I'm going to say this is more like 3.5 stars, because of the massive undertaking of researching 1920s Shanghai, colonialism, and Chinese culture. If world-building was its own category, I'd say 5 stars. That being said, the central inspiration of Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" gets buried under such a massive undertaking.

When I heard and saw monsters in the first chapter, I was thinking dragons or other creatures of Chinese mythology, but then it quickly segued to bugs. And that's all well and good--but then it felt like chapter after chapter with nothing more but more people falling to infection, and no real strides in discovering what exactly the bugs were or where they came from.

And then there was the romance between Roma and Juliette (who is a kickass, compared to Roma). It was such a slow build that at halfway through I still wasn't feeling it. There was hardly any chemistry; all we knew halfway in she considered him responsible for intel that got members of her household killed. Not much else was revealed--other than some young teenage memories--to further build romantic tension.

I'm also going to give this the biggest of caveats in that would contributed to my getting stuck halfway through is that I also tried listening to this as an audiobook (once the book came out), and the narrator was horrible. Her voice was downright somnolent. She nailed Chinese and French pronunciations, but everybody had low, husky voices--the guys were distinguished by even lower, huskier voice. And I couldn't get it out of my head when I tried to go back to reading the book, and picture the characters' voices a little livelier and diverse.

I am so, so sorry not to be heads over heels for this--the premise floored me and I was really looking forward to reading this. Then I just kinda got stuck and couldn't shake it. :(

Thank you Netgalley and Simon And Schuster for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

These Violent Delights is imaginative and so complex. It's a gem in all the YA books I've picked up in a good while solely because of the way each character is so fully fleshed out. The motives and the inner turmoil that Juilette and Roma go through while trying to be what their family needs them to be is so delightfully done.

The way Chloe Gong writes Juilette's love for her people and her alienation from them after being away for a while was personally a favorite aspect of mine because it examined how so many of us love our traditions and wonder if we're letting them go too easily. It's a masterful way to not only write fantasy but make your characters so real that you can see bits and pieces of the modern world in this period fantasy.

The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is that it took me a while to read it, and initially getting into the world was complex for me given that there were so many working parts. The payoff for that, though? Violently delightful. Looking forward to the sequel with bated breath!

This might be the best Romeo and Juliet retelling that I have ever read.
These Violent Delights takes place in 1926 Shanghai. Juliette has just returned after years of being exiled in New York. She is the heir of The Scarlet Gang that her father is the leader of. Its' not long before she comes across Roma Montagov, the heir to the White Flowers, and her first love and betrayal. These two must come together to solve the madness that is plaguing the city they love.
I can't wait for the next book in the series. This was a great historical retelling that manages to embrace certain aspects of the original story without overwhelming the reader. I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys retellings, YA, or historical fiction.

A 1920s Romeo and Juliet retelling set in Shanghai. The Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers are mortal enemies, but their heirs, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov were once so much more. But that was years ago. Years before the blood feud lead to the death of Juliette's beloved nurse and Roma's mother, years before Juliette was send to New York to get away from the violence. Now, a terrible madness is spreading like a plague throughout the city. Scarlets and White Flowers both are dying, and the only way to find answers and put a stop to the deaths is for Juliette and Roma to set aside their anger and work together. Will the history and feelings between them prove too much to ignore... or too much to overcome?

A good retelling that balances the influences from the original story and plenty of Shakespearean references while creating something entirely new and different. In some ways the story seems to explore what might have happened if Romeo and Juliet hadn't died at such a young age but had instead been torn apart by their warring families only to keep on living...and be reunited once again. It's high drama as any story inspired by one of Shakespeare's tragedies should be, and I love it.

This was one of the best debut novels I've ever read. Chloe Gong's writing is gorgeous and intricate, but still feels natural and like a treasure to read.

The actual plot of the novel was a fantastic retelling of Romeo and Juliet-it stayed true to the original story, but it was its own intricately plotted story that completely stands on its own. I loved how the story primarily focused on the mystery of the illness plaguing Shanghai rather than the romance. The politics of the rival gangs and the mysterious origins of the plague kept me hooked the entire time.

