I liked a lot of things about this book. The concept is great and the setting is really vibrant and functions like a character in the story. I like that the basis is Romeo and Juliet but that doesn't dictate every aspect of the story and things are allowed to change. There is some beautifully evocative writing here, but there needed to be a better editing to catch the frequent, slightly-off uses of vocabulary (the bar was "flocked with" people, the gangsters were ready to shoot at the least "invocation"). I felt like the story dragged a bit in the middle and could have been sped up without losing any important developments. I am curious if the anachronistic mentions of "hair gel" and "product" in Juliette's hair were intentional or just a slip. I would have liked to see some sort of world building that supported the existence f the monster, since it seems to be the only magical thing in an otherwise realistic story. I was really surprised to get to the end and find it left open for a sequel after feeling like everything was about the be wrapped up.

I love Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare reimaginings. And when I saw this beautiful cover boasting one of my favorite lines from Romeo and Juliet as the title, I knew I had to request it.

Set in 1920s Shanghai, These Violent Delights introduces us to Juliette Cai, heir to the Scarlet gang, and Roma Montagovs, heir to the White Flowers. These rival gangs have been involved in a blood feud for as long as anyone can remember, but when a mysterious contagion begins infecting members from both sides, ending in horrible, violent deaths, they must decide if they will work together to solve the mystery of who and what is responsible for the madness, or if they will adhere to the old ways and battle alone.

I really enjoyed this book. Re-tellings of such a classic text can be difficult to do successfully. People feel loyalty to the original and it has to be really spectacular to thrive. Gong does a wonderful job maintaining her originality while remaining respectful to Romeo and Juliet. I loved the central mystery of the monster and the madness. It gave the story a fresh, creepy focus that worked really well. Keeping the central plot solely on Romeo and Juliet's love story wouldn't have provided much since this has been done in many iterations already, and if you're anything like me, you have a soft spot in your heart for Baz Luhrman's cinematic masterpiece.

So I was pleasantly surprised that their love wasn't front and center, but rather another layer to complicate the plot. There's a lot going on: drug wars, Communist revolution, a monster, madness, vicious family feuds, changing demographics adding unrest to Shanghai, and political upset. Because of this, I felt the prose was a little dense at times, several pages of telling/giving backstory or explanation instead of propelling the story forward. For me, I want the action to keep moving, but if you're a fan of historical texts, this might work better for you. I didn't dislike having the added depth, but I would've preferred it to be in conjunction with the conflict rather than added exposition.

What I also really enjoyed about this was Gong's use of the traditional plot to highlight relevant social issues. This isn't just a story about rival gangs and killer monsters, love and morality. It's a story about identity--who we are to our family, our community, to ourselves. How we define who we are by our names and reputations--and oh, do I love a good study on reputation. It's also a story of assimilation and imperialism, how the changing demographics create this juxtaposition of old and new Shanghai. I had to remind myself several times that this was set in the 1920s, because Gong did a wonderful job of making the world feel incredibly present, calling into question the line between respecting cultural traditions and blending toward progress.

Overall, These Violent Delights is a stunning, fun, gripping debut which pays homage to a classic while embracing a striking new voice. If you're a fan of Shakespeare, international narratives, or stories that add a giant monster when you least expect it, you're going to want to add this one to your TBR.

Big thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

While I'm not typically a fan of Romeo & Juliet reboots, I am a sucker for novels set in 1920s Shanghai (pre-invasion and pre-Civil War). Gong gives us the sights, sounds and smells of Shanghai--from the glitz and glitter of the Cais' dance halls to the savoury smells of street food vendors to the near-intolerable stench of the slums.

I also appreciated her inclusion of other types of people. Juliette Cai is Chinese while Roma Montagov is Russian--from one of the many families that fled the Bolsheviks and settled in Shanghai. Both are the heirs apparent to the city's largest (and rival) crime families. But the traditional Romeo & Juliet story happened four years before the events of this novel. When the novel starts, Juliette is a cold, calculating flapper girl recently returned from four years in New York, where her family sent her after discovering her romance with Roma--and his betrayal.

