERS NOW. Please respect my privacy in this time of healing.

Chloe Gong, I think I love you. Thank you for bringing this magic into our lives. I can’t wait to see what you do next. We’re all waiting with bated breath.

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books and Netgalley for sending this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much to love about this book that I don't know where I want to start!! Honestly did not realize I needed Romeo and Juliet fighting a monster until I read the summary of this book, but I certainly did need it. The book was fun, exciting, fast-paced, and overall just extremely delightful. The language was descriptive and beautiful without being over-bearing. I loved the descriptions of the setting and the feeling of being transported to a time and place I've obviously never been.

The setting was a very fascinating choice to me. I know very little about 1920's Shanghai, but thought that Gong did well to create an environment that readers could embrace. This was helped with lovable and memorable characters, especially main cast members like Roma, Juliette, Kathleen, Marshall, and Benedikt.

Of course, this a debut, which means it is no means perfect. Many of the problems I had the book probably stemmed from the set-up to a sequel, but overall, I felt like at points the book was trying to do a bit too much. There are questions that never get answered and I am disappointed at how Rosalind seems to to drop off the page halfway through the story.

This story is a very solid 4/5 for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves heartbreak, action, drama, and Shakespeare. I am also excited to potentially introduce it to my 9th grade students who may take a liking to this fun and exciting adaptation.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel in exchange of an honest review.

This book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL but it fell rather flat.

1920s Shanghai? Romeo and Juliette? Bring it on! But we didn’t get much of either, sadly. There was nothing about this setting that screamed 1920s. There were a few references to finger waves and flapper dresses but that’s it. None of the glitz and glamor you’d really expect for the time period. I’m assuming Rosalind was a flapper-sequel dancer at the Cai burlesque, but you really don’t know.

There were a few subtle nods to the Shakespeare tragedy to appease me while reading, but it didn’t have a strong Romeo and Juliette flavor. That can be both good and bad, depending on the reader. It really felt more like early America NY gang wars. But there were also Communists.

But what really let me down was the plot. There is this whole supernatural element that was intriguing in the beginning, but then it just dragged on and on. AND ON. I’m pretty sure 100 pages could have been trimmed from this book. It was also never fully explained. Which is so annoying. It maybe that’s because there is a sequel! This also annoys me. Nearly 500 pages and it just ends abruptly. As if someone wrote more but they suddenly decided to cut it off and save the rest for later. But if I’m being honest, I’m curious about how there is going to be enough substance to fuel a 2nd book. Seriously scratching my head. I predict book 2 will be horribly predictable just based on the events in book 1.

The author had beautiful descriptions, I’ll give her that. I was sucked in instantly. It just lost its charm along the way somewhere. Probably in the 5 or so POVs battling for attention in the book....

I doubt I read book two.

1.5 stars.

The good: when Gong is writing about Shanghai, she does a pretty good job. You can tell that she has a lot of love for the city and it's history, and I appreciate that. She's clearly done research to make sure she's honoring that history, and I respect that. She also clearly loves the story of Romeo and Juliet. There are plenty of allusions to the story that showed off the depth of her knowledge. In addition, she has some sections where she captures the atmosphere of fear and tension well.


However, I DNF'd this because overall, the writing is immature and has flaws that a more mature author would instinctively know need significant revisions. These issues made my reading experience a labor, not a pleasure. I know that I am in the minority, at least of early reviewers who feel this way; for the author, this is a good thing and leads me to think that maybe it's more of an issue with my own changing preferences and feelings toward the genre as a whole--but more on that later.

My largest critique is the amount of telling. The author has felt the need to explain *everything*, interrupting otherwise interesting conversations or thoughts with additional backstory or descriptions that heavily rely on metaphors. While the chapters bounce from one dramatic reveal to the next, the book's inner-chapter paces feel very slow due to the amount of exposition dumping. I wasn't the biggest fan of Roma and Juliette's backstory or characterization, and I think it's because what the author gives us that backstory at oddly chosen moments, such as during action sequences, making scenes that would otherwise be tense and a lot of fun, much slower in pace. It also meant that Roma and Juliette stayed as surface level characters for me. I couldn't really get invested in their relationship or struggles, because we're told so much about them, but never shown that through their actions.

