I struggled with what to rate this book. If I could give half stars, I would say 3 1/2.

These Violent Delights is set in a culturally rich Shanghai in the 20s. Chloe Gong takes elements from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and creates a completely new story with the familiar characters of house Capulet (Cai) and Montague (Montagov).

I really love the setting. It feels vibrant and full of life. The seedy aspects of the gang’s terf with the burlesque club and fighting rings really sets the mood where the action is taking place. I feel like the overall period piece aspect of the story is a bit off. It doesn’t really feel like the 1920s with the characters attitudes or speech. It feels too modern to me-not because of the excellent LGBTQ representation or the racial diversity, which are awesome to see-but because it just doesn’t seem all that fleshed out. The reader sees Juliet refer to her “ditzy flapper” act several times, hmm but I honestly don’t remember ever seeing a good example of her behaving this way.

The Communist uprising is happening behind the scenes, and is probably the biggest factor anchoring the text in the 20s. I wish that maybe one of the more minor characters, like Kathleen had become a Communist sympathizer-or had more thoroughly infiltrated their ranks-to add a richer layer to her story. Or Rosiland! Honestly, they were hard for me to keep track of who was who at first. They feel fairly flat to me.
Kathleen was fleshed out the best between the two, but there was a lot left to be desired, especially when they had their own POV chapters.

Juliette was probably the most fleshed out character. Roma was often very bland. I think this is due to the reveal on why he launched the attack on the Cai compound. We don’t get this payoff until close to the end of the novel.
Roma’s development up until that point is really boring. What are his motivations for anything, really?
In some ways, I feel like both Roma and Juliet have too similar in structure with the family dynamic. Both are on shaky grounds as heirs, but at least we see Juliette really fighting for her place.
Roma is just ambivalent. Which is fine! I’m okay with the idea of Roma not wanting or caring to be the heir. It isn’t until his sister is infected he has any real drive.

Which brings me to how sad I am that Alisa isn’t really an interesting character at all. We just are expected to care about her because she’s Roma’s sister. She could have had a richer story, or rather this plot line could have been given to Marshall. It would make sense to have Marshall/Mercutio be the tragic trigger point for Roma to finally spring into decisive action.

I also was not a fan of the conclusion. Part of it was I did not realize this was not a stand alone, so I was surprised when it ended rather abruptly with a cliffhanger and a lot of unresolved drama.

This review does seem very critical for a 3.5-4 star rating. I love the idea and essence of the book. I really am rooting for Gong to be successful in this endeavor! It is such a fun and interesting premise for a book! I just think the characters need a bit more work in their depth.

I did not enjoy this book. There was nothing wrong with it, it was brilliantly written, I just don't like Romeo and Juliet retellings. I also do not like that it is an apparent duology. it ended on such a cliffhanger and I cannot see how it can have a happy ending if since it is Romeo and Juliet. I will not be reading the sequel

Wow. Packed full of adventure and intrigue, an absolute delight. The world was beautiful and lush. The characters fierce and flawed. The writing gorgeously crafted. I want more of this story!

This was such a wonderful debut novel! Loved the premise -- Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. Of course, given the original that inspired the book, I wasn't sure if the book would contain insta-love, but the author found a way to retell the story without that element! (Mentioning this as I know many people shy away from stories with insta-love.)

It was fun coming across the references to R&J, and on top of that there was so much richness built into the culture, world-building, and backstory. I enjoyed following the characters along as they uncovered clues to solve the main mystery, and especially had fun with the mild horror scenes throughout. The story is also beautifully diverse. My favorite thing of all, though, was the way being Chinese was written into the story. As a Chinese American woman, it always makes my heart soar seeing little cultural nods in stories, and Chloe Gong incorporated SO many into this book in such smooth ways.

Overall, I think this one lived up to its brilliant premise and would recommend it!

This is a fast-paced Romeo and Juliet YA novel loosely retold as enemy mobsters turned monster hunters in 1920s Shanghai.

Romeo is Roma, a Russian heir to the White Flowers gang while Juliet is Juliette, a Chinese heiress to the Scarlet gang. There are plenty of references to the original play, some tongue in cheek and others are paraphrased quotes.

Other than the references and plays on the original characters’ names (Mercutio is a Korean man named Marshall who is with the Russian gang and Tybalt is Tyler, Juliette’s power hungry cousin), the similarities end there.

This is mostly a mystery rather than a tragic romance (although we get hints of romance and tragedy throughout the book). The people of Shanghai are killing themselves because of a monster. The majority of the novel focuses on the mystery and uncovering the source of this monster while the ticking time bomb of death and destruction lurks.

I loved the worldbuilding. I learned so much about 1920s Shanghai from the foreign influence, the Communist party, the role of organized crime, and how quickly things changed in the city after the International Agreement.

