Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

28 reviews

tell_them_stories's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Colonisation, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Murder, Body horror, Classism, and Medical content

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Misogyny

Parasitic lice-like insects

anna_333's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

Nothing like I expected, loved it's gritty darkness while maintaining likable characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Body horror, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Physical abuse

litliz's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Self harm, Stalking, Suicide, Body horror, Colonisation, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Bullying, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, and Vomit

victoria_elaine's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I really liked the writing and setting of this book. I also enjoyed how much went into setting up the cultural background, as the world building was executed phenomenally. This is definitely leaning toward the fantasy side, just in a realistic setting.

I wish I didn’t have to wait so long to see Roma and Juliette together since they ended on bad terms rip, but I loved their development.

One thing I will say is this book was pretty long and drawn out in parts, but also I’m just impatient. Overall a good read and pretty different from anything I’ve read before. :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Gore, Death, Murder, Violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent and Grief

scarletthequeen's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Sexism and Racism

creolelitbelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

These Violent Delights is a great re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai, China with Roma & Juliette now at odds against each other after secretly dating four years prior to the events of the novel. Their families head the rival White Flowers and Scarlet Gang, and they can never forget that key piece of their personal identities. I love the subtle (and not-so-subtle) callbacks to the original play through major and minor characters, scenes, and pivotal lines. Those were all written in carefully to tie book into its source material but not pull the reader out of the new historical fiction story. Gong also did a delicately wonderful job weaving Chinese and other world history into the setting and plot by laying the history out whenever relevant to the story or characters but never over-explaining anything. Knowing the history prior to reading this book is not necessary but did add to my experience. The mystery of what causes the madness seeping into the city pushes enemies together for collaboration, and the intense action kept me hooked. Diversity in cast felt authentic to the time period of China's forced spheres of influence from other countries' powers, and the multi-pov storytelling really made certain chapters feel like isolated scenes as in a play. I am excited to read the sequel and the other books in the world of Secret Shanghai soon. The bonus content in the B&N edition was well worth it, too. I loved getting inside Roma's head through his letters from their first romance together, the prequel story of their courtship before is so sweet. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Blood, Classism, Violence, Murder, Death, Gun violence, Gore, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cursing, Terminal illness, Racism, Alcohol, and Grief

Minor: Transphobia, Sexual content, and Drug use

bookycnidaria's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gun violence, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use and Transphobia

hnnhhrsvsk's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

These Violent Delights is a creative twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, set in 1920s Shanghai, a city split between colonial powers and gangs, both local and foreign. Chloe Gong does an excellent job conveying the depths and complexities of this multicultural, crime ridden city without boring the reader with long drawn out descriptions - it truly is seamless storytelling. It was an excellent historical backdrop to pair with the blood feud between the two houses. 

My only issue is, my god, the main character can be infuriating at times. She is extremely obstinate and would rather fight than take a moment to think.  I found myself reeling over some of the decisions she makes because she is just so hot headed sometimes. While infuriating, though, at least it’s refreshing that these characteristics are exemplified in a female character. The other characters are quite lovable. I particularly enjoyed the lighthearted back and forth and complicated friendship between the Mercutio and Benvolio characters.

Overall, a fun read that delightfully mixed one of my favorite plays with an exciting and mysterious plot, interesting characters, and a rich historical setting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Classism

cnaccarato's review

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Gore, Murder, Grief, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Drug use

Minor: Police brutality, Outing, Bullying, Sexual content, and Homophobia

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

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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