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superstar_y2k's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
this book is not as complex as it seems to be (or rather has the potential to be)
this book speaks on colonialism, racism and white supremacy, murder, betrayal, politics, and other humanitarian topics but somehow oversimplifies and brushes off those topics to follow a clumsy mystery where our romeo & juliette must work together despite their previous murderous betrayals. see, the thing about shakespeare’s romeo & juliette is that the reader wants to root for them. roma & juliette cai aren’t likable characters that i felt didn’t actually love each other.
i could go on, but honestly there are many other reviews i’ve seen that correspond to the way i feel, so i won’t beat a dead horse
this book speaks on colonialism, racism and white supremacy, murder, betrayal, politics, and other humanitarian topics but somehow oversimplifies and brushes off those topics to follow a clumsy mystery where our romeo & juliette must work together despite their previous murderous betrayals. see, the thing about shakespeare’s romeo & juliette is that the reader wants to root for them. roma & juliette cai aren’t likable characters that i felt didn’t actually love each other.
i could go on, but honestly there are many other reviews i’ve seen that correspond to the way i feel, so i won’t beat a dead horse
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Death, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Blood, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gore, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
thehannahclaire's review
DNF @ 50%
LOVED the premise, wasn’t a fan of the execution outside of the discussion of colonialism and race. I really wanted to feel connected to the characters, but I just wasn’t.
LOVED the premise, wasn’t a fan of the execution outside of the discussion of colonialism and race. I really wanted to feel connected to the characters, but I just wasn’t.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Gun violence, and Racism
Minor: Deadnaming, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Drug use
akane_readsyt's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Gun violence, Gore, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Transphobia, Racism, Police brutality, Child abuse, Dysphoria, and Body shaming
jessiereads98's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall this was really enjoyable. A unique take on Romeo and Juliet, but maybe the best one I’ve read in being both recognizable and tolerable. Chloe Gong successively captures the atmosphere of the setting. There does seem to be the occasional anachronism, but nothing glaring or intolerable. Juliette came off as the badass heroine that YA stories often strive for without seeming flat or cringey. My biggest criticism would be that this is definitely overwritten in parts. There’s many instances where the prose could be simplified and tightened up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Classism, Blood, Colonisation, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Medical content, Racism, and Grief
Minor: Child abuse, Police brutality, Child death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Trafficking, and Xenophobia
dianaschmidty's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Death, Gore, Blood, Colonisation, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, War, Death of parent, and Drug use
readabookortwo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Still hurts me so god damn much but still incredible
The childhood friends to lovers to enemies to reluctant acquaintances to friends to lovers to enemies just wow
The childhood friends to lovers to enemies to reluctant acquaintances to friends to lovers to enemies just wow
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
andatherrin's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, and Child abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Child death, and Alcohol
hiraeth_'s review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really loved the concept of the story and the different characters. Because the story is set in Shanghai in the 1900s and I haven't read many books about that, it took me a while to get used to the setting but in the end i couldn't put the book down. The author's mixing of fantastic and "real" elements felt very natural as well as the balance between mystery, action, political and family related themes and romance.
Personally I would've preferred it if there was a little bit more clarity in the different storylines and mysteries, but I guess that is also the appeal of this book. Still, at times it felt a little bit all over the place. I also wished we knew more about Juliette's and Roma's relationship before she left Shanghai. That would've made their story even more interesting and authentic.
Also, for the ppl who want to read it bc it is marketed as a romeo and julia retelling: there are many elements that are similar, but i would say it is a very loose and vague retelling :).
Personally I would've preferred it if there was a little bit more clarity in the different storylines and mysteries, but I guess that is also the appeal of this book. Still, at times it felt a little bit all over the place. I also wished we knew more about Juliette's and Roma's relationship before she left Shanghai. That would've made their story even more interesting and authentic.