There are plenty of other minor problems that dogged this for me and ultimately give up around the 30% mark, but I worry that if the rest of my review is a litany of them, it will undermine the intent that I'm going for.

I've loved YA for years--both as a teenager and throughout my twenties, I read the genre voraciously. But lately I've felt let down by nearly all the YA that I've read. And when so many books in a genre aren't working for me, I have to take a step back and reevaluate: maybe it's not you, it's me, as the saying goes. I think, to my sorrow, that I'm just aging out of YA now that I'm in my thirties. Perhaps Gong's book encapsulates the direction this genre is going and I'm just stuck behind the times, y'know? The fuddy-duddy I never thought I'd grow into. Maybe the genre is trending in a way that doesn't prioritize the characters or worldbuilding in the same ways I do, but instead prefers to prioritize the plot and the set pieces. This is completely understandable: it's a different world and different style of reading that happens today, especially when (seemingly) many YA books are being optioned for film. Who wouldn't prefer to write books that would make amazing movies/TV, instead of the pieces that haven't translated well in the past and make clunker movies? I think that maybe I am just a generation too far gone from the one now writing YA to make it work for my preferences any more

Well, I'll wrap up, now that I've interrupted my own review to monologue. Apologies for that. Anyway, there is an interesting, vibrant story at the heart of this book with an author who is clearly passionate about her ideas. If you don't mind the writing, I think you'll find a lot to like. I can see more than a few of my students appreciating the drama of Romeo and Juliet for a new era, but unfortunately, it wasn't for me.

I received my ebook ARC from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

Much thanks to Netgalley for this eARC! Okay, 1) That cover and title sucked me in immediately. 2) I’m a sucker for a good prologue and this one had me by the throat. 3) Beautiful writing and lush settings, which is a huge plus for me. 4) Adored the representation. Great job and I look forward to the next book!

I loved how this was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but it was a very loose retelling. The ending was completely different. However, I wasn’t expecting it to end with a “to be continued”, so that was a bit disappointing. This book was a lot longer than it needed to be. I found myself lost in some of the narrative and I think it could have been kept a lot shorter. I could have done without the supernatural aspect, and had a simple retelling with the waring gangs. I really enjoyed the two main characters, Roma and Juliette. I thought Juliette was done very well. She was a great character and I loved learning about her. The opium dens and burlesque clubs made for interesting settings and gave a great feel for the city of Shanghai. I was also happy to see representation with a transgender character. While I enjoyed the story, I don’t think I’ll be reading the continuation.

“Empires can fall in mere hours. This one is no different. Here in Shanghai, whoever shoots first has the best chance of surviving.”

These Violent Delights comes out 11/17.

An action packed, heart pounding, break out debut by an author to watch.

Wow, this book came onto my radar recently and I’m so glad it did. This retelling of Romeo and Juliet takes the core of the classic characters and breathes new life into them. Part historical, part retelling, part fantasy, and part pandemic, this novel is full of twists and turns and stands out in a crowded genre. Balancing two compelling plot lines, a mysterious plague and jilted lovers reuniting, can be a challenge, but Gong manages it beautifully.

Brief content warning: aside from the expected violence of a story about gangs, those who have issues with insects may also want to tread lightly as there are scenes where they play a prominent role.

I felt this could have worked well as a stand alone, but with a cliffhanger like that, I am looking forward to the sequel.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an e-arc.

With vivid prose, well-realized setting, and morally grey characters, THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS lives up to its name and will indeed, violently delight you.