I also appreciated that not every one of Gong's characters is cisgender or heterosexual. The characters' sexual orientation or gender identity isn't the focal point, or even a subplot of the main story, which centers on the plague that is causing people to rip their own throats out--and the Romeo & Juliet protagonists to (temporarily) set aside their feud to find out who (or what) is killing the people of Shanghai while keeping their collaboration secret from their families--rival gangs controlling different parts of the city.

I got an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review. It's an amazing first novel by a new voice. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

I love the unique world building of this novel. The diversity of genders, sexual orientation, and culture is brilliant and wonderful and exactly what I love reading. I really hope this novel is the next big thing.

As someone who didn't care too much about Romeo & Juliet, These Violent Delights was actually perfect because it took the story and elevated it to such a standard that I couldn't help but love it. The setting was amazing, the characters were interesting and I found myself needing more at the turn of every page.

This book was received as an ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing - Margaret K. McElderry Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book as I read along sound very familiar, then I had an aha moment oh yes another Romeo and Juliet adaptation. As I started to pick up, I loved the twist Chloe Gong applied to the story. Set in Shanghai two families at war, love and betrayal captivate the drama, and yes making the choice to work together and set aside differences and put an end to this war once and for all. At first this book was difficult to understand and follow but midway through is where all the magic happened throughout until the end.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

A unique take on the star-crossed lovers genre, Gong has created an engaging world that I quickly found myself lost in. A great pick for anyone looking for a dark YA fantasy.

“And you love him enough to have him hate you.”

Mind. Blown.

I don't know how exactly to put into words what I'm feeling right now- I'm feeling quite A LOT- but know this: I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK I DON'T KNOW HOW I'LL EVER RECOVER.

These Violent Delights is aptly titled if I do say so myself. It's the perfect blend of violence and delightful writing. The beautiful, addictive prose! The magnificent cover! The brilliance! The 1920s depiction of Shanghai that is both brutal and yet enchanting! All. The. Feels. THE FEELS. I don't know how Chloe Gong did it but I. Want. More. I NEED MORE.

All the things this beautiful, terrifying, brilliant book put me through. I can't.

I'm gonna be honest, this review is going nowhere. I suck at writing reviews for books I love. Wait, scratch that. I suck at writing reviews for books I'm OBSESSED with. And These Violent Delights is an obsession. What am I to do with my life now?!

I love Juliette for being unapologetically herself. She's so badass I want to be her bestfriend. Roma is just breaking and melding my heart with his Roma-ness. I'm in love with his Roma-ness. Marshall and Benedikt were perfect. PERFECT. I want more Kathleen. Tyler can just keel over and die.

Chloe Gong created a world filled to the brim with violence, excitement, intrigue and FEELS. All the feels I don't know what to do with.

I am in desperate need of book two.

I received an e-arc to read and review.

Loved the writing in this! It had some very interesting aspects but I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to. I couldn't connect with the main character at all or the love interest. Maybe I was just in a weird mood.

These Violent Delights defies expectations and words. Set in 1926 Shanghai, Chloe Gong's debut is a blood soaked setting full of feuds, betrayal, and Imperialism. I have never loved Romeo & Juliet, but These Violent Delights is now cannon. Featuring emotion fueled scenes of yearning, tension that cuts with dagger edges, and walking that fine balance between betrayal tinged nostalgia, These Violent Delights is a stunning debut. Gong integrates elements from the original, transforming them into angst heavy scenes leaving readers in pieces.

From the beginning, These Violent Delights is captivating. The writing is expressive and gorgeous, weaving you in a web of detailed world building, hidden moments, and layered complexity. While you don't have to have read Romeo & Juliet beforehand, if you do you will be rewarding with an experience where you are constantly shrieking at Gong's masterful re-interpretations. But where These Violent Delights burrowed its way into my heart was the characters.

