"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 things with such teeth if it didn't have ghastly claws of its own?"

4.5*

When I first heard about this book, I was immediately drawn in. A Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1926 Shanghai, where rival gangs the White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang are involved in an age-old blood feud, and oh yeah there's also a monster somehow causing people to rip their own throats out?? SIGN. ME. UP.

I was not let down. The book takes a story we're all familiar with, and tells it in such a new and creative way. Retellings are sometimes a little iffy and a bit hit or miss, but this one absolutely hits for sure. The setting and location was perfect, and offered something I'd never read before. The political background and subplot was super interesting and well done, bringing forward the conversation of colonialism. The characters are SO good, and Juliette is the most badass main character I could have wished for, I want to be her when I grow up. The rivalry between the two gangs felt dangerous, and it felt as though there were actual stakes involved. Then on top of all this, we also have the fantasy (??) aspect of the book, where a monster appears to reside in the Huangpu River, somehow causing a "madness" that results in people tearing at their own throats. I don't know about you, but that definitely succeeds in the creepy factor for me, I was fully spooked when I started reading.

Throughout the story, we follow Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers respectively. When the book begins, we see Juliette coming back to Shanghai from spending the last 4 years in New York, and we know that somethinghappened between Roma and Juliette before she left 4 years ago. The tension between the two is perfection, and some of the moments between the two of them are great (including one scene involving one party being held at knifepoint, and the other at gunpoint, trust me it's perfection). One thing I did wish was that we got a little more romance between them throughout the book, because it was only little snippets here and there up until the final 25% or so of the book. But when it did pick up, it was *chef's kiss* perfection.

The side characters were also great, and my favourites have to be Benedikt and Marshall, two of Roma's closest friends and colleagues. These two probably actually ended up having my favourite plotline, and I looked forward to their POV sections just to watch their interactions play out. Honestly, I recommend this book just for Benedikt and Marshall, TRUST ME. Another favourite character was Kathleen, Juliette's cousin, who has such a great backstory as a trans person in 1920's Shanghai, and I loved that this was represented.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book a lot, and it was honestly something I'd never read anything like before. I loved the Romeo and Juliet retelling aspect, it was a fun idea that actually subverts a lot of expectations, so if you're worried about it being too predictable, don't let that stop you from reading it. Although I did guess the "twist" I guess, it was still great, and a great subversion of the plot we all know. Everything about the book just worked for me, from the characters, to the fantasy, to the setting, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review!

These Violent Delights is a historical fantasy retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set in 1926 Shanghai, China. Following Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to two rival gangs and ex-lovers, who have to solve the mystery of the monster and contagion spreading around which is ensuing deaths of members of both gangs.

There are so many reasons to like this book. It is super fast-paced and filled with action, which left me wanting to keep reading and reading to find out what happens next. It also contains my favourite trope of (lovers-to) enemies-to-lovers, meaning lots of tension and angst. It contains multiple POV's which I usually despise but in this book it did not bother me much nor did I dislike it which is very positive. There are also so many interesting and diverse side characters, of whom I hope we get to see more in the sequal.

In all seriousness though, the Chinese representation made me so incredibly happy while reading this book. Being of Chinese descent, I never really read any YA when I was a teenager that had Chinese main characters, so even though I am older now I still totally appreciate the representation in These Violent Delights. I also love the historical aspect of this book. Reading about 1920s Shanghai, I never knew that it was so interesting, with the societal dynamics between all the different ethnic groups residing there. I also love the accurate portrayal of the whites as colonizers and invaders in the book.

Juliette Cai is an amazing main character. She is ruthless and intelligent, thus practically embodying femme fatale. However, we also see glimpses of the identity struggles many Asian people that do not live in Asia face, which is feeling too western and not Chinese enough, or vice versa, since she was sent to live in America to get western education. An aspect which I wished was elaborated more in the book.

The Violent Delights is a breath of fresh air filled with twist and turns, while being very fast-paced and action packed. The plot and backdrop were very interesting and engaging, while also being written beautifully. And now, I will just be (not so) patiently waiting for the sequel.

