Rated 3.5/5 stars

These Violent Delights was such an engaging and imaginative debut, I could hardly put it down and I'm looking forward to its sequel! It is set in 1920s Shanghai, in the midst of a conflict between gangs, as a mysterious disease is spreading through the city. Chloe Gong's writing was amazing: she successfully wrote an agonising atmosphere that crept on me as the book went on, and she sure didn't hold back on gruesome details when it comes to the disease. This book also discussed topics such as immigration and colonisation in a clever way, through Juliette's character especially, but also by showing how much Shanghai was changing.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading about those characters, and I loved that this book had multiple POVs. My only issue was that the characters felt a bit one-dimensional, at times. The book kept mentioning their past, or showing us flashbacks, yet I thought that something was missing, and I struggled to get a sense of Juliette and Roma often. A lot of it was just telling instead of showing, so it might be why. Because of that, I loved the romance in theory, but struggled to see why they loved each other as they were teenagers, but also then. Side note: the fact that they kept saying they had been each other's lover at 15 kept weirding me out, but anyway. That being said, I adored the secondary characters (especially Kathleen), they really stole the show in this book. Also, I'm sure the characterisation will get better as the series is expanding!

These Violent Delights was such an impressive and imaginative fantasy novel, and I can't wait to read its sequel! If you love The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee and/or The Diviners series by Libba Bray, this book is definitely for you!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved the writing although between 30 and 70 percent of this book I found it got very slow pace. I loved the story telling however, and the well thought out characters were fleshed out and realistic

Review on blog to come soon

This book isn’t a book for me, I don’t understand most of the wording and just couldn’t connect with the characters and plot.

Too many kind hearts turn cold every day

Trigger warnings; violence, character death, talk of illness, ripping out one's own throat (not by their own volition), insects, blood feud, blood, gore, murder, weapon use, alcohol consumption, parental abuse, parental death

Where to start, These Violent Delights is one of the most magnificent novels I have ever read and is definitely my runner up for favourite book of the year. Everything about this book was absolutely incredible from the world building to the character development to the Romeo & Juliet aspects to the descriptions to the rich history, this book is just so mind blowing.

These Violent Delightsis a debut historical fantasy novel that is based in 1929's Shanghai and is a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet but 1000% more incredible and with a lot more violence. I did really enjoy the nods to Romeo & Juliet and the parts of the story that were similar but boy was this novel way more than your standard retelling, this book had everything.

I loved the characters in this novel so deeply, especially Juliette, Roma, Kathleen, Marshall and Benedikt. Each of them had such distinct personalities and character traits and I loved reading about them. They all felt so individual and so fresh and I just adored them. There was also some very important representation as Kathleen is a trans woman, Marshall is Korean I believe and it also seems like there may be a budding m/m romance!

One of the things I loved about this novel was how authentic it felt. Even though it is a fantasy novel and is set in Shanghai which is a country I am not familiar with, everything felt so vivid in the way it was described. The novel also discussed Western Imperialism and how Juliette, a Chinese born girl feels out of place in her own country and how she feels that she has to use her English, as she studied in America, and be more "American" to be heard and respected in her own country. It was heartbreaking to see all of these Chinese people feel like they are being pushed out of their own country because of the West basically invading them and trying to take over. I think the commentary on it throughout the novel was done very tastefully and respectfully which is really important.

It is never as simple as one truth. Nothing ever is.

Whilst I did love the characters and the discussions in the novel, I also really loved the plot. I didn't really know anything go into this novel apart from the fact it was a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in Shanghai, I didn't really know about the monster plaguing the country and the people and oh my goodness, I found it be fascinating. it was really new to anything that I had ever read before and though it did make the novel even more brutal and violent than I went into it expecting, it really was an intriguing plot line that I can't wait to see be picked up in the sequel.

Leading on from that, this book is definitely not for those of the faint of heart. This novel is brutal, it's set in 1929 and there is a massive blood feud going on between two gangs that hate one another and includes a lot of scenes where there is active violence against one another. As well as this, the monster creates this madness which makes people rip out their own throats as well as there being other descriptions of violence, parental abuse, illness and alcholoism so make sure that you read up on trigger warnings before going into this book because it can be a lot at some points.

But, overall, I truly, truly loved this novel. I have absolutely no complaints about it. It was a vivid, violent fantasy with an interesting plot line and easy to love characters. It was definitely a very mature young adult novel and I really, really cannot wait to read the sequel, I will sell my entire soul for it and cannot wait to see what else Chloe Gong writes in the future!

When a few reviews started to come out about this book a few months ago, it immediately picked my interest. A Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai? Hell yes, it sounded absolutely brilliant. A dark and gory story between two rival gangs? Yes please! The premise of this book was amazing. However, it took me a lot of pages to really appreciate my reading, but really, it was so worth it to keep going.