Really intriguing premise. I loved that this book just BARELY stuck to the Romeo and Juliet template. The two main characters are indeed star-crossed lovers from waring families, but that's about it. There are subtle references to R+J thrown in here and there to keep the Shakespeare nerds happy, however everyone else will still find their experience enjoyable for its own sake.

First off, let me just say that TVD is in fact quite violent. The supernatural element is pretty creepy (there's some imagery toward the end that made me downright squeamish) and people are dying horribly or being murdered left and right. If you're looking for more of a romance, this is not the book for you. In some respects the monster plot overshadows the relationship-building. However, since it is a retelling of a story often told, that didn't entirely bug me.

I dug both Roma and Juliet. The later in particular defies most expectations for the character. She's strong, hot-headed and not entirely likeable (the take on the "balcony scene" in this book made me actually LOL). I love that we meet these two characters AFTER they've fallen for each other and are now dealing with the emotional impact from mutual betrayal. I felt like their story holds much more gravitas in this story than the play. These do not feel like ignorant children, but battle-scarred warriors. (However, I did wish for just a bit more romance to round out that gravitas.)

Lastly, if you had told high school-me that someday the big love story I'd be shipping in R+J was not in fact Romeo and Juliet, but instead Benvolio and Mercutio, I would have laughed at you. But indeed for me that relationship (between Benedikt and Marshall in this story) is by far the best part of the book. I'm not necessarily excited to pick up Book 2 when it comes out, but if I DID it would only be to see how things play out for those two.

Downsides? This book felt hella long to me. I liked all of it, I just felt like there was a bit too much to get through. (So perhaps ultimately an issue with editing than the writing.)

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wild ride. From the moment you begin the prologue, things take an unexpected turn. While the Cais and the Montagovs are clearly meant to be the center of the story, it's also clear that there are so many other events and characters that hold weight within the story. Not only are we dealing with a long standing family feud, we're dealing with emotional newly formed adults who happen to have engaged in a past secret love affair, the colonization and invasion of Shanghai, and a mysterious monster that is causing havoc and spreading madness along the Huangpu River.

Let me tell you that for majority of this book I was asking myself what in the world is going on? On the surface I obviously understood what was happening, but once we start to dig deep....this was all over the place. I SWEAR I MEAN THAT IN A GOOD WAY. There were so many subplots and elements going on that I can't even decide which one was the best or had me the most involved. The battle of the Communists, the Nationalists, the Foreigners, and the gangsters of Shanghai is something that is always in the forefront. While the Montagovs and Cais are constantly at each other's throats with violent act after violent act, they also have to deal with the fact that both may be losing control of their city. They are fighting on war on multiple fronts, not just with one another. Through this mysterious monster into the mix and well....things begin to boil over.

One thing I loved is the fact that there isn't a full rhyme or reason to why the blood feud is happening. Yes we learn about the recent stressors that have led to the violent escalation of the past few years, but most of the gang members don't even know how this feud started. There is no real explanation. You don't join the gangs because you hate the opposing end. You hate the opposing end because you've joined the gang. It really lent itself to the trickle down effect that I think the gangster lifestyle has. Even the slightly association with the wrong person can get you on a list that leads to you killing or being killed. The Cais and Montagovs are the definition of on sight and we learn that from the very first page of the book.

Character wise, we meet an array of amazing faces, each with their own motivations and stories. We learn early on that Juliette is committed to being as ruthless as possible. There's no room for her to question herself. The reasons behind this aren't immediately understood, but eventually I think it all comes down to two things: Her past with Roma and her role as a female heir in an otherwise traditional family. Juliette has been westernized and so it's easy for others to question whether or not she's truly the best person to take over once her father steps down. Add on top of that that having a woman leader is something that the Cais have never had to face. Yeah that's have you trying to prove yourself. Juliette also has the added element of having a secret affair with Roma which led to devastating consequences in the past. She can't afford to be seen as weak and she'll do anything to prove that family is her first priority.