Juliette is no doubts about it, a major badass. With looks that could wither crops, hidden weapons that you'll never find, and a smile that conceals her true motivations, Juliette is dangerous. She has steel in her bones and fire in her veins. But what I love about her, is that there's also a vulnerability to her, a knowledge that weakness gets you killed. That opening our hearts ends in bloodshed. That dreams cost blood and no one escapes unscathed.

If the title of this book wasn't clear enough, <i>These Violent Delights</i> is a <i>Romeo & Juliet</i> retelling. This one is set in Shanghai in 1926 and stars Juliette and Roma, each heirs to a gang that rules part of the city and is embroiled in a fierce blood war. Juliette and Roma are 19 when the book begins, and they have their own personal history as well. Add in some communists and a monster/plague that is wreaking havoc on the city - is it supernatural? or science? - and you have a city and a story that is just about ready to explode.

This book does exactly what I want in a retelling. It has created a unique and engaging - and even surprising - tale that doesn't just add in characters and situations to check off plot points from the original story. Right away you find out that Juliette and Roma met four years ago, and they have an intense and painful history together (more details about that are revealed slowly through the story). Juliette has just returned to the city after having been sent away after those incidents, giving this a second-chance romance vibe on top of the blood enemies one (it's a potent combination). Enemies romances are my favorite already, but the history between Juliette and Roma adds another devastating layer of feeling to the whole situation, that the original tale never managed.

Besides the romance, this story has some great side characters, some characters that are just plain awful or annoying (I'm looking at you Paul/Paris). And a fascinating (and timely) plot about a sickness that is creeping through the city and killing people in the most horrifying manner. As the respective heirs of their gangs and feeling deep responsibility to their city and people, Juliette and Roma (reluctantly) team up to try to solve what is going on in their city, which just brings out a whole host of other secrets and issues.

It's impossible to tell who will be taken out next, or if it will be by a gun or the monster. I was completely glued to this entire tale and the wild ending had me screaming! I am desperate for the sequel.

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Medium

*I will review this on my blog closers to the review date, and If I mange to get a physical copy of the book, I will take a photo of it for instagram.

So here’s the thing -- I love Romeo and Juliet. Like, I really love Romeo and Juliet. Having done a degree in English Literature, I’ve read a fair amount of Shakespeare, and I will stand by Romeo and Juliet as my favourite of his tragedies, if not his plays overall. I know that it’s considered too “mainstream” by a lot of more academic folks, and that the internet is full of hot takes about how it’s actually a stupid story about stupid teenagers doing stupid things, and I’m the type of person who gets irrationally overprotective in response, ready to trot out a whole “in defense of” presentation at a moment’s notice. Zeffirelli and Luhrmann’s film adaptations, West Side Story, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, High School Musical -- I’ve seen all the adaptations. My point is, I love this play. And what’s immediately clear, reading These Violent Delights is that Chloe Gong loves it too.

Before I start singing her praises, I should establish that if you are someone who does not like the original play [I will not make any remarks about taste here because all opinions are valid blah blah blah] you will still be able to enjoy These Violent Delights. It’s inventive, original, and stands up formidably well on its own. But if you, like me, like Chloe Gong, love the original play, you’ll appreciate this novel’s love for its source material on another level. One of the most striking things Gong manages to do is capture the very particular pacing of the original play, which is no small feat given she’s extrapolating a single five-act play into a two-novel series. Most people are aware of the incredibly tight time frame of the original play, where all the action plays out over a matter of days. But an equally important part is the atmosphere of summer, the heat and languorousness simmering with tension that explodes in the play’s second half. Gong’s novel is fast-paced and action packed, but feels character driven and intensely drawn-out at the same time. Part of this is the fact that in These Violent Delights, Roma and Juliette have already met, fallen in love, and then fallen out for reasons unknown to us. The innocence and newness of first love that Shakespeare depicts has already happened and been shattered, and when we meet the characters, their edges have sharpened and their hearts have hardened. There’s a parallel narrative that unfolds, between Roma and Juliette’s first meetings and them in the present, and it perfectly encapsulates the balance between sweet romance and intense danger and betrayal that the play thrives on.

