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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I love the characters in this book!!! Kinda threw me off that it was a Romeo and Juliet inspired so I was waiting for tragedy but I liked the sci fi weirdness added to historical setting. Fav relationships: the friendship trio / duo not huge fan of main characters but it’s ok
I’m not even a fan of Romeo & Juliet, but these retellings are getting out of hand!!! Seriously, take me into the world of These Violent Delights, to 1920’s Shanghai where I can befriend rival gangsters and hunt river monsters.
Although I’m tempted to kick off this review with praise, the first half of the book left me with mixed opinions. Roma and Juliette were probably the least interesting characters in my opinion, which—considering they’re the protagonists—made things harder for me to get through. You’d think that Roma being the male heir to a Russian gang and Juliette being the female heir to a Chinese gang would offer culturally vibrant and overall very different perspectives, but that wasn’t always the case. Similar family dilemmas and trauma made their POV’s feel closely related a lot of the time.
Since the start, though, These Violent Delights had a massive saving grace, one that was a consistent high point: Basically every character except Roma and Juliette.
I’m serious. The side characters undug the early grave this book was readying for itself. I love Kathleen, Benedikt and Marshall an unhealthy amount. I’m itching to read the sequel for them (and a certain *cough* dilemma involving two of them).
The amount of LGTBQ representation was lovely. Chloe Gong mentioned that said rep is incredibly important because it reflects the state of our current world, and teens should be able to see themselves in the stories they read (which I loved to hear!!) Kathleen’s experience as a trans woman in the 20’s touched my heart, and watching Marshall and Benedikt’s feelings for eachother subtly unravel was so sweet.
The last 20% of this book was mind blowing. The romance, action scenes, and plot twists that came had me beyond taken aback. (Swooning, gasping, putting the book down, and crying a bit for someone…). I need the sequel, desperately.
“The stars incline us, they do not bind us.”
Although I’m tempted to kick off this review with praise, the first half of the book left me with mixed opinions. Roma and Juliette were probably the least interesting characters in my opinion, which—considering they’re the protagonists—made things harder for me to get through. You’d think that Roma being the male heir to a Russian gang and Juliette being the female heir to a Chinese gang would offer culturally vibrant and overall very different perspectives, but that wasn’t always the case. Similar family dilemmas and trauma made their POV’s feel closely related a lot of the time.
Since the start, though, These Violent Delights had a massive saving grace, one that was a consistent high point: Basically every character except Roma and Juliette.
I’m serious. The side characters undug the early grave this book was readying for itself. I love Kathleen, Benedikt and Marshall an unhealthy amount. I’m itching to read the sequel for them (and a certain *cough* dilemma involving two of them).
The amount of LGTBQ representation was lovely. Chloe Gong mentioned that said rep is incredibly important because it reflects the state of our current world, and teens should be able to see themselves in the stories they read (which I loved to hear!!) Kathleen’s experience as a trans woman in the 20’s touched my heart, and watching Marshall and Benedikt’s feelings for eachother subtly unravel was so sweet.
The last 20% of this book was mind blowing. The romance, action scenes, and plot twists that came had me beyond taken aback. (Swooning, gasping, putting the book down, and crying a bit for someone…). I need the sequel, desperately.
Let me start this by saying Romeo and Juliet is one of my least favorite stories. So when I read this the first time a year ago, I wasn’t excited. However, this book has become a comfort read for me. I’ve read it three times since I discovered it.
I love the twist with Juliette and Roma being heirs to rival gangs in Shanghai. Along with the mystery that gives this book sci-fi/fantasy vibes.
Marshall and Kathleen are also some favorite characters of mine.
Even if you aren’t a fan of Romeo and Juliet but enjoy mystery, enemies to lovers to enemies, tension, and a touch of fantasy, please give this retelling a shot!
Chloe Gong’s writing style is one of my favorite and I just love how she describes Shanghai.
I love the twist with Juliette and Roma being heirs to rival gangs in Shanghai. Along with the mystery that gives this book sci-fi/fantasy vibes.
Marshall and Kathleen are also some favorite characters of mine.
Even if you aren’t a fan of Romeo and Juliet but enjoy mystery, enemies to lovers to enemies, tension, and a touch of fantasy, please give this retelling a shot!
Chloe Gong’s writing style is one of my favorite and I just love how she describes Shanghai.
adventurous
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
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Disappointed. Didn't really connect with any of the characters, nor any of their relationships. I felt the familial relationships to be surface level, and the romance to be very told and not shown. The only thing that really intrigued me was the Shanghai politics surrounding the opium wars. Everything else just kinda fell flat for me.
adventurous
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
2.5
I was happy to see a book lauded online for its rich representations of Asian & queer characters, but the pace of this book did not agree with me. I felt like the writing lingered heavily on exposition and detailed too plainly what readers were supposed to get out of each chapter. The tension of the plot and sense of characters’ locations was also managed rather haphazardly and I’m unlikely to read the sequel, but I’m still glad books like this exist.
It was clear the author has personal & emotionally complicated ties to Shanghai, and that is a love I can understand.
“This is my city…’ Is it though? How many times had she asked herself that question in Manhattan? How many times had she climbed up to her building’s rooftop and gazed out on New York’s skyline, refusing to let herself love it, because living one meant losing another, and losing Shanghai meant losing everything?”
I was happy to see a book lauded online for its rich representations of Asian & queer characters, but the pace of this book did not agree with me. I felt like the writing lingered heavily on exposition and detailed too plainly what readers were supposed to get out of each chapter. The tension of the plot and sense of characters’ locations was also managed rather haphazardly and I’m unlikely to read the sequel, but I’m still glad books like this exist.
It was clear the author has personal & emotionally complicated ties to Shanghai, and that is a love I can understand.
“This is my city…’ Is it though? How many times had she asked herself that question in Manhattan? How many times had she climbed up to her building’s rooftop and gazed out on New York’s skyline, refusing to let herself love it, because living one meant losing another, and losing Shanghai meant losing everything?”