Roma is an emotionally driven character through and through. Unlike Juliette, he's fought against the notion that he has to be ruthless just because he's a Montagov. The one ruthless act he committed nearly destroyed him and yet he still has a role to play. Early on, I couldn't get a good sense of Roma and I was worried that he would just serve as a catalyst for Juliette's story, but I definitely fell in love with him while reading. It's clear that he's fiercely protective and loyal and I want him protected at all costs okay. I will say that his nonchalant attitude about the blood feud was a bit weird. I couldn't tell if he was just jaded or if he truly believed that this is the hand he was dealt.

Other characters I had strong feelings about:
-Tyler Cai and Rosalind Lang could jump off the dock because they irritated me so much. Tyler at least served as an outright antagonist so he was supposed to irritate me, but Rosalind I didn't understand. Why are you so mad sis??? Please explain.
-Kathleen Lang was amazing. I loved her loyalty and the work she put in to collect intel. I also really appreciated the dynamics of her relationship with Juliette. Her backstory just made me so emotional and I just want all the happiness for her.
-Benedikt Montagov and Marshall Seo must be protected at all costs and I'll fight anyone who disagrees.

Last last 33% of the book really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that I don't think anything can prepare you for. It literally knocked me on my ass. There were a few cliffhangers and items that weren't explained that I hope we get resolved in the follow-up book.

If I had to give a critique of anything it would be that it took awhile for me to get into Roma's character. Like I said, I eventually grew to love him, but for the first 1/3 of the book it felt like he was only there to drive Juliette's character and the plot. I would also say that sometimes things did feel a little chaotic and I had to re-read some moments to understand what was going on. I think it's just because there were so many sub-plots that at times it felt a little overwhelming.

All in all though, this was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed letting one Chloe Gong wreck my life.

This book is full of potential, but it did not work for me so I DNF’d it at 25%. I thought the setting was fascinating, but the writing didn’t bring it to life, and because of my own narrow knowledge of history my brain was unable to fill in the blanks that the writing left. I felt like I was told the setting without it living and breathing on the page. Same with the characters: on paper Juliette and Roma have interesting backgrounds which would make for complex interactions, but their dialogue and actions felt flat and cliché rather than rich and nuanced. I think the concept is great and will be of interest to a lot of readers, but the execution of the story did not work for me.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Shanghai in the 1920s. Two rival gangs shoot each other on sight. A monster is indiscriminately killing the people of Shanghai. The heirs of the rival gangs, Roma and Juliet, work together to stop the monster.

At heart, this is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The author elevates the tale with vivid depictions of Shanghai in the 1920s. The city is brought to life in all its gritty glory. The characters are well depicted and relateable. Entwined are issues about gender, race and culture.

Although this is labeled as Young Adult, as an adult I was drawn in at the very beginning.

My main criticism is that the ending doesn't wrap up the loose ends. Instead the events will be continued in a subsequent book.

I was given a free copy of this book and I am leaving my honest review

This Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1920s China has the feel of a film noir movie. There are gangsters, femme fatales and shady deals all over the place. There is also a monster and a contagious madness causing the death of many. At times, the story is a little convoluted and there are too many characters but the ending makes up for it.

3.5 stars
I have... a lot of thoughts about this book. First of all, I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this as an Advanced Reader Copy for an unbiased review. And I'd like to preface this with: this was my most anticipated debut novel for 2020, so I have been dying to get my hands on this book.

The story is amazing, and the description of Shanghai makes it a character unto itself. Her prose gets a little longwinded, in the same vein as Anne Rice, but if you can muddle through it, you get a horror story wrapped up in political intrigue like a Game of Thrones burrito.

Here's why it only gets 3.5 from me: while I realize the formatting wasn't complete, the head-hopping within chapters felt clumsy and amateurish to me. It drove me nuts. And then when she thoroughly described something that the POV character *didn't* notice, I nearly threw my e-reader across the room.

Exhale. It's a good story, it's been stretched into a series by adding exhaustingly long details of history that the POV characters couldn't know (my particular gripe is Alisa's POV). Then again, it's a debut novel by a young author and I need to keep that in mind.