I also adored what this book had to say about sexism and gender politics within the gangs, specifically how Juliette has to work so hard to be respected as the heir to her gang, but Roma is consistently wishing to have fewer and fewer responsibilities within his gang. The themes of Western imperialism and the politics of language within Shanghai were also amazing.

And that epilogue! What a punch to the gut, in the best way. I'm so happy I read this, but I'm kicking myself now for reading this so long before the sequel is released! I'm already praying to the Margaret K. McElderry gods to bless me with an arc of the sequel, or else I'm going to go bananas waiting for November!

In summation, everyone go read this book now, please and thank you.

*Thanks so much to the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for my review!*

tw: rape, abuse, racism drug use.

I was full intrigued when I saw the synopsis for this book. 1920's meshed with Russian and asian history all blended with a retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

Although this book starts out slow, the rivalry between these two gangs is action packed and full of detail.

I couldn't believe the author was so young and talented delivered a debut novel like TVD.

Read if you Love:
-slow burn romance
-retelling
-historical fiction
-fantasy
-enemies to lovers
-start to a new series

What I struggled with:
again a slow beginning and a MAJOR cliffhanger. I would recommend this one but also maybe wait till book.2 is in your hands already lol.

These Violent Delights wasn’t for me. I found the drama involving the mysterious madness overtaking the population to be the most interesting part. I wasn’t as invested in the romance and the overall historical setting. I appreciated the nods to Romeo and Juliet, but the story differed much from the Shakespeare classic. I’m sure the right audience and other readers would find more enjoyment reading this book.

These Violent Delights is the kind of classic retelling that I love most-- it takes elements of a successful story formula and reinvigorates them with new depths, twists, and interest. The story doesn't disappoint, and the setting is so vibrant that I want to live in the pages.

“The stars incline us, they do not bind us.”

Summary
Juliette has recently returned to her homeland of Shanghai in 1926 after spending years away in America. She is heir to the Scarlet Gang, one of Shanghai's most prominent gangs. Their only rival is The White Flowers, a Russian run gang, who Juliette's first love and first betrayal, Roma, is set to inherit. Their blood feud is generations deep, but when a monster is set loose upon Shanghai, Juliette and Roma must set the bad blood aside to stop the mayhem.

Review
THIS BOOK WAS SO FANTASTIC I LOVED IT!!!!!

It is very clear from the beginning of this book that Gong has immense talent. Her writing is beautiful and captivating and I immediately felt drawn into the story. I am so impressed that this is her debut (written while she was still in college which is insane!!), and she has a promising future as an author ahead of her. After this first show stopping novel I am looking forward to anything she writes in the future.

One of the strongest elements of this story is definitely the setting. In 1920's Shanghai there is of course the glitz and glam associated with the 20's, but also rampant colonialism and the rise of communism that set forth the intense political backdrop for this story. There is a balance of actual history and gothic horror that allow these ideas to be explored on a larger scale. I, of course, loved all of the gang action. There was gang action galore and the rivalry between these two gangs set the stage for Juliette and Roma's plight. I wasn't expecting how much horror would be wound into the novel. The monster was such a creepy and skin-crawling element to the story that added in a lot of suspense.

I do think it is a bit of a disservice to call this novel a re-telling of Romeo & Juliette as I found it more loosely followed the character structure laid out by Shakespeare, but the plot could stand on its own and mostly went off-script from what happened in the original play. I enjoyed that it was a pretty loose interpretation because it kept things unexpected, but I do think that readers should be aware this isn't an exact retelling going in to the story! There are some fun references to the original Shakespeare play sprinkled in that I found, and I'm sure there are probably even more than I picked up on considering I last read Romeo & Juliette over 10 years ago. 😳

Juliette was a baddie. She was absolutely ruthless and did what she had to do in the world of gangsters. I would absolutely sign up to be in her gang if she was running the show. In comparison, Roma's character did feel a little flat since he is more reserved. I hope we get more characterization of him in the second novel! There was a great supporting cast of characters and I can't wait to see what else we get from Rosalind, Kathleen, Marshall, and Benedikt in the sequel.

