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A review by clara_herondale
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
L'ho finito. Sto soffrendo. Tanto. Ma ne è valsa la pena, come quasi sempre con Romeo e Giulietta.
.
I could have hated this book. Really hated. The idea of a modern days Romeo and Juliet retelling with a gang feud isn't new: 1996 film with Leonardo Di Caprio is exactly like this, but I really hate it so potentially I could have hated this book as well since it has many things in common with the movie. A part of me was excited to read a new Romeo and Juliet retelling after years, but I was also scared to be disappointed again. It turned out I absolutely LOVED it.
The author is really young (I mean she is younger than me!) but I think she did an excellent work with proposing again this Shakespeare tragedy: not only the basis elements such as the starcrossed lovers and the family feud, but also the atmosphere that gets gradually darker, heavy and tragic (in its etymological meaning). She even included side characters (The Nurse, Tybald, Mercutio, Benvolio, Friar Lawrence, Rosaline) that more or less play the same role as in the original play. Also she added many iconic scenes modifying and conforming them to the new plot and set but they are still clearly recognizable. Dulcis in fundo: she added some references to the original text (one example above all: the comparison between Juliette's hair and the black colour of the crows).
You can think that all of these are trivial things, but these details and this attention made me definitely fall in love with the book.
.
I could have hated this book. Really hated. The idea of a modern days Romeo and Juliet retelling with a gang feud isn't new: 1996 film with Leonardo Di Caprio is exactly like this, but I really hate it so potentially I could have hated this book as well since it has many things in common with the movie. A part of me was excited to read a new Romeo and Juliet retelling after years, but I was also scared to be disappointed again. It turned out I absolutely LOVED it.
The author is really young (I mean she is younger than me!) but I think she did an excellent work with proposing again this Shakespeare tragedy: not only the basis elements such as the starcrossed lovers and the family feud, but also the atmosphere that gets gradually darker, heavy and tragic (in its etymological meaning). She even included side characters (The Nurse, Tybald, Mercutio, Benvolio, Friar Lawrence, Rosaline) that more or less play the same role as in the original play. Also she added many iconic scenes modifying and conforming them to the new plot and set but they are still clearly recognizable. Dulcis in fundo: she added some references to the original text (one example above all: the comparison between Juliette's hair and the black colour of the crows).
You can think that all of these are trivial things, but these details and this attention made me definitely fall in love with the book.