This book is gorier and more gruesome than I had expected, but it is perfect for people who enjoy stories about monsters.

There is some resolution at the end but a major cliffhanger that will lead to a sequel. My only disappointment was knowing that the story didn’t really end because it’s hard for me to keep up with series with all the books I have in my TBR. #bookwormproblems But for people who really enjoyed this book, a sequel is great to revisit the characters and mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am here for Shakespeare retellings, especially when marginalized voices take them, grab them by the throat, and make them their own. I am also here for gangsters; ask anyone who knows me. Or don't, you do you. The synopsis reminds me of what I loved about Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet but in a dark, bloody fantasy meets historical fiction set in a complicated and nuanced 1920s Shanghai. It did not disappoint.

I appreciate the trans and queer characters, but most of all I love Juliette Cai. More ruthless badasses who are badass and speak multiple languages and are, well, badass, please. Without spoiling anything, if that's possible for this classic AF story, I love the twist on the romance, the banter between Juliette and Roma, and their complex back story. It made for a fantastic read.

I was never much of a Shakespeare fan, but a retelling of Romeo and Juliet with rival gangs? How can you pass that up?

Roma and Juliette are heirs to rival gangs (White Flowers and Scarlets respectively) caught up in a blood feud in Shanghai. Although on opposite sides, both gangs have common enemies: a monster killing their people and foreign groups (British, Americans, French, and Russians) attempting to take over their land and cities. There’s too much bad blood between the current heads of the families to work together, but Roma and Juliette are intelligent enough to understand cooperation is required to eliminate these common threats. Each (especially Roma) is also trying to prove to their fathers and gang members they’re worthy heirs.

Although they had a brief relationship four years prior, I honestly wasn’t feeling the connection between these two. I liked Roma and admired the fact he wanted to take the White Flowers in a different direction in the future, and his relationship with his sister is adorable. Juliette is a different case entirely for me. Most of the time she comes across as a petulant child too hot-headed to ever be in a position of authority, and her cousins sense it. She tends to shoot first and think later. My favorite characters are easily Roma’s cousin Benedikt and Marshall (he has some killer lines). They support Roma no matter what and stand by him.

This is an action-packed, bloody, gory tale, which I didn’t mind, but other readers may appreciate trigger warnings. Although I enjoyed many aspects of the plot, some didn’t work as well for me, but that’s just personal preference. On the other hand, the diverse cast thrilled me, and I was actually shipping two male characters over Roma and Juliette and hope to see more of them in the sequel.

At over 400 pages, These Violent Delights is a chunk of a read, but an impressive debut (the author is still in college!) with important and timely overall themes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First of all I love the setting of the book. I never thought I'd read a Romeo and Juliet retelling in 1920s Shanghai, but here we are. I could really tell while reading that Chloe Gong put an amazing amount of love and dedication into describing the city and its inner workings. Normally when I read, I can see the scenes play out in my head, and the sharper the image, the better the writing. In this case, I can still recall scenes in my head as if I was literally there.

Right from the bat I loved the characters, too. I want to protect all of them. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and I never had the sense that one character's chapter was more boring than the other. I liked reading about all of them! Especially Roma, because to me he was the most interesting character. He always seemed like he had secrets upon secrets, and I wanted to know everything. I really enjoyed Juliet's character, too. One of my favorite things about this book is that sometimes you forget it's a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but then you come across a scene that is just incredibly familiar, and you are reminded which story this book is based on. I'm not going to say which scenes those are obviously, but you'll know when you come across them!

One of my other favorite things about this book is the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) criticism of the foreigners in the story. Especially when it comes to language. Even I have had the "wow you're so articulate!" thrown at me. Like yes, I've had an education, thank you. Anyway, these criticisms were valid then and are still valid now, and I liked coming across them in this book.

A four star book for me is a book that I truly enjoyed. So I don't have that many negative points to make. I just thought the beginning was a little slow. In my opinion, it took a little while for the plot to really get going, and I think that made me read the book less fast than I normally would. However, once it started truly picking up the pace, I couldn't put it down!

In all, these Violent Delights is an excellent combination of romance, rivalry, and "whodunnit," and I definitely implore you all to read it before the year ends if you can!

This immersive and engaging book will delight a wide variety of readers. I adored the new twist on a timeless story. The writing is vibrant and will keep the reader turning the page. Highly recommended!

The setting of this novel is part of its selling point for me: 1920's Shanghai. I have heard it described as a Romeo and Juliet scenario. But it is much more. There are rival gangs, yes. And lovers torn apart as well. But the characters' struggle to serve family and themselves, to deal with their shared history, to define who they are, in (for them) the modern world is at the center of the story. The addition of the supernatural element at the heart of the action felt practically intrusive.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this incredible book!