I will recommend it to fans of Shakespeare (I am thoroughly familiar with the source material) and fans of historical horror. I'm super glad she decided to skip all of the flapper jargon as I just had to DNF The Diviners because it sounded like the author had read a Twentie's Slang dictionary and definitely wanted us all to know. So, thank you, Chloe, from sparing us from that, if Fitzgerald didn't need it, neither do modern books. We get it.

I rounded the stars up to 4 because when you read the first Harry Potter novel, you can see that she's a novice storyteller, so I always cut debut authors some slack. It's fun, it's a little dragging, it felt way too long, but it's definitely worth a read.

PS I love you, Chloe, you're the bee's knees, don't take reviews personally, you are an amazing writer.

4.5/5 stars. - To Be Released in November 2020.
Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

These Violent Delights is a spin on the Romeo and Juliet. The novel takes places in 1920s Shanghai, amidst a time of gangsters, a divided city, and a communist threat. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, former lovers from rival gangs, must face their past and the blood feud between their families as they try to solve the source of the mysterious illness taking over the city.

There was a lot going on in this book and it was a very fun spin on the Shakespeare play. So many references and unique twists were intertwined perfectly with the setting of the 1920s. The description of city life in Shanghai was so vivid you can easily find yourself walking into the burlesque club with Juliette or down the streets with Roma. This novel has well developed characters with a a slow but perfectly paced unfolding of the character's pasts,. It will keep you on the edge of your seat as Roma and Juliette discover the origin of the monster and the plague in the city.

Even though the hype for this book in the community has been pretty intense, I tried to keep myself open-minded, especially because I went into this book basically blind. I only knew that it was set in 1920's Shanghai and there was so much more to this!

In this novel, we are introduced to Juliette Cai, one of the protagonists and the heir to one of two gangster families that run Shanghai in the 1920s. A retelling of Romeo and Juliet, it's natural that we also meet Roma; Juliette's ex from 4 years ago. They didn't exactly part ways in the best of terms and their family rivalry (well, serious blood feud) has never been more tense as members of each clan shoot each other on sight if the other breaches their territory.

Before we even meet Juliette or Roma though, we are hit with the sinister scenes of a great monster showing itself and ending lives in Shanghai. Realising that they both need to work together to try and defeat it, Juliette and Roma team up to solve this mystery of this deadly monster before it takes out their family, clan, or worse, the entire city.

The mystery and the suspense in this book were done spectacularly well. Chloe's writing is so immersive, yet so easy to read. I flew through this book in a short number of reading sessions and it made me crave more. The plot was rock solid and the pacing was done just slow enough to really drag out the suspense without losing your interest. The plot twists were exactly that, plot twists, that could really get a potent reaction from you and kept you on the edge of your seat.

The world-building of the 1920's Shanghai was fresh and so clear in my mind because the descriptions were on point. I absolutely loved this setting, particularly the great Asian & LGBTQ+ representation in this book. Every character we saw, we got to know well and they were written with great depth. The writing not only flowed well from one scene to another, but was consistent up until the end when the hell breaks loose and you're gripped to finish the story.

From a personal point of view, the writing was great but as someone that isn't a fan of Romeo & Juliet, it was hard for me to get into the tension and pent-up feelings Juliette and Roma had for each other. That being said, it added more to the story and I just personally enjoyed the mystery/thriller side of the plot a lot more. I also really like the aspect of politics, which comes into play as the respective gangster families struggle to take over each and their mutual competitors to maintain a monopoly on Shanghai. The political alliances and certain events that happened just enhanced the world-building so much that this didn't feel fictional at a certain point, and I was convinced that Shanghai really did have blood feuded gangster families and communist enemies.