This was such a solid book and I enjoyed the fierceness of our leading lady paired with the tarnished glitz of 1920's Shanghai.

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I was recently on The Crusty Bookclub's January Liveshow for These Violent Delights- check it out here!

How do I even begin to describe Chloe Gong and her masterpiece that is These Violent Delights?

Chloe’s debut novel was one that I’ve been highly anticipating since its initial announcement in early 2019. The story’s beautiful prose, atmospheric setting, and heartbreaking romance make it an absolute must-read, and I cannot wait for November 2021 to have my heart broken again by its sequel.

These Violent Delights is a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. On one side, we have Juliette Cai, the heir to the Scarlet Gang who has recently returned to Shanghai from America. On the other, we meet Roma Montagov, heir to the White Flowers.

When an unexpected monster begins to ravage the city, spurring a terrifying madness, Juliette and Roma must put aside their differences to team up and save their people. As they begin to work closer together, secrets from their past begin to unfold, and they find themselves torn between expectations from their families and love.

At the forefront, we explore the rivalry between the two gangs and how it tears apart our two protagonists, but what I love most about Chloe’s writing is how it thoughtfully explores themes of colonialism and identity. Shanghai, at the time, had been occupied by the French, British, and other foreign powers as a result of the Opium Wars.

The Scarlet Gang and White Flowers are faced in a power struggle not only with each other but foreign governments that wish to colonize their land. Juliette also represents an interesting perspective throughout the exchange as someone with a diaspora background, having been raised in both the East and West.

Now, let’s take a second to *appreciate* the romance because it is pure childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers goodness. I am here for the yearning, and my heart is about to combust. I’ll just say that you’ll love every second of it, and the side characters in this book make it all the more entertaining.

I’ve read this book twice: the first time as an ARC and the second via audiobook, and both times, I have been colored impressed and blown away. The audiobook, in particular, was easy to follow and become immersed in. Cindy Kay’s narration was reminiscent of Emily Woo Zeller’s, the mastermind and voice behind The Poppy War and Loveboat, Taipei audiobooks.

You might think I’m a bit biased because I’m friends with Chloe, but in all honesty, her writing speaks for itself. These Violent Delights will no doubt be a transformative and defining piece of literature in Young Adult fantasy, and I could not be more excited for the release of Our Violent Ends and to see more of Chloe’s writing.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving Shanghai helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.
First, this book is terribly over written. Every adjective seems to have been edited by a thesaurus. The romance also falls a bit flat. The most obvious allusions to Romeo and Juliet then become poorly timed, cringey quotes from the play.
That said, the world building and political intrigue are top notch. We get a get great look not only at the warring gangs, but also the other foreign nationals completing for control of Shanghai. This background set up is easily the best part of the book. The undertones of systemic racism and social unrest are much more interesting than the vague monster-thing roaming the streets. In trying to keep the monster's origin secret, that plot line is easy to lose interest in.
It will be interesting to see where these subplots go in the sequel.

This book was a little difficult for me to get into but once it picked up, I really liked it. 1920s Shanghai was an excellent setting and I actually really liked that the book starts years after Roma and Juliette originally fell in love.

when this was announced i was so excited to pick it up because not only was it original and fresh, but it just sounded like my type of book. unfortunately...i have very mixed feelings about it. overall, i think i enjoyed it! i found that as the book progressed i really truly fell in love with some of these characters and i think it got stronger as the plot unfolded. however, i still found that i had a lot of issues with the writing.

what surprised me most about this book is that even though i felt like the writing was a little weak at times, the world building was phenomenal. i think the author really created a lush and diverse world in 1920s Shanghai and i was honestly shocked at how intricate everything was. somehow this world felt more historical than fantastical and i was really impressed that the author managed to create this world while also sticking with a retelling-esque plot.