Also, for the ppl who want to read it bc it is marketed as a romeo and julia retelling: there are many elements that are similar, but i would say it is a very loose and vague retelling :).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Sexism, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Colonisation, and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Misogyny
nannahnannah's review
2.0
I’m really not having a good year when it comes to YA. And I was so excited for this one, too! Though I’m not big on Romeo and Juliet, the representation and the setting of this one (1920s Shanghai, rival gangs, a monster on the loose) had me desperate to get my hands on it.
Representation:
- the main character and many secondary characters are Chinese
- two secondary characters are gay/bi men
- a secondary character is a trans woman
- a secondary character has OCD (at least, as someone with OCD, this is how it seemed)
In 1926 Shanghai, two rival gangs with a blood feud control much of the city. The French and the British have what’s left. Communism and nationalist groups are simmering among the chaos, too. To make matters worse, a monster is spreading a contagion wherever it goes. In the middle of all this is Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet gang, and Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers gang.
Former sweethearts who were torn apart by distance and tragedy, Roma and Juliette will have to put the blood feud and their own hatred aside to work together, solve the mystery behind the monster, and figure out how to stop it.
It seems wild to give this only two stars when I loved so much about it, but it was a struggle to finish this one. I DNF’d it several times before pushing up my sleeves and getting back into it.
But I’ll start with what I loved:
Over everything else, I loved and appreciated all the notes about colonialism, the city being torn in every which way and how the characters felt about their home being occupied, etc. I can absolutely tell so much heart and research went into this novel and its setting.
And though I did have problems with the writing style (more on this later), there were little glimpses of really strong writing here and there. If Chloe Gong just took a little more time to edit, her writing could be gorgeous. I think the biggest problem this book has is a lack of good editing -- which is partly the author’s fault, partly the editor’s. I know editors are being underpaid and getting less and less time to edit, so while I’m inclined to give them a little more slack, this book really, really needed more editing.
This all brings me to what I didn’t like:
Unfortunately, there’s a lot. I’ll mention the writing again, more specifically. It takes about twenty words to say what could be described in one or two, and it gets stuck on specific phrases that are repeated over and over throughout the book (I should’ve counted how many times “her heels clacked on the floor” was used).
I also don’t think the omniscient pov did the story any favors -- it made it so the mystery behind the monster was ruined from the very beginning. We as the audience know everything before the characters even start to piece things together, which makes for a frustrating reading experience.
But above all, the characters and their dialogue made me want to put the book down, despite what I loved about it. Though I know Juliette is supposed to be a strong badass, she came across as a spoiled brat throwing tantrums and treating others awfully (“Miss Cai, can I help you with anything?” “Help me like this--” With one hand, Juliette mimed her lips zipping shut. / “How long have you been wiping at that table for?” [... Juliette wipes the table three times and cleans it] “Use your elbows. It’s not that hard.”).
Their dialogue switches from being period-appropriate to being something straight out of the 21st century: “I do not know his name, nor have I seen his face”; “I do not know what it is you speak of” existing alongside “Get out of my face”; “I think this is simply my resting expression”; “Too soon?” “Way too soon”.
I feel horrible to critique so much, but I can’t not mention the showing vs telling, probably my biggest issue with the writing (and editing). We are constantly told what people are thinking, but seldom shown -- and what we’re told doesn’t always match up with the characters’ actions.
The constant telling gets in the way of the storytelling (especially the backstories -- so much backstory … even of minor characters, backstory that doesn't affect the plot or story or characterization in any way. It feels like it’s part of the author’s character sheets, and she just wanted to get it across to us in some way, but it doesn’t work). Because we’re constantly told about how Roma and Juliette used to be lovers, we never actually understand their relationship in the present.
One more mention, and then I’m done, I promise: the ending also ruined any chance of me picking up the sequel. It ended in exactly the same place as it began. Roma and Juliette hate each other again, the second book will have the same plot as the first (people dying from the madness, trying to figure out how to stop it), and the characters have not gone through any major changes. It’s so frustrating.