While Juliette and Roma had plenty of character development through their changing relationship, I wasn't really seeing as much from side characters. I could really understand their personalities and knew them as unique characters rather than plot-points, but I wished we could've seen more from them so that they were a little more central to the story. My favourite character was definitely Juliette's cousin Kathleen, who had the most interesting and well-rounded backstory. Her relationship with Juliette was so good and it was amazing to see more women supporting each other no matter what.

What resonated the most to me, similar to Romeo and Juliet's themes are the ideas and themes in this book. It wasn't just about Roma and Juliette, but it included certain aspects that explored the differences in Eastern and Western society, how that shaped Juliette as someone who spent a lot of her time abroad in the West. It also explored the ties you have with family, the power that comes from it, and the importance of loyalty amongst what's right and wrong. There were so many topics you could discuss in greater depth, and I personally wanted to see even more of that.

Overall, this book was pretty darn fantastic for a debut novel, and I'm genuinely excited for the sequel. The ending was certainly...brutal, and while I wished I had gotten a teensy bit more from this book, it was definitely highly enjoyable and I'd highly recommend it!

This was a buddy read with my amazing friend and fellow book blogger Whitney! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review of These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong.

I found out about this book months ago in the #POCDebuts tag on Twitter, a place I recommend for people looking to support new authors, especially authors of color. I was sold on this being a retelling of Romeo & Juliet set against the backdrop of a gangster run Shanghai in 1926 with noir elements and nods to classic Hollywood monster films. That is a tall order but as a fan of all of these things separately, I checked NetGalley every single week with hopes that this one arrived. Imagine my surprise when I was accepted for it!

To put it simply, without key smashing and rambling, I enjoyed the heck out of this book. Romeo & Juliet is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. It’s not the romance or the star-crossed lovers trope that gets me going but the fact that this was a true gangster play of Shakespeare. I don’t think many people grasp how bloody those family wars were back then and the concept of Montagues vs Capulets is just so good—the romance and drama also add to it. These Violent Delights plays more into the violence aspect of it and brings out my favorite elements of the original play.

Juliette Cai is the heir to the Scarlet Gang led by Lord Cai and Roma Montagov, the cast-aside heir to the White Flowers, led by Lord Montagov. Juliette and Roma are exes who ended on bad terms. I’m sure for more romance focused readers, the lack of true romance will frustrate them but I didn’t mind the complicated exes aspect, I thought it was well done. While Juliette becomes a product of her environment, especially with her cousin Tyler Cai nipping at her heels for a slip up, Roma Montagov is more sensitive than he lets on. Through them we meet an array of characters from both houses that I’ll go into detail on in a bit. As the blood feud wages on, Shanghai becomes a battleground for Nationalists, communists, Japanese, and white foreigners from America, Britain, and France. Both gangs are fighting for survival but a literal monster makes it more difficult as it sends out lice-like insects that cause people to rip their throats out.

These Violent Delights is a page turner, I enjoyed almost everything about this book. I could point out the clear references to the play and while some could be cliche, I found myself thinking about this book with excitement for what’s to come. The blood feud between the Cais and Montagovs was believable even though we didn’t get to the root of it. The plot monster element of the plot might seem off the rails to some people but I didn’t mind the slight science fiction element to it. The monster, insects, and madness aren’t organic in the slightest.

I went into this assuming that there will be a series and the book ends on a cliffhanger. This leads me to what I didn’t care for about this book. I have a few questions like:

Who was the spy? The White Flowers mentioned spies within Scarlet ranks and a lot of the information they were getting was from the inner circle. Juliette is believed to be the traitor when Lord Cai mentions it, but it’s clear that it’s not her which makes me wonder who it is.

Where did Walter Dexter go? Once his son Paul was introduced, his character all but faded to the background. Given the ending, his lack of presence at the end was distracting.

What were the rumors Rosalind shared about Juliette? I’m assuming it was that she and Roma were back together but it didn’t seem like fade to black worthy information.

While I’m happy with the trans rep here, I was told there was M/M rep too. I’m assuming that the reputation lies within Benedikt and Marshall’s subtle relationship. My issue with this is that it’s too subtle, even in private moments between the two characters.