Roma and Juliette themselves are excellent leads; I fell in love with them each straight away. It’s worth noting I adored both original characters in the play as well and genuinely feel as though the pair of them are unfairly maligned. Gong adapts them wonderfully, however. We get to know both of them intimately as individuals -- calculating, determined, knife-wielding Juliette, and gentle-spirited, conflicted, guilt-burdened Roma -- and also develop a profound understanding of how their relationship affects and shapes the pair of them. Gong takes the blood feud from the play and elevates the conflict to an even more intense level; it’s not just Roma and Juliette’s circumstances and families keeping each other apart, but the weight and impact of their own decisions and pasts.
The love story is probably the single most important facet of the play, and I cannot stress enough how obsessed I am with Chloe Gong’s adaptation of it. I don’t know how she made this even more painful and angsty than the most famous tragic love story of all time, I don’t know how she managed to capture the spirit of the original while crafting an agonising, addictive slow-burn, but she did. Roma and Juliette had me open-mouthed and clutching at my chest like and old woman at her pearls more times than I can count. It took me way longer to get through this book than it would have because I had to reread Certain Scenes three, four, five times back-to-back because they were just so…*clenches fist* AH! She completely gets the spirit of the original couple, which is that they bring out new depths in each other, enable new sides to their characters -- they make each other better, more hopeful people.

I have to also call out the cast of supporting characters. All of them are dynamic and fascinating, but Benedikt and Marshall are stand out favourites of mine. I can’t say much about them without dropping some spoilers but once again, Gong takes a crucial but small element of the original play and nurtures it into a multi-faceted and fully realised winning aspect of her own novel.

Perhaps the most innovative aspect of These Violent Delights however is the setting. The backdrop of Shanghai in the 1920s is vivid and enthralling, brought entrancingly to life by Gong. It’s fully-fleshed out enough that it acts as another character in the play. The dynamic of all the different ethnic groups clashing in one city along with the political upheaval is fascinating, and makes the idea of gang warfare and blood feuds feel instantly more immediate and pressing. The introduction of an element of fantasy feels seamlessly, naturally integrated into the world of the book without overshadowing the real-world political and personal conflicts at work. They all tessellate, working together to create a constant tension and fast-paced, quickly unfolding conflict throughout.

And finally, I have to talk about the ending. No spoilers, but if there was anything that pushed this book firmly into 5-star territory, it was the last two chapters of the book. It was unpredictable while making perfect sense, it made me audibly gasp and sent my mind immediately start racing to come up with theories for Book 2. And it was an unimaginably inventive and audacious adaptation of one of the original play’s most famous plot devices; you feel truly as surprised as original audiences must have felt by Shakespeare’s original play.

That is ultimately the best part about this book. If there’s something I love more than Romeo and Juliet, it’s retellings -- fairytales, classic novels, historical events… I’ve read retellings of them all. And Chloe Gong does expertly what all the best retellings do. She doesn’t simply transpose her source material into a new setting, she engages with the spirit of the original and in doing so crafts a story that is entirely and beautifully her own. She elicits the same response in her audience that Shakespeare would have elicited in his by taking the heart of his story and making it entirely her own, and I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

Much like everyone else I follow, I’ve been so hyped for this book for so long. When I received the eARC (thank you, Simon Teen, you’ve made my year!), you know I had to drop everything to read it, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished it! These Violent Delights retells the story of Romeo and Juliet against the backdrop of 1926 Shanghai.