i think a lot of people might be a little put off by the retelling aspects - some references were glaringly obvious, bordering on cliche - but as someone who picked up this book BECAUSE it was a retelling, and because i'm such a fan of romeo and juliet, i actually enjoyed a majority of the retelling aspects. some things from the original play you need to include because, well, they're classic. the things i most appreciated though were when the author used the original plot or character or line and spun it on its head.

plus i was really surprised at how much i grew to appreciate the characters. i love that we got some trans rep and there was also a queer couple (which isn't technically canon yet i guess but WOOSH the yearning was apparent) - i think those characters especially added depth to the original source material, and i was just really obsessed with how the author handled them.

also i'm just a sucker for roma. but who isn't.

unfortunately...i also had a lot of issues with the writing. i think even though the world was well crafted, sometimes the language and writing style just didn't click with me. i thought the dialogue left a bit to be desired at times, and the actual plot was just...not what i hoped it would be. i do think some of this comes down to personal preference, maybe also that it leans a little towards YA instead of adult, but i found myself oddly underwhelmed for a majority of the book.

however! i am really glad i stuck through it because there were a lot of hidden gems in this story and i think it has a lot of potential for future books.

Some people like to hate on prologues in books, but the prologue of this book hooked me from the first line. It sets the tone of the story quite well and establishes the sense of place with immersive details. You get the impression that the city will be its own character (and it is).

The story never lets you forget that the characters are in in China in the early 20th century. Beyond mere aesthetic anchors, the narrative is contingent upon the geopolitics of its time and place: a Chinese city that is grappling with the encroachment of foreign European powers and a steep class divide. The push and pull between the natives and the foreigners, the Nationalists (Kuomintang) and the Communists, the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, the factory owners and the factory workers suffuse the story with tension.

Situated within this landscape are the two main characters, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, who are constantly negotiating their sense of belonging and loyalty to their families and to their own hearts. Both characters are morally gray and complex, making them compelling leads. They contrast a lot in their relationship with violence: Juliette often shoots first and asks questions later whereas Roma harms when he must but hates it most of the time. For those who found Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet somewhat vapid and lacking in chemistry, this story fills in the blanks and builds something substantial between the two star-crossed lovers. The events of the story take place four years after they first met, and there is a pronounced difference between their relationship as younger teens and their present one as 18-year-olds. Not only have they not seen each other in years, much of their innocence has been burned away by the violence they’ve experienced and inflicted since they met. The weight of these histories fuels the conflicting feelings they have toward each other. They oscillate between love and hate, yearning and guilt, and it’s simply *chef’s kiss*.

While Juliette and Roma dominate the story, the supporting cast is also well-developed. All have their struggles and motivations, and their relationships with one another and with Roma and Juliette enrich the story. My two favorites are Kathleen, who’s Juliette’s cousin and a trans girl, and Marshall, a queer Korean boy in the White Flowers who has an unspoken but obvious Thing going on with Roma’s cousin Benedikt. I might be biased because they’re queer, but they have my entire heart.

These Violent Delights gets very real about several issues, such as colonization, class conflict, and diaspora/immigrant experiences. Identity and power differentials play a central role in the story and shape the characters and their choices. The monster and the contagion give corporeal form to existing anxieties and bring them to the surface. While they facilitate violence, they also enables unprecedented alliances. They are not merely an external boogeyman to defeat, they are what expose the humanity of all the characters.

Reading These Violent Delights is over 400 pages, but it doesn’t drag at all. The suspense kept me turning pages, and the build-up was executed well, culminating in an incredible climax. The story provoked a lot of visceral reactions from me because it doesn’t pull any punches. It’s an immersive sensual and emotional experience. I can’t say much about it, but the ending is guaranteed to have you screaming. R.I.P. to all of us who must wait for the sequel.