But I applaud Chloe Gong for being able to get a book published in college. This book is so well researched, has beautiful and meaningful representation, and shows many glimpses of beautiful writing. With some editing, she’s going to go far. I may not pick up the sequel, but I will most likely check out what else she writes.
Representation:
- the main character and many secondary characters are Chinese
- two secondary characters are gay/bi men
- a secondary character is a trans woman
- a secondary character has OCD (at least, as someone with OCD, this is how it seemed)
In 1926 Shanghai, two rival gangs with a blood feud control much of the city. The French and the British have what’s left. Communism and nationalist groups are simmering among the chaos, too. To make matters worse, a monster is spreading a contagion wherever it goes. In the middle of all this is Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet gang, and Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers gang.
Former sweethearts who were torn apart by distance and tragedy, Roma and Juliette will have to put the blood feud and their own hatred aside to work together, solve the mystery behind the monster, and figure out how to stop it.
It seems wild to give this only two stars when I loved so much about it, but it was a struggle to finish this one. I DNF’d it several times before pushing up my sleeves and getting back into it.
But I’ll start with what I loved:
Over everything else, I loved and appreciated all the notes about colonialism, the city being torn in every which way and how the characters felt about their home being occupied, etc. I can absolutely tell so much heart and research went into this novel and its setting.
And though I did have problems with the writing style (more on this later), there were little glimpses of really strong writing here and there. If Chloe Gong just took a little more time to edit, her writing could be gorgeous. I think the biggest problem this book has is a lack of good editing -- which is partly the author’s fault, partly the editor’s. I know editors are being underpaid and getting less and less time to edit, so while I’m inclined to give them a little more slack, this book really, really needed more editing.
This all brings me to what I didn’t like:
Unfortunately, there’s a lot. I’ll mention the writing again, more specifically. It takes about twenty words to say what could be described in one or two, and it gets stuck on specific phrases that are repeated over and over throughout the book (I should’ve counted how many times “her heels clacked on the floor” was used).
I also don’t think the omniscient pov did the story any favors -- it made it so the mystery behind the monster was ruined from the very beginning. We as the audience know everything before the characters even start to piece things together, which makes for a frustrating reading experience.
But above all, the characters and their dialogue made me want to put the book down, despite what I loved about it. Though I know Juliette is supposed to be a strong badass, she came across as a spoiled brat throwing tantrums and treating others awfully (“Miss Cai, can I help you with anything?” “Help me like this--” With one hand, Juliette mimed her lips zipping shut. / “How long have you been wiping at that table for?” [... Juliette wipes the table three times and cleans it] “Use your elbows. It’s not that hard.”).
Their dialogue switches from being period-appropriate to being something straight out of the 21st century: “I do not know his name, nor have I seen his face”; “I do not know what it is you speak of” existing alongside “Get out of my face”; “I think this is simply my resting expression”; “Too soon?” “Way too soon”.
I feel horrible to critique so much, but I can’t not mention the showing vs telling, probably my biggest issue with the writing (and editing). We are constantly told what people are thinking, but seldom shown -- and what we’re told doesn’t always match up with the characters’ actions.
The constant telling gets in the way of the storytelling (especially the backstories -- so much backstory … even of minor characters, backstory that doesn't affect the plot or story or characterization in any way. It feels like it’s part of the author’s character sheets, and she just wanted to get it across to us in some way, but it doesn’t work). Because we’re constantly told about how Roma and Juliette used to be lovers, we never actually understand their relationship in the present.
One more mention, and then I’m done, I promise:
But I applaud Chloe Gong for being able to get a book published in college. This book is so well researched, has beautiful and meaningful representation, and shows many glimpses of beautiful writing. With some editing, she’s going to go far. I may not pick up the sequel, but I will most likely check out what else she writes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Child abuse
also: insect swarming & infestations (very detailed)nehanaomi's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, and Grief