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A review by thenovelmaura
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is not your typical Romeo and Juliette retelling, and you'll need a strong stomach to get through Gong's descriptions of blood and gore. It's also deals with complex themes of colonialism, betrayal, assimilation, and loyalty, which made it a great book club pick!
Set in Shanghai in 1926, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are the heirs apparent to two rival gangs, and their families' feud keeps the city streets running red with blood. However, when a contagion sweeps through the city and causes their gangsters to tear out their own throats, Juliette and Roma begrudgingly set aside the feud in order to work together and find a cure.
Like many other reviewers, I loved the Shanghai setting and Gong's writing is beautifully atmospheric. Juliette in particular describes the city in all its corrupt beauty. I also enjoyed the overall concept of the retelling and how the feud had such massive stakes for both heirs. When Juliette and Roma each blame the other gang for the deaths of their friends and family members, you understand why they're so resistant to their feelings for each other. Plus, Juliette is a total badass, so it's pretty much impossible not to root for her! There's also some great trans rep with a prominent side character that I really appreciated.
This book is definitely too long and I had some issues with the rapid-fire ending that I'll put under a spoiler tag, but be warned that there is a major cliffhanger that will leave you pretty unsatisfied unless you have the sequel in hand. I don't have a problem with cliffhangers as a general rule, but this ending completely erased any progress that had been made throughout the book. Juliette and Roma? Hate each other again. Marshall and Benedikt? Benedikt thinks Marshall is dead, so... The plague? Actually worse than before they killed the big baddie. And I think you'll have a better reading experience if you know that this is more historical fantasy than historical fiction (that realization took me out of the story a bit). This didn't meet my admittedly high expectations, but if it's been on your radar you should pick it up!
Set in Shanghai in 1926, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are the heirs apparent to two rival gangs, and their families' feud keeps the city streets running red with blood. However, when a contagion sweeps through the city and causes their gangsters to tear out their own throats, Juliette and Roma begrudgingly set aside the feud in order to work together and find a cure.
Like many other reviewers, I loved the Shanghai setting and Gong's writing is beautifully atmospheric. Juliette in particular describes the city in all its corrupt beauty. I also enjoyed the overall concept of the retelling and how the feud had such massive stakes for both heirs. When Juliette and Roma each blame the other gang for the deaths of their friends and family members, you understand why they're so resistant to their feelings for each other. Plus, Juliette is a total badass, so it's pretty much impossible not to root for her! There's also some great trans rep with a prominent side character that I really appreciated.
This book is definitely too long and I had some issues with the rapid-fire ending that I'll put under a spoiler tag, but be warned that there is a major cliffhanger that will leave you pretty unsatisfied unless you have the sequel in hand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Transphobia and Emotional abuse