I really hate writing 5-star reviews. They are the worst.

All I want to do is just make squeaky sounds, fangirl, and then scream a little more about how much I loved this book. When I finished These Violent Delights my mind was completely blank. This book left me so hollow inside, that I am struggling to get on with my next read. I have – of course – already pre-ordered my copy.

These Violent Delights was nothing like what I had expected and so much more. And I can assure you this story lives up to all the hype. This re-telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette takes place in a dramatically complex 1920s Shanghai, during the Western colonial period, with the Communists fighting against the Kuomingtang. The description of the period and the life in Shanghai at the time are so vivid and impressively detailed right from the start. The main protagonists Juliette and Roma, like the famous Veronese couple, are members of two rival families, Juliette Cai is the heir of the Scarlet Gang and Roma is the heir of the Montagov family and the Russian gang of the White Flowers. Shanghai is not only divided by these gangs and political factions, but also by the river Huangpu, where a deadly monster lurks in its water and whoever sees it is taken by this mysterious illness, this madness, which brings them to rip their own neck and kill themselves…

[insert here the sound of a vinyl record skipping]

Wait a moment. I don’t recall a monster in Shakespeare’s play?!?

Yeah… well, that’s what makes These Violent Delights mental.

I was completely oblivious to the paranormal element of this already incredible historical fiction, and I had found opium dens, rival gangs, and burlesque bar already enough to make this plot so action-packed. I would say, the descriptions of the settings were so detailed. I sometimes felt they were slowing down the natural flow of the story – but that’s just a personal thought. Still, I fell in love with all the side characters, who all had their own unique background stories and personalities. There was a great diverse representation and LGBTQ+ characters, as well as characters from different ethnicity. The main character, Juliette, is everything an heir of a gangster family should be, dangerous, reckless, rebellious and brave.

The last 40% of this story is a complete roller coaster of emotions. When finally everything starts coming together, and the build-up of the romantic tension between our Juliette and Roma rises, you will not want to put down this book. That (damned) epilogue felt like Juliette just hit me in the head with her gun and now I refuse to wait another year for the second book.

The fascinating description of the political reality of 1920s Shanghai is the best feature of this book, and it makes it a MUST READ. This novel would pass for a simple historical romance fiction, if not for the surprising horror element. It’s a brilliant debut and it’s amazing how the writer maintained this book for the YA audience, in spite of all the cruel and gruesome scenes. If you know Shakespeare’s original play, you will appreciate all the references to the original story. If you are also a fan of horror stories and paranormal, well, this book has the power to become your new obsession. It definitely became one of my best reads of this year.

I can’t wait to see what Gong’s mind has planned for the sequel.

YES YES YES!!!!! Asian authors dragging be back into young adult lit are the best. An excellent and absolutely captivating debut.

I LOVED this book! I devoured it in no time, thoroughly engrossed by the world and characters. This is by far one of my favourite reads of 2020 and I highly recommend it for those who loved Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet but want an updated twist! 1920s Shanghai is a time and place I'd never read about before but Chloe's writing immediately drew me into it and I loved every minute of it.

Refreshing gory and gorgeously detailed - I loved every second of 'These Violent Delights'. Gong took a story that is often reused and retold, and remodelled it into a haunting beautiful and original masterpiece. 'These Violent Delights' tells the story of Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov as they navigate Shanghai in 1926, attempting to save their city from a madness wreaking havoc from the inside out.

Being a Shakespeare nerd, one of my absolute favourite part of this book was the clever references to the original play - the beloved balcony scene, the first party, Mercutio, and other little quotes that made me sit a little straighter with excitement.

The characters were wonderfully fleshed out, and I loved delving deeper into their motivations and dreams as the book progressed. I can't wait for more of them!!

The plot was fascinating, and left me gasping for breath at every reveal. Just when I thought the slate had been cleared, and the secrets unaired, another three popped up in its place.

I honestly cannot think of a single negative thing about this book - the pacing was excellent, the plot was enthralling, and the characters were diverse and endearing and I loved them so much.

