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A review by luckykosmos
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(Updated after some time, where my impression of the prose deteriorated)
In terms of a Romeo & Juliet reinterpretation, of the use of the setting and reimagining of the characters, I LOVED this. I adore Juliette as a character, and in particular the discussions of sexism and colonialism from her perspective, the things that molded her to the person she is. And I loved all of the fake-outs - the books opens with a clear parallel to the opening of the play, but after that, Gong is liberal with twists, leading the reader to believe one thing may happen while another does instead.
Two things detracted for me. One, the dialogue felt clunky and unwieldy - I respect Gong's aiming for period-accurate speech, but at times it felt at odds with her otherwise lovely prose. And two, (Indiana Jones voice) why did it have to be bugs? Understanding that there is a sequel coming, I'm hoping there's an explanation for that particular angle of the plot. It wasn't world-ending at all, but distracting, just because it could have very easily been Not My Cup of Tea.
In terms of a Romeo & Juliet reinterpretation, of the use of the setting and reimagining of the characters, I LOVED this. I adore Juliette as a character, and in particular the discussions of sexism and colonialism from her perspective, the things that molded her to the person she is. And I loved all of the fake-outs - the books opens with a clear parallel to the opening of the play, but after that, Gong is liberal with twists, leading the reader to believe one thing may happen while another does instead.
Two things detracted for me. One, the dialogue felt clunky and unwieldy - I respect Gong's aiming for period-accurate speech, but at times it felt at odds with her otherwise lovely prose. And two, (Indiana Jones voice) why did it have to be bugs? Understanding that there is a sequel coming, I'm hoping there's an explanation for that particular angle of the plot. It wasn't world-ending at all, but distracting, just because it could have very easily been Not My Cup of Tea.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Drug use, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Content warnings for parasites and plagues.