I love reading Shakespeare adaptations, but Romeo and Juliet has never been my thing...until now. I was blown away by how the author took that overplayed, over-represented story and gave it new life. I actually think their love story makes so much more sense this way! Giving the characters these backstories and loyalties really clicked it all into play for me in ways I'd never gotten from this classic story before. I loved the intrigue, suspense, and romantic tension in this book. The setting was also something I'd not read before and it made the story again so much richer. I took a bit to really get into it, probably because I was expecting troupes I didn't care for, but then the story really took off and kept me guessing until the end.

This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling of sorts set in a historical Shanghai in the 1920s and I was hoping for more of a creepy monster aspect not a political drama. Although it did have the two rival gangs it seems that Roma and Juliet already had their love story and are now at odds again so that gives the story a bit of angst that I could do without.
The monster part that I was hoping for was in the background and not really even that interesting, the best part for me was the very end and then it landed on a bit of a cliffhanger to make you pick up the next one to see what happens but I probably won't be as I didn't really care enough about the characters or what was happening to find out more.

This saddens me as I really wanted to like this one but I was just really bored through most of it.

Who does not like a good retelling of Romeo and Juliet. This novel would be great to promoted to teachers introducing there English students to Shakespeare. It's fun, witty and more modern. Would definitely promote to a young adult book club or reluctant readers.

These Violent Delights is one of my favourite 2020 books. It’s a fantasy mixed with historical fiction with a lovers to rivals set in 1920s Shanghai. This book was one of my most anticipated books and it makes me so glad that it turned out to be just as amazing.

The Story
The story follows Roma and Juliette, heir to rival gangs in 1920s Shanghai. Roma and Juliette are lovers to rivals and their feelings and their tension was just top-notch. The story was full of high stakes tension, reluctant animosity and top tier yearning with a great cast of supporting actors. Star crossed lovers having to come together to fight a monster terrorising the city? Yes it is just as good as it sounds. It was intriguing and the kind of story which you cannot stop reading once you start. I particularly loved the fusion of the different types of genres mixed with two stunning main characters, it was an absolute treat.

The ending of the book was just so emotional. I remember just sitting for 10 minutes after finishing it trying to process it all. It was intense and heartbreaking and beautiful and sets the tone for the next book so well. I also felt that it set the tone for this book really well and just seemed fitting in a way.

The Characters
Juliette heir to the Scarlet Gang is one of my favourite protagonists ever. She’s fierce and amazing and I loved reading about her. I was always so interested to read more about her because she’s cunning, smart and calculating and her fierceness to protect the people was a treat to read about. Since she also spends a lot of time in the US, her struggle with fitting in and not truly belonging is also explored by the author really well.

Roma is the heir of the White Flowers and he’s a very surprising character. He was not at all who you think he is and was a man with many layers to him. He did not like violence and was very caring and tender and I really loved him. His love is different from Juliette’s and its beautiful and soft and it just complements really well.

I truly enjoyed the side characters in this book. Kathleen and Rosalind were Juliette’s cousins and Benedikt and Marshall were Roma’s right-hand men and they even got a few of their pov chapters which I loved. They had such distinct personalities and they definitely made the book much more better for me. I’m excited to read about them and see where their characters go in the sequel.

The World Building and Writing
The world building was simply stunning. To set Romeo and Juliet in a 1926 Shanghai setting with rival gangs and yearning and romance and terrifying monsters is truly awesome. I loved how well the author has handled it and made it so interesting and in a way which makes you want to know more and more about this world. It was intricate and detailed and I love books like that so it was a treat to read it.

The writing and prose of the book was also so beautiful. It was detailed but also so easy to read. It was descriptive in a way which gives you the feeling of being right there and truly immerses you in the story. I loved that about the book that it did not get heavy at any point and manages to keep you intrigued throughout.

The Themes
One of the main themes explored in this book is about Imperialism and how sometimes your own home doesn’t feel your own because of how foreigners have come in and changed it. Through the characters and their experiences, the author does a good job of emphasizing and talking about this. Another theme which is discussed is family and loyalty. Asian culture places a lot of importance on family and I love how this is woven into the story. The difficulties which come in treading that line between loyalty and love was also done so well.