The biggest of thanks to Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton, Simon and Schuster and Chloe Gong for this ARC, I will be recommending this book to everyone.

Romeo and Juliet? Enemies to Lovers? Monsters? Mobsters?

This is a fantastic and very imaginative re- telling, with a page turning plot and a cast of amazing side characters. The character development of Juliette and Roma is really well executed, and the novel itself wonderfully paced.

Would HIGHLY recommend to any upper YA/NA fantasy reader

These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights #1)
Pages: 464
Format: E-ARC

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:
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 about 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.

Review:
Thank you so much to Hodder for sending me an e-arc of These Violent Delights, I am so grateful for this opportunity.

I don't even know how to start this review. I finished reading These Violent Delights a couple of days ago and have spent every day since screaming about how much I loved it but when it comes to writing a review I am not sure the words I will write can possibly do my love for These Violent Delights justice. Can we first just address the fact that this book is Chloe Gong's DEBUT. Yes Debut. I honestly would not have thought this whilst reading it. Chloe, you have smashed it! This book is so so good guys, and definitely one to look out for. I was immediately drawn to this book when I realised it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I love a retelling at the best of times, however at the moment they are so common and I feel like I am reading the same retelling over and over again. NOT THIS ONE. These Violent Delights, for me, was such a unique retelling of a story that I haven't seen retold before. There were so many parts of this story where I could really see the links too Romeo and Juliet, the quotes, title, character names and the plot but Chloe Gong definitely does enough to make it so unique. I also did not expect the mystery element of the book to be such a large part of the plot, but I loved it! I found myself so invested in this element of the book so much!

I absolutely love the writing style that Chloe Gong adopts. From the very start, the style is so immersive and I could not put it down. I really felt like I was part of the story, I could imagine the surroundings and there were so many times that I just wanted to dive into the book and be part of the story. Apart from the monster. I'll stick to observing for those parts. I literally have 0 imagination, so when a book gives me the ability to visualise the world and the plot then I can categorically say that the author has an excellent writing style. It really does not happen often. Also, there is such a complex system in relation to politics and world-building, one that must have taken the author a long time to construct. This comes across so well in the writing, the complexity is mesmerising and I really loved it so much. I enjoyed reading the rivalry between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, I thought it was interesting to be told the back story as well as the current situation between the gangs. Team Scarlet!

My favourite part of this book was the characters, I honestly love them so much and they added to my enjoyment significantly. Let us start with Roma and Juliet. I love this relationship so so much. I enjoyed the way that Chloe teased the reader with the back story of Juliet, which I found to be so brutal. You do not find out the extent of their history until later on in the story. I feel like this really helped me to build a connection and relationship with them and become invested with their relationship. I found myself really routing for them and just genuinely wanting the best for them. Also, Kathleen needs a special mention. I love her so much. Skip to the next paragraph if you do not want mild spoilers. Kathleen is trans, yes trans. How often do you see that in a book, especially in a book of this genre. She really warms my heart and is easily one of my favourite characters. I love the awareness that Kathleen's character portrays for the audience of this book. I feel like she is such a realistic character, the portrayal of her trying to come to terms with who she is, the body image issues that she has. Also, Marshall and Ben. You beauties. Say no more. They are conveyed so well, I could talk about Kathleen all day. I mean I don't want to dwell on some of the other characters, but HOW CREEPY IS PAUL and HOW MUCH OF AN ARSE IS TYLER. That's it, I'm done, I don't want to give them anymore time in my review.

As I have already mentioned there are some very hard-hitting topics discussed within These Violent Delights. In my reviews I like to be able to make a potential reader aware of some elements that may well trigger them. So please be aware that there are also elements of bullying and racism within this book. It is by no means a large portion of this book but it is something to be aware of going in. Please know that Chloe Gong does all hard-hitting topics so much justice and is doing such a good job of raising awareness.