My last complaint is that when it went into Romeo & Juliet mode it really went there with some dialogue that felt out of character at times. The names and plot were enough, I didn’t think it had to have the same sort of stage theatrics, monologues, and even direct quotes.

All in all, I had loads of fun with this and I need the next book immediately.

Former lovers who are the scions of their families' gangs team up to fight a supernatural monster in 1920s Shanghai. Using Romeo and Juliet as inspiration, this novel is full of Shakespearean easter eggs for those in the know, and a fine creature-horror read for those who aren't. The author does a nice job weaving together the supernatural, political, and personal strands of the story, and captures the complexity of the time period well. Many of the characters, though, are undeveloped sketches, and I could have done without the cliched ending of "but wait, there's more," especially I don't think a continuation is necessary or even the best route to take with the premise.

**Review will be posted to blog on Nov. 5, 2020**

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Let’s break it down:

My Attention: I was along for the wild ride!

World Building: retelling of Romeo & Juliet, Shanghai, 1926 – turf wars between two gangs and a communist faction coming into play

Writing Style: fast paced

Bringing the Heat: 🔥

Crazy in Love: star-crossed lovers, it’s Romeo & Juliet – it was always going to be complicated

Creativity: I loved everything about how this is a Romeo & Juliet retelling, but with gangs in Shanghai.

Mood: Excited for sequel

Triggers: violence, gore, bugs, death

My Takeaway: “These violent delights have violent ends” – Shakespeare

I Liked:
*
Where do I start? Aesthetics: from the title to the cover…the darkness, the monster…ALL of it. It is perfection and matches the story to a T. Whoever did the cover design…BRAVO.

*All the historical content about Shanghai in the 1920’s with foreign powers trying to take a piece of the city was well done. I learned a lot! We also get Juliette’s perspective of being a Chinese young woman being raised in America and the racism she experienced there.

*Romeo & Juliet always made a good gangster story, two houses that hate each other. The same vibe in the original is alive in this version except for maybe the romance part. Roma and Juliette have a bloody, heartbreaking past – but their lifestyles don’t allow them to dwell on feelings like that. So in that sense it wasn’t as close to the original but I loved it.

*Speaking of romance…there isn’t much of it. The two lovers have basically been torn apart and are given a second chance at love but wow…there is so much keeping Roma and Juliette apart. There is a lot of heartbreak between them, when they do finally acknowledge the past though, it’s further into the story.

*The monster or virus that is infecting Shanghai makes this story darker and brings some gore to it. And I enjoyed it a lot. There is a mystery and the two gangs have to find out where this “virus” is coming from and who are the major players.

*All the characters are great – but Juliette shines like a diamond that can cut glass. And she wouldn’t be afraid to cut anybody! She is hard edges, she is going to rule the Scarlet Gang one day, she can fight, she can kill and she’s smart.

Random Notes:
*This is not a full retelling of Romeo & Juliet because it’s going to be a series, so I really want to know more about Juliette’s cousins Kathleen and Rosalind! It almost felt like the story was going to wrap up like the original and then there is a twist…and made an opening for a sequel!

*Pacing wise – for me it dragged a little in the middle but it picked up speed right after.

Final Thoughts:
This is how I like my Romeo & Juliet – dark and violent! This had action, mystery, a race against the clock to stop a virus killing people (quite violently) in the city of Shanghai. It has politics, gangster drama and so much heart break. It touches on identity, family bonds and betrayal. This is an amazing retelling of a classic and I cannot wait to read the sequel.

While I am not a typical fan of Shakespeare, I enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written with excellent world building. The diversity of the characters was one of my favorite things about this. I LOVE adaptations of classic novels and then when you throw in 1920s Shanghai, I knew I'd love it. I will put this in the hands of many patrons. It was a bit dark but I also think that Romen and Juliet was dark so be selective with who you give this to.