Representation
There is a Chinese MC, many Chinese side characters, trans character who is Chinese, Korean character.

Overall, These Violent Delights is a book well done with star crossed lovers, rival gangs, monsters terrifying city, themes of imperialism and family set in the backdrop of 1920s Shanghai. I loved this book and I am so excited to read the next book to see how this all comes together but I know its going to be amazing. So if you’re a fan of retellings done well. amazing characters, good writing and stories which will pull you in, you must read These Violent Delights.

Thanks to the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

A very solid read, and I think Chloe Gong's writing is very enjoyable. The world-building is exquisite, the characters well-rounded, and I loved the whole set-up with the rival gangs. Shanghai as a setting is also a nice departure from the non-stop France and Italy in similarly marketed books, and Gong weaving Shanghai's history into her book is remarkable, and poignant.

I knocked off a star from my rating because I was expecting more romance in the story, given the Romeo and Juliet comparisons, and how the book was marketed. I feel we barely got any, and to be honest, I felt a little let down. I'm excited to read the next book anyway, because I'm hoping for a more developed romance, hopefully with a satisfying ending.

These Violent Delights follows the story of Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet Gang, and Roma Maligov, heir of the White Flowers—with both gangs ruling the streets of Shanghai in 1920s. It is mostly written on the point of views of Juliette and Roma, with a few written on some side characters’.

First notable thing and one of those that I really love is the writing. It was atmospheric. I was easily transported to 1920s Shaghai. It was easy to be swept and feel like I was on the main characters’ shoes, especially Juliette’s. Gong’s prose is just… It was like poetry and I could not get enough. And even though the writing is meant to reflect the language used in the period in which the book was set in, for a non-native English speaker, it was not hard for me to understand. As I usually encounter this problem especially in historical fiction.

Juliette Cai easily captured me. I love her so much. Her flaws are apparent right from the beginning. I connected with her in an instant. She is badass. Her fighting skills and strategic thinking amazes me. I just love her. I also liked Roma, though not as fast and I did not connect with him the way I did with Juliette. I still appreciate him. I love how well fleshed out they are. We see both of their sides. We see the different struggles they face, especially as part of their families. It was easy for me to see and feel how they became drawn to each other. Juliette and Roma really make a good team, even if we omit the romantic relationship between them. I love seeing them work together.

I love the characters in general. I love how we got to see the story of some secondary characters. They are all interesting in their own ways. It is apparent how important they all are in the story. And I am looking forward to knowing more about them in the sequel.

One might expect that this story mainly focuses on romance and the story of this star-crossed lovers, while that is true, this is also way more than that. These Violent Delights talks about the city of Shanghai and its people. It talks about monsters and madness. And how humans themselves can go mad and do monstrous things as well.

It touches the topics of politics, colonialism, capitalism, communism, Chinese diaspora’s experience especially in the West, and some other social issues that were relevant at that time and still are until now. I did not expect that these topics will really be explored. I love how the topics it is aiming to tackle were balanced. This is one of my favorite aspects. I love how it does not just show a one-sided story. It helps us see different angles. Particularly, I like how it shows the advantages and disadvantages of capitalism and communism to many different groups in the story and presents complex scenarios that will urge you to think for yourself and assess the situations on your own.

The monster and the epidemic provided another layer to the story. It was the source of another emotion this book made me feel—terror. Reading this talking about an epidemic while we are currently in a pandemic was also an experience. The way these fictional characters reacted to the situation gives quite a realistic portrayal.

These Violent Delights has a lot to offer—from a Romeo & Juliette retelling, to exploration of some political, economic and social issues, to a monster terrorizing a city. As a debut novel, I am quite impressed and so excited to see what more Gong can offer. I really love this book. I am so excited for the sequel and I am going to spend my time to emotionally prepare myself while waiting. I recommend.