The ending of this book was cruel. How can it just end like that. I want more and I want more right now. At first I wondered how These Violent Delights could be turned into a series however I completely understand now and I AM HERE FOR THAT. But I don't want to wait so if I could have the next book now that would be fab. I honestly enjoyed this book so much and it really does deserve the 5 star rating I have given it. I have immediately preordered myself a physical copy and I am already really excited for it to arrive so I can reread it. These Violent Delights is definitely one to look out for. I cannot wait for it to be out into the wild so I can scream with everyone else about how amazing it is. PREORDER THIS BOOK GUYS IT IS SO GOOD!

This is a hard review for me to write, because I really wanted to like this book. I was absolutely ready to declare this my book of 2020 without having read a page. So when I say that I feel a bit let down, I really mean: I feel let down.
The whole idea is spectacular. Romeo and Juliet. In 1920s Shanghai. As the heirs to rival gangs. There is no way you could pitch me a book I wanted to read more. So when I was sent a copy through Netgalley, I almost cried with excitement. And I read the first chapter. I thought, it reads slightly oddly, but maybe it's first chapter nerves.
It was not first chapter nerves.
The whole book just feels slightly clunky. A lot of the dialogue is just awkward enough to feel strange, the descriptions are lovely but they also sometimes just fell a little flat. The sheer amount of exposition in the first thirty per cent of the book had me genuinely slightly shocked. 'Show don't tell' feels like such a basic thing that as a criticism for one of the biggest releases this year I'm a bit left for words.
Can I be very, extremely petty for a second? I hated the names. Juliette translates beautifully. I barely noticed. But Roma? Every time I read it I cringed a little bit. It's not an inherently Russian name, and it doesn't immediately make me think 'Romeo'. I was not feeling it. Montagov is genius, but Cai feels tenuous.
Like the names, the characters didn't feel like they translated well. I sort of want to just change the names entirely. The whole book would probably read slightly better without the 'Romeo and Juliet' angle, but then, almost all the best lines of dialogue were lifted from Shakespeare, so maybe not. But the characters- I liked Juliette. I liked her a lot. She felt authentic and strong and deeply conflicted. But Roma, for me he was just bland. A cardboard stand-in for a main male character. He says the right things, but I really didn't get much of any real character. I did however, spend a long time wondering why Juliette was wasting her time on this guy, so maybe it captured more of the spirit of Shakespeare than I gave it credit for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this?? Amazing. The execution of it?? Even better.

When a madness plagues 1920s Shanghai, heirs to the cities two opposing gangs Juliette and Roma must work together to put an end to it before the entire city falls prey. A task made more difficult on account of their history as lovers before a betrayal ripped them apart. This Romeo and Juliet re-imagining is a vivid exploration of politics, loyalty and love.

I loved this book with every fibre of my being it was so good.

The imagery of this is so vivid that I was instantly transported into this world. The world-building, characterisation and plot all wove together so well there literally is no weak link to this book.

I am a sucker for good writing and damn this book has good writing. The kind of writing where I would read a well-written sentence and be like okay but that’s a sexy sentence. “This place hums to the tune of debauchery” that is one sexy, sexy sentence and the whole book is like that.

Roma and Juliette my god their dynamic is incredible, being the heirs to opposing gangs with a blood feud and having a history together created some delicious banter and tension and I was here for it. Genuinely in love with them.

I loved all of the characters like I obviously adored Roma and Juliette, but the other characters had such rich stories too that I was invested in all of their lives. Like Kathleen??? Would 10/10 die for her.

Overall, this book was an incredible blend of rich imagery, political intrigue and romance and I ate it all up. I cannot see where the story takes us next.

I have quite mixed feelings about this book. While I love the premise of These Violent Delights, a losely Romeo and Juliet retelling in a Shanghai setting about a blood feud between two rival gangs, I personally did not enjoy (most of) the execution of it. I feel like a lot of the interesting parts of the story got lost in the slow pacing so the book ended up being longer than it should've been. I usually dislike multiple POV's, and again in this case, I thought it was quite unnecessary and didn't add anything to the story. I lost interest halfway through but it picked up again in the end! I really enjoyed the action as well as the romance and all the angst surrounding it. Juliette was a really strong and complex character, I'm so looking forward to reading more about her in the sequel! Overall, Chloe Gong's writing is beautiful which is why this book had a lot of potential, but I unfortunately didn't vibe with it too much. I totally understand why this book is appealing to everyone else though!

