The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. This book ruined me for all others. I'm just living in a reading slump now, thinking about Roma and Juliette and the promises book 2 holds. Seriously. I need book 2 right now. These Violent Delights was one of the most talked-about books of 2020, and I'm pleased to say it more than lives up to the hype. There is no novel more deserving of praise, and I'm putting Chloe Gong on my auto-buy list now. Everything was so vivid--I don't want to say lifelike, because the book honestly did feel like art more than anything else. Each sentence was carefully crafted, and Gong is smart about how she uses narrative parallels to draw up the Romeo & Juliet story without making TVD feel derivative. This book sparks of originality (and sparks of romance, but we'll get to that point later). I relished in the lush environment of 1920s Shanghai, replete with warring factions and lit-up nightclubs. Finally, the bulk of this review. *deep breath in* Let's talk about Juliette and Roma!! My knife-wielding, gun-toting, enemy-killing-wait-no-enemy-loving??? children. I AM IN LOVE WITH THEM. 10/10 would stab someone for Juliette, I have such loyalty to her character even after just one book. This is what we like to see! The enemies-to-childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies dynamic is really strong here. Gong does an excellent job of creating stakes for her characters and getting readers to invest in their goals. This is helped by the fact that Roma and Juliette are mortal enemies who have to work together to save their city: they end up on the same side in a believable fashion but Gong doesn't let that stop them from torturing each other emotionally, with things left unsaid. R&J has an important supporting cast, as does TVD. I especially loved Juliette's cousin, Kathleen, and Roma's fellow White Flower, Marshall. Most of the cast is tied to the gangs, so we get a little bit of that enmity elsewhere from our main pair, a nice thematic consistency. If they're not in the sequel I will riot. Honorable mention to Tyler Cai for being possibly the most irritating minor villain I've ever encountered. In the play, Romeo kills Tybalt, so hope springs eternal for my innermost desire. Important mention: TVD is also sort of a mystery? There's a mysterious plague infecting Shanghai, and Roma and Juliette are on the case. I loved the way this was handled. The city became as much a character as any of the people. We get to know the different factions that fight for control over the citizens, and the history of modernization and opposing Western imperialism that reveal Gong's deep commitment to research and realism even in a fantasy book. Her dedication is crystal clear. I loved how Shanghai's culture was woven into the story without bonking readers over the head: I hate when authors of color are forced to turn their stories into textbooks to educate white readers, so grateful that didn't happen here. It honestly makes for a better reading experience. The ENDING. I tell you I have never wanted more to throw a book (except when I read Empire of Storms and actually did throw the book). Just... give me the sequel right now. Give it to me early. Our Violent Ends is going to be the book I long for all year, and then in December I'm absolutely going to stay up the whole night reading it and cry when the series is over. Of course I'll do that, because I can't help but fall in love with these characters and this setting from the very first page. I want to give These Violent Delights alllll of the stars, but I'm limited by availability, so I'll just say: 5/5. Buy this book.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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