Juliette Cai has just returned to Shanghai after four years abroad. She’s adapting to how the city has changed in her time away and reinforcing her role as the heir to the Scarlet Gang while also avoiding Roma Montagov, the heir to the White Flowers. There’s bad blood between them, not just because they’re heirs to rival gangs, but also because Roma’s the reason she had to leave all those years ago. Meanwhile, a monster in Shanghai awakens and a mysterious madness sweeps across the city…

I honestly don’t even know where to start in reviewing this book. I genuinely loved every bit and piece: the characters, the prose, the worldbuilding. All of it was so stunning and for this to be Chloe Gong’s debut? Astounding. I can’t wait to read anything else she writes.

The prose instantly enthralled me; it set a lilting tone to the book, a deadly lullaby that pulls you in until you can’t pull yourself away. I’d say I couldn’t put this book down, but that would be a lie. I had to keep putting it down so that I could stare into space because the intense yearning was making me scream.

I absolutely loved the characters! Juliette is out for blood and will do whatever it takes to keep her reputation up. After being away for so long, she fears that her own people see her as too Westernized, something I think a lot of diasporic Asians can relate to. Instead of giving in, Juliette leans into her American dress and hair and English while maintaining that she hasn’t lost her edge. Meanwhile, Roma is struggling to keep his father’s respect even though he doesn’t really want to be heir to the blood and violence that come with the White Flowers. However, he knows that being on top is better and safer than being anywhere else, so he stays.

Naturally, there were other characters who play major roles, such as Juliette’s cousins, Kathleen, Rosalind, and Tyler; Roma’s cousin, Benedikt; and their friend, Marshall. I loved having these characters’ points of view as well. They helped flesh out the plot in addition to giving us more perspectives of the world. Also, I would do anything for all of these characters (except Tyler, he sucks).

Also! There’s such wonderful representation in this story. Of course, Juliette and the rest of the Scarlet Gang are Chinese, as is the author. The White Flowers are primarily Russian although Marshall is Korean. Kathleen is trans and is fully accepted by her sister and her cousin; Benedikt is gay.

I felt fully immersed in 1926 Shanghai. Gong does a brilliant job of setting the scene without info-dumping about the history or the gangs’ hierarchy. Also, the atmosphere felt dark and gritty yet bright and lively, much like Shanghai itself. Communism and colonialism definitely plays a part in this book and I found it very well handled. They’re working on keeping foreigners away, namely the British and the French, and they’re trying to maintain the impact of the gangs. You really feel both Juliette’s and Roma’s devotion to their city; it’s more than where they live, it’s their home, and they’ll defend it till their last breath.

The plot was also enticing. Juliette and Roma, along with their cousins and friends, have to secretly work together to discover the underlying causes of an illness that’s sweeping the city. This story took so many twists and turns that I never knew what would happen next.

Okay, now onto the part that made me scream almost every other page: the romance! Of course, this is a Romeo and Juliet retelling so we have the star-crossed lovers trope. Add in the fact that Roma and Juliette are exes and this story becomes more “enemies to lovers to jilted exes who are even bigger enemies now to lovers” and yeah I could go on. They were together four years ago until one of them betrayed the other, and in the aftermath, Juliette was sent away and Roma fell from his position as his father’s favorite. This added a whole new layer on their dynamic because not only do they have to hate each other because their families are rivals but now they actively hate each other because of this betrayal.

Now Juliette and Roma are meeting again, but there’s still that tension lingering between them, particularly the knowledge that they’ve hurt each other before and can easily do so again. They’re dancing around each other in a knife fight, each waiting for the other to strike first. You could feel the yearning wafting from the pages, and frankly, I was not okay! This dynamic, as well as the “you’re the only one who knows what it feels like to be in my position” part, always gets me, so I couldn’t help but fall in love with the two of them.

I’ll be honest and say that I hesitate to compare a book by an author of color to ones written by white authors, but I feel like it will make an easier comparison and will reach a wider audience if I do so, so just know that I don’t make these comps lightly. If you liked the adrenaline of Six of Crows, particularly the “this is my city and only I get to say what happens to it” mindset, you’ll love These Violent Delights. Also, if you like the kind of tension from Jude and Cardan from The Cruel Prince, you’ll definitely love Juliette and Roma. However, please know that this book is ownvoices for the Chinese representation and deserves to be recognized as such.