"Shanghai knows. It has always known. This whole damn place is about to fall apart."

A monster prowling around 1920s Shanghai with unfolding enemies to lovers to enemies tension?

Why would you NOT want to read this book?

I devoured this during a stressful work period and what a welcome distraction it was; a story so vivid in descriptions and emotions you can feel completely immersed from the first chapter.

Although it's a Romeo and Juliet inspired/influenced book, it totally stands on its own in terms of originality and excitement. It's gripping, wonderfully balanced between dialogue, descriptions and action, and knows when to slow things right down to a painfully tense and emotional exchange between Roma and Juliette.

"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 think that looks upon them in sadness."

See? Don't you already want to read more? It's a story filled with bloody murders, powerful families and the heirs trying to piece together their painful memories and wounded hearts during all this chaos.

Recommended for fans of: bloody knife-wielding girls, atmospheric writing, enemies to lovers to enemies to....you get the picture!

A strong debut that takes Shakespeare down an interesting path. I love her writing style and her characters are well developed, I just wish the antagonist was a little bit stronger to match the strength of the rest of the book. I can tell even better things are on their way from Chloe, and as a fellow lover of Romeo and Juliet, my heart sang at seeing it remade in such an exciting way.

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???!!!

I can't wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with this masterpiece of a YA urban-esque fantasy that is bloody, badass and utterly delectable. Chloe Gong writes about a 1920's Shanghai that is gritty and dirty in more ways than one, a city where only the strong and the shrewd survive. She's almost seamlessly blended this opulent setting to the premise of Romeo and Juliet, but I'll tell you, if future ganglord Juliette Cai had been a Capulet, Shakespeare's tragedy would've gone a whole other direction. (Hint: Tragic for everyone but bb Juliette)

The writing was to the point, at times veering into tasteful descriptions that really brought old Shanghai to life and I loved how smart this book was, showcasing the colonial impact from the eyes of those who were colonised. It will make you cry, having yourself depicted every bit as smart and clever as the ones who colonised you - and sometimes more - yet have to suffer under their yoke of power. It also depicted the beginnings of communism and how it seemed to evolve but the plus of all this political intrigue was that it came with a dressing of monsters on the side.

That cliffhanger ending destroyed me but makes me super excited for the next book! Bring it on, Chloe Gong!

I am struggling to get my head around the fact that this beautifully composed, heart-wrenching, invigorating read is Chloe Gong's debut novel. Not only is the setting lusciously rendered with layer upon layer of accomplished imagery but the characters are authentically drawn, forcing the reader to completely immerse themselves in the chaotic energy of 1920s Shanghai. I have taught 'Romeo and Juliet' to my students multiple times but Gong's re-imagining of the feud brought new life to the love, loss and pain of Shakespeare's play.

Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are our central protagonists (antagonists?! The complexity and murky morals of these characters is amazing), representing the heir to the White Flowers and Scarlet Gang groups who, as with the original story line, are in a longstanding blood feud. However, a new madness is sweeping the city, striking down members from both gangs alike. I won't spoil the effect of the madness but be forewarned it is graphically violent, an equalising force striking down both factions and rich and poor alike.

Gong has skilfully woven the more fantastical aspects of this plot with the history of Shanghai, making this not only an enjoyable read but also fascinatingly educational. She also tweaks the story of the original play, making some really nice references to the source material (Roma writing off Montague as an implausible cover name because it sounded too Italian had me in stitches) but challenging reader expectations. Rather than this being love at first sight, the central couple are jaded past lovers which put a really interesting twist on the familiar tale.