These Violent Delights is one of those rare books that has an amazing premise AND lives up to the promise of that premise. It's a retelling of Romeo and Juliet with 1920s gangsters set in Shanghai, with some fantasy elements thrown in as well in the form of a monster who is causing a deadly sickness in the city. As if that premise wasn't enough, the character development and world-building are fantastic, and I especially appreciated how much thought the author gave to the supporting characters, both in terms of their roles in the original Romeo and Juliet, and how she represented them in These Violent Delights. The book also has several unexpected plot twists that deviate just enough from the original to keep you guessing, but work well within the context of the Romeo and Juliet story. Even if you've never read Romeo and Juliet, or aren't deeply familiar with it, you will find a lot to love in These Violent Delights. It's truly an amazing read, and I definitely recommend it to fans of YA, fans of Shakespeare, and really anyone who loves a good story with great characters!

This book was unfortunately just OK for me. I had a lot of hype surrounding it from friends, which made me so excited to jump in and read!

I love enemies to friends/lovers. Obviously that's a major trope that I die for. And it was done well - there was tension and action and a lot going on throughout the story. I found it difficult to keep up with and hard to relate/connect to. I didn't find myself liking either of the gangs or being partial to one or the other.

The cover art on this is stunning. I have to absolutely give the publisher that! I think I would enjoy this moreso as an audiobook, it's just a feeling. The writing was a bit dense and there was a lot of filler for me, and maybe the action was just something I wasn't in the mood for at the time.

The storyline is a classic and I thought it was interesting enough to finish and not DNF, so that's something!

**Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I dove into These Violet Delights with a frenzied zeal, eager for a monster, some gangsters, and a retelling. Unfortunately These Violent Delights suffered from that unfortunate syndrome of having everything going for it: a gorgeous cover, an intriguing synopsis, some killer blurbs, but it still managed to fall flat. I read up until the 54% mark and ended up skimming to the end (hey, I had to know what was up with the monster!).

The concept of the story is amazing, but the execution fell flat. The narrative had a tendency to lag and go off on tangents. It took me three weeks to hit the 34% mark because there was too much detail and focus on secondary characters. I mean, a whole spiel about one of the characters wanting to paint the perfect circle? It killed the pacing and took away from the whole monster/gangster focus.

I really loved the representation in the book! There was a trans character, and a couple of queer characters. I wasn’t expecting that in a 1920s Shanghai setting, but it was great! Overall, I think with some refocusing and tightening up on the storyline, this one would be a killer book! Unfortunately the lagging pace is what killed it for me.

Savage. That's the only word I can use to describe this book: absolutely savage. A unique retelling and adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, but with a lot more bloodshed, These Violent Delights goes four years beyond the events of Romeo and Juliet. Except it's written in 1920s gangland China. And except that there's a monster. And a lot of insects. And did I say there was a lot of bloodshed?

Roma Montagov is the heir of the White Flowers, refugees from Russia who've found a newfound home in Shanghai. Juliette Cai is the heir of the Scarlet Gang, one of the first and largest gangs in Shanghai despite its constant change in hierarchy. Once upon a time, right as they came of age, they were in love. The silly giddy love of teenagers and they thrived in it. Until, as all teen relationships go and as the play we all know and love has gone, their relationship ends. However, it's much different in that neither of them dies this time around. Instead, we see our main female lead sent to New York City for four years, coming back right at the time where everything in Shanghai is changing.

Just so you know, I'm not kidding when I say this is a savage, bloody, and brutal book. Take everything you know about Juliette being a whiny, overindulged, and spoiled child and destroy it; she is now a dark, neck slicing, gun wielding, never regretting badass of a character. She knows she deserves to be the heir and should be the one that takes over for the Scarlet Gang, but several people, including her own family, don't agree with that. The same goes for our main lead, Roma, who is as much her equal has a main male lead has ever been. He can keep with her, which isn't something we see often. Our disaster murder babes are capable of anything...except maybe the giant water monster and the infectious insects causing people to rip their own throats out. Yes. Exactly. Not only are we slicing throats, people are doing it to themselves!

The historical background in this novel is fantastic! It sets the space and allows the reader to truly immerse themselves in the historical events they know well from the 1920s. Our characters are stuck in the intersection of several major things and each of them are addressed in regards to what our characters are encountering. The language was gorgeous, with description being added that wasn't overwhelming, but just right. I will say there was something missing. I can't place my finger on it, but despite the beautiful language, the kickass characters, and the overall tone of the novel, there was something that made me not as excited to finish it as I wanted to be. It may be that I wasn't in the mood for it. It may be that it was more historical that I expected. It may just be that something was off. I'll leave that up to you as the reader to decide. Regardless, it's a great novel and I know it deserves to be in every library or bookshelf.