A brilliant debut from Gong, These Violent Delights is one of the best books of the year. It tells the story of Romeo and Juliet, this time in 1926 Shanghai amidst gang rivalries and a mysterious illness. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the prose, the romance. In short, it was simply a masterpiece. Much like the play that inspired it, These Violent Delights is a gorgeous read that will stay with you for ages to come. Please add this book to your to-be-read lists and preorder it today!

*Spoiler free*

I have a confession to make. I don't think I've read Romeo & Juliet all the way through. I'm not sure if I've ever even seen a movie adaptation. I know the basics, but I'm pretty sure that's it. (Don't tell Chloe, I'm sure she would find me.) So, of course I wanted to read this Romeo & Juliet retelling! I knew it was set in Shanghai and I knew there would be knives and gangs. That was basically all I needed to be ready to jump into this book head first. Trigger warnings: blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse

This is the kind of book where I sort of just want to open my mouth and let the words expressing my love tumble out with abandon. But I also kind of want to organize them, try to put them in a order that does this book justice, because yes, I loved this book a whole lot. So, this will probably be a lot of me just word vomiting, but also trying to configure sentences that can express how good this book is.

Alright, I guess I'm starting off with characters and I guess we're starting off with screaming. I LOVED EVERY SINGLE ONE SO MUCH. I loved Marshall, I love Juliette, I love Roma, I loved Benedikt, I loved Kathleen, I loved Alisa, I loved Rosalind, I loved them all so much. Each of them had so much to love about them. Juliette was fire hardened to rock, a spark away from pulling a knife on anybody. Roma was full of pain, but has such a sweet and caring heart. Benedikt was quiet and reserved, with his own problems carefully tucked away. Marshall was hilarious and basically a giant dork. Alisa doesn't have a super huge role, but I still loved the stealthy little 12 year old. Kathleen is awesome. And she's TRANS. She's trans and she's there and she's just being awesome. It was so wonderful to see. Rosalind is bitter (I think there's still so much to her character that hasn't been revealed yet), but she also has this strong loyalty to her.

And these characters have some of the best relationships. Roma and Juliette have history and their history is rough. They hate each other, but they also yearn for each other. And they hate that they yearn for each other. And since Gong is spectacular at writing pain, their relationship was one of flint seconds away from being struck. Benedikt and Marshall are also two dorks who are amazing at being dorks together. Seriously, I completely fell for them. There's also amazing friendships and familial relationships and complicated relationships across gang lines. Not only were the characters amazing, they way they interacted made every single one of them so much better.

Going into this, I wasn't expecting a mystery. I'm not sure why. But, I feel like it worked my favor. I was so distracted by the characters and gang conflicts and the dangerous beauty of Shanghai, that when things were revealed I could only grasp my hair with stress. All this to say, this book so many interweaving plots from rival gangs trying to one up each other, to madness that makes people rip out their own throats, to monsters lurking in the river. And each and every single one got the time and attention it needed to make it feel fleshed out and developed. Not a single one felt like it was left hanging or more could have been done to it. It truly was masterfully done.

Also, the writing was spectacular. It was bright and flowy and just made everything come alive that made everything in the book seem like it belonged exactly where it was. It gave the book the feel of knives flung into walls and seeping redness. Plus, there were some truly magnificent lines throughout.

This is random but I'm inserting it here anyway. THE COVER HAS SO MUCH MORE MEANING AFTER READING IT AHHH.

I truly loved everything about this books. I loved the moments filled with sharp knives and tilted chins, the sweeping writing that left me breathless, and the plots that shocked me to jaw drops and stressed hair grasping, the two gangs at each other throats, two dorks dancing around their feelings, two other dorks dancing around their feelings but with more pain, monsters lurking in surprising depths, madness rushing through streets, and so many insects. Truly, I loved this book.