Overall, this is a fast-paced ride of a novel with thrilling plot twists coming out of nowhere all over the place. I predict huge things for this book and Gong's future writing career as adults and young adults alike discover her fantastic debut novel. Also, I am not at all sure how I am going to patiently wait for the sequel of this book after THAT ending! A phenomenal read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Chloe Gong, and Hodder & Stoughton for my arc of These Violent Delights in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: a retelling of Romeo & Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. Two rival gangs are at the centre of this epic, fast paced YA fantasy. Juliette heir to the scarlet gang and Roma heir to the White Flower gang. Years ago their forbidden love put their families at war, but with a monster now attacking both gangs they must reunite to save them all.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of this year but if I'm honest I found it just 'ok'. The writing is incredibly beautiful and Chloe Gong is a fantastic writer there is no doubt about that. I think the only reason I didn't love this book is just personal preference. The writing was quite flowery and full of metaphors and similes that just felt a bit 'too much' for me. The storyline itself just felt like it was missing out parts like I could quite work out why certain parts were important because a lot of things went unexplained. There is nothing wrong with the book per se and I think the many, many 5* reviews speak for themselves it just really wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

My favourite Shakespeare play has been Romeo & Juliet ever since I was in high school and we were assigned one of his plays every single year in English. Of course, this was never the assigned play but the overachiever in me went and read more than I had to and simply fell in love. When I saw this described as a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1926 Shanghai following a gang feud nothing was stopping me from deciding I had to read it, and I’m still so over the moon that my eArc request was approved and I’ve been able to read this work of art.

I was hooked from the first chapter, the descriptions, world-building, and characters pulled me in and I found myself getting invested really early on in the book. The writing started mentioning the monster and I was pulled in even further, obsessing over the plot before the bulk of the plot had even started.

Let me take a moment to focus on the characters, I’m such a character-based reader that I focus so much on them and I was not let down! I left this book-loving some characters, hating others, and feeling the betrayal they felt. While already knowing the characters from the play and other adaptations, seeing them in this setting held them in a whole new light, and Gong wrote them all so well that they were so individual from the expectations I held and I’m so thankful for that. The addition of a trans character who is never misgendered by family and who exists as a character outside her gender just filled me with joy, and she was able to become one of my favourites in a sea of characters I was destined to love. Then there were the characters I left this book despising and the fact she was able to write them in such a way that I felt this guttural reaction to them.

The writing itself was really great, the location descriptions made me feel like I was teleported there and I could see the lights of the city at night, the people on the streets as the characters moved along them and the rooms they found themselves in. The writing of the monster and the plotline regarding it was easy to digest but also really played on my mind. The descriptions at times made me have to react out loud in an otherwise silent reading period, just moved to loudly react by the writing on the screen.

I have to comment on the romance separately because as a whole hopeless romantic it broke me apart. Without wanting to add in any spoilers in my reviews, there were scenes between Roma and Juliette that just shattered me, leaving me in tears and highlighting words exchanged between them to revisit because the scenes were written in a way that made me ache and also yearn.

This book gave me well-developed characters, multiple sources of LGBTQ+ representation, and a world I want to revisit, knowing I’ll both be rereading this book upon release and the sequel when we’re blessed with its release. This book was an easy 5-stars and I was right to have said it was one of the 2020 books I was most looking forward to.

Maybe younger readers will find this to be a more absorbing read than I did but I wasn't charmed or blown away by Chloe Gong's writing style. Her story and characters too left a bit to be desired.
Clunky flashbacks interrupt the flow of the story and don't serve to make our protagonists any more compelling. Juliette is a cold killer who is portrayed as a badass who seems for some reason to feel strongly loyal towards her gang and yet hold no fondness for her relatives or her parents (she seems to tolerate two of her cousins, that's it). Characters are constantly 'pivoting' and at times urgency seems to be created by how fast the characters move.
The monster mystery didn't intrigue me, the love story wasn't all that interesting (especially since Juliette and Roma were a former couple or whatever so their dynamic felt as if it had been developed off page and the flashbacks didn't really flesh out the beginnings of their relationship).
But readers who haven't read a lot of historical/paranormal YA will undoubtedly fell differently than me.

"In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens."