This was such an atmospheric and intriguing read. I love how the setting kept me anchored in Shanghai and I never felt like I left. All the main characters are endearing - Juliette, Roma, Benedikt, and Marshall - and I especially enjoyed that they weren't all 16 years old and closer to the age of a college student. The historical parallels combined with the fantastical elements were extremely interesting and well done, especially with the lore surrounding the main antagonist and how it operated within the story. This book definitely has tropes and predictable corners that you could see coming but the pace was easy to follow and the description was very beautiful, especially in relation to the city and the culture. I also really enjoyed the tackling of topics like colonialism, racism, misogyny, colorism, etc. This is definitely a series I am excited to know more about!

Disclaimer: I got this in exchange for a review from NetGalley. So this is a Romeo and Juliet set in 1926 Shangai where there is The Russian White Flowers and the Scarlett Gang. Juliet is the heir of the Scarlett Gang. It's a story of first love and betrayal for these eighteen -year olds. Honestly, this is my favorite retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding this book. Who doesn’t want to experience the 1920’s in a different location than New York. I’m also always ready for a retelling of any Shakespeare play. Although there are definitely positives about this book, I still though I would have liked it a bit more than I did.

The prologue is our first look at the crazy, mysterious things that are to come. This isn’t your average Rome & Juliet retelling, let me tell you! The author does a great job of creating a world and making the retelling unique and her own. The names of some characters are still relatively the same as the original so it is easy to figure out who is who if you have read the original which I liked.

The book also has multiple point-of-views which is always a plus for me. I like to be able to get different perspectives and since this has two different gangs, it helps to fill in gaps.

The characters are diverse but some felt a bit flat in areas. I did like them overall though.

The plot is filled with gangs, communists, and a crazy monster lurking from the river. At times the book is quite violent (hence the name I guess, haha.) I did like how mysterious the plot was but this is where I kind of lost interest. There isn’t ever much to go off of until the end and by then you think everything is done and over with but guess again. I am not sure where book two will go when it comes to the monster but I can partly see where the romance will go. It is Romeo & Juliet after all. Maybe I’ll be wrong with my suspicions.

Overall, it was good but it just didn’t wow me.

“She … hoped. And hope was dangerous. 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 such things with such teeth is it didn’t have ghastly claws of its own?”

In my head, the Romeo and Juliet feud will always be one of gangsters. Whether the idea was implanted in my head by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie or just bloomed from common sense, I will never know. Still, I see no other logical way to explain the shoot-at-sight enmity that brewed between the Montagues and Capulets. Either way, These Violent Delights improves the Shakespeare classic wonderfully; let me count the ways.
First off, the Shanghai setting is just phenomenal. The racial and colonial tensions throughout the plot give it so many new layers. (“The British sip away on their tea and claim they invented it. Think again, fool. The Chinese were brewing tea before you even had a king.”) Not to mention that the vibrancy of Asia is just so rich, especially when compared to dull feudal European towns. I said what I said. Also, the numerous different cultures mingling in the city mean that the characters all speak so many different languages, and that gave me a lot of good vibes.
Aside from that, the monster/madness angle also brings a lot to the plot. It gives Juliette something tangible to run after. The mystery is hooking enough, but not overly complicated. It’s a real threat, but Juliette makes solutions pop out even when everyone around her is giving up.
The most irritating thing about Romeo and Juliet is just how addicted they are to each other, and how stupidly they act because of it. These Violent Delights solves all of that. We are served a story of a girl who must collaborate with her enemy in order to save her city, her family. They’ve already done the star-crossed lovers bit, and it ended terribly. They’ve moved. Juliette has the same thought process as me; she’s determined not to go down that path.
Aside from Juliette and Roma, the side characters are all developed wonderfully. Instead of being used as props for the plot, they are each fleshed out fully and given their own stories. At no point did Marshall, or Benedikt, or Kathleen, or even Alisa feel unimportant. If I had to choose, I’d say any of them were more interesting than either Juliette or Roma. Juliette is more like the narrator; we project ourselves into her shoes. And Roma is just the de facto love interest. She loves him, and we don’t question it. Both of them are insanely relatable though. (“Roma was too exhausted to argue. If all the gangsters in this city were constantly as tired as he was, the blood feud would come to a complete halt within the hour.” “There was a direct correlation between her willingness to be civil and the distance between them. With him several strides away, she wanted to commit homicide a little less.”)
Overall though, These Violent Delights provided a very clever Romeo and Juliet retelling. The plot, setting, and characters all brought something to the table, and it was a great read overall.

Another 5 star read for me. I loved this beautiful, atmospheric, and DARK take on Romeo and Juliet. It definitely lives up to the "Violent" in the title and I am totally here for it. Blending Shakespeare with folklore and fantasy wasn't something I had a lot of faith in, but this blew me away. Excellent, and nothing like anything I've read this year. Highly recommend.

"This heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River."

It's magical. it's delightful, it is written by a powerhouse of a young talented author. PUT THIS ON YOUR TBR!!