A review by dxisymitch
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

adventurous 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

4.5

"They fool themselves. These heirs think themselves kings and queens, sitting on a throne of gold and overlooking a glittering, wealthy empire. They are not. They are criminals - criminals at the top of an empire of thieves and drug lords and pimps, preparing to inherit a broken, terrible, defeated thing that looks upon them in sadness. Shanghai knows. It has always known."

These Violent Delights is a stunning retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The novel echoes the original story through cleverly named characters (Roma instead of Romeo, Tyler instead of Tybalt, Benedikt instead of Benvolio...) and similar themes of love amongst death and tragedy, while paving its own path through the unique complexities of war, colonialism, loyalty, and betrayal. Amidst this is an intriguing supernatural mystery surrounding a monster and a contagious madness that causes the deaths of many across the city.

Chloe Gong's style of prose is beautiful, and wonderfully suited to a story that constantly juxtaposes beauty and violence, love and betrayal. Juliette struggles with the love she has for her gang and her city, and the hideousness that exists within them. In fact, Shanghai is as much of a character as Roma and Juliette, looming over their heads as they grapple to keep it out of the hands of foreigners.

"This is what this city did to lovers. It tossed blame around like a slick coat of blood, mixing and merging with everything else until it had left its stain."

While These Violent Delights does center around Roma and Juliette, I hesitate to identify it as primarily romance. Most of the book depicts them investigating the madness and putting an end to the death it causes. Overall, I give this book a 4.5/5, only because I found the beginning a little slow and difficult to get into. 

"Hope was the most vicious evil of them all, the thing that had managed to thrive in Pandora's box among misery, and disease, and sadness - and what could endure alongside others with such teeth if it didn't have ghastly claws of its own?"
 
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