Aah, I was so excited to get approved for this ARC, since this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I love the cover, I love the synopsis and I love fantasy retellings. I was almost scared to start reading since I worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but I am relieved to say that it did.

The book is set in Shanghai in the 1920s, where the city is run by two rival gangs: the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers. After four years away, the heir to the Scarlets arrives back in town. Juliette Cai is fierce, proud and hates nothing more than Roma Montagov. But Shanghai is changing. There are sightings of a monster and whispers of a communist revolution among the workers. However, when a contagious madness starts killing people from both gangs, the two heirs must put aside their differences and work together.

I cannot believe this is a debut. The author's writing was atmospheric and I thought the worldbuilding was exceptional. Shanghai came to life in my mind so clearly, without any lengthy descriptions or info-dumping. I loved Juliette and her determination to prove her worth to her patriarchal family. She was strong-willed and totally ruthless. In contrast, Roma was quieter and more thoughtful. His hatred of violence was a surprise and I loved the reversal of gender stereotypes.

I also loved a lot of the secondary characters. Kathleen was intriguing and I adored the banter between Beneditik and Marshall. Despite being a retelling, the plot never felt predictable and I liked that it was a slow burn. I would definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read for the sequel to be released.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded down.

This was enjoyable, but lots of small grievances I had with worldbuilding and character development kept me from being able to give it a higher rating. When the action gets going, it’s an incredibly fast read and it kicks off said action immediately. It has great horror elements (if you really don’t like insects, maybe give this a miss or go into it with eyes wide open) and the slight body horror makes the supernatural part of this book appropriately violent. However, I often felt like the book was preoccupied with creating an “aesthetic” rather than doing any meaningful worldbuilding for the political landscape or the existence of the gangs.

Juliette and Roma took a little bit for me to get into; she’s the impulsive, violent one and he’s the one disgusted by violence which I thought was a nice attempt at subverting gender expectations. But their romance didn’t do it for me. Their more romantic scenes often stalled the plot because it always felt like there were more important things going on than having them get lost in their memories of each other and it grew tedious to have them talk around the Betrayal that happened four years previously. Their relationship only really grabbed me at the end when another layer is added to their angst, so I’m curious to see how the sequel develops that, as well as how far the book will indulge in Juliette’s flaws (I love a messy woman.)

Juliette felt a little one dimensional sometimes (she’s violent and likes knives) but I loved her and Kathleen’s scenes - I loved Kathleen in general - and this book is filled with really great side characters who really help develop the mains, as well as have great dynamics with each other. The simmering potential between Marshall and Benedikt was so good and the idea of book 2 angst is going to keep me going during the wait for it. When these side characters were interacting was when I was enjoying the book the most. When the book was focused on all these characters finding clues and putting things together as a little group of reluctant allies, I felt like it really worked and I loved the moments where things are clicking for them or eluding them. These moments are the main part of the plot so even with my criticisms, the book is for the most part a really enjoyable read.

Unfortunately, my biggest issue: the worldbuilding in the novel felt very underdeveloped. The dynamic between the gangs, the Communists and the foreign interests felt lacking. There’s lots of surface level reference to these groups and how they overlap but it never goes any further. The book wants you to be invested in the survival of the gangs against an inevitable communist revolution, or foreign interests pushing them out of their own city, but there’s little development of how the gangs actually run (outside of their income sources) and Juliette and Roma don’t really spend much time involved in the inner workings of the gangs so these issues don’t really hold much plot relevance. Even their paralleled rivalries with other potential heirs comes and goes. I definitely wasn’t expecting heavy politics but it came up enough to make me think it was relevant, but never really paid off. It feels like mostly set up for the sequel, if I had to guess.

In the end, I did enjoy this despite clearly being in the minority opinion. When the plot is focused on the characters hunting the monster, it works best. There’s a wonderful cast of side characters and dialogue is entertaining, action is fast paced and the horror elements (specifically at the beginning) are great to read, but vague worldbuilding, convenient plot details and a lacklustre main romance did leave me underwhelmed.