First of all, let's talk about what I didn't like about this book:
The writing at the beginning of the book was dense. So dense, and full of info dumping that I couldn't read more than 20 pages at a time. I wasn't invested at all in the story nor the characters. It was such a pain to read that honestly, I considered DNF-ing this book twice. I did put this book on hold for a few weeks, and it took me 3 weeks to get through the first 150 pages. It surprised me because I'm pretty used to dense world-building in epic fantasy books in general, and I often love world-building. But in this case, I didn't like the full info-dumping and maybe I was also too tired to care. So yeah, the beginning was hard to get through.

But, and that "but" is important because, after getting through the first 150 pages, the story started to pick up and I finally started to get invested and intrigued about this book. I started to care about the characters and without even knowing it, I was in love with the story and Juliette Cai. Honestly, I don't know what really happened here, but suddenly, this book wasn't so bad at all and I almost couldn't put it down.

“Was it loyalty that created power? Or was loyalty only a symptom, offered when the circumstances were favorable and taken away when the tides turned?”

Juliette's character and development were absolutely amazing. This character became honestly one of my favorite female characters. She was just so badass, fierce, ruthless and cold, like a true gangster queen and I couldn't do anything but root for her. She was willing to do anything to protect her people and take responsibility and she did it wonderfully. Roma paled in comparison honestly. I found him boring, weak and useless at first and it was hard for me to ship them. But eventually, he became more interesting and even though I thought him soft, he was still a ruthless gangster. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Marshall and Benedikt, with their loyalty to their gang. Their POVs were so interesting, funny and gripping and added a lot to the story.

The romance was surprising because it was actually a star-crossed mixed with second chance trope, and it felt very new and different from what I had read before. It wasn't the main focus of the book though, and that was fine by me because I was more invested by the plot and the politics than the romance for the most part of the book. The tension between the two characters became however, incredibly well done, and I found myself on the verge of tears in some moments. Believe me when I say that I was the first surprised about it, but the author's writing became so gripping and beautiful. For a debut novel, the author really knows how to write powerful and emotional scenes.

“They believed themselves the rulers of the world—on stolen land in America, on stolen land in Shanghai. Everywhere they went— entitlement.”

What I also really enjoyed about this book (and honestly that was my favorite part), was the setting and how the author talked about the politics and colonialism in this book. The story was set in 1926, Shanghai, where the city was completely torn apart by Western imperialism. With bits of lands occupied by the British, the French, and the Russians, with the growing Communist party, and the constant war between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, the author didn't shy away in her representation of colonialism and the consequences on the people who didn't ask anything but still lost their land, culture and power. I just love it when POC authors are delivering the tea in their books by denouncing colonialism (wink wink at The Poppy War with the Hesperians), it needed to be said and the author just went for it. Honestly a huge win for me, and that's why I will always prefer to read own-voices books.

“These days, Juliette,” he said, low and warily, “the most dangerous people are the powerful white men who feel as if they have been slighted.”

The last 100 pages of the book were a wild-ride full of action and plot-twists and I read it in one sitting. I really enjoyed the ending but, as I said earlier, I had seen so many comments or reviews about how shocked and painful would be the ending that I was expecting more. It was great, but my expectations kind of ruined it a bit for me.

Overall, I would still recommend this book because despite some issues with the beginning, the rest of the book was amazing and so SO worth it. So yeah, if you struggle with the beginning, I swear keep going because the rest of the book will sweep you away in an immersive political and dark story, full of betrayals and hard truths.

These Violent Delights was everyrhing I hoped it would be and more. I will be posting a full review soon but I had a fantastic time reading this

I went into this book with high expectations and this book did not disappoint! A fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet, this book ticked a lot of the boxes I look for in fantasy books as well as retelling's. Gong has taken the story of Romeo and Juliet and made it her own with gang wars in Shanghai in the 1920's. Gong has a beautiful writing style that keeps you completely hooked and needing more, with her vivid descriptions, action and mystery this book became impossible to put down.

I really loved the connection and dynamic between our main characters. I was eager to read how the two worked together and to learn more about their past together. The tension and unresolved drama between the two was one of my favourite things about this book! However, I will have to admit that at times Juliette frustrated me. At times it felt that she was too good at everything, especially fighting and she went into situations not even considering the consequences of her actions.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut novel which is rich in detail and suspense. I recommend this book to any fantasy lover out there who loves a good re-telling! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted by the premise of the book - a Romeo and Juliette scenario set in 1920s Shanghai with warring gangs and monsters. The story delivered all this and more! The central characters of Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are complex, ruthless and are heirs to the rival gangs of the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers who have carved the city of Shanghai into gang held zones.
A history of love, betrayal, hate and family loyalties link Roma and Juliette but their desire to keep their people and city safe overrides everything, leading them to join forces when a monstrous infection afflicts the population.
The authors descriptions of old Shanghai evoked the decadence, squalor and smells of the city in that time period. I loved the strength of the characters and the intriguing twist on the star crossed lovers theme. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the access to the ARC.

Honestly think the description of it being based on Romeo and Juliet was a stretch. Went in with high expectations but really wasn’t for me!

✨These Violent Delights✨
Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Chloe Gong for the E-Arc.

Summary- a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai with monsters, mystery and two rival gangs in a power struggle. This is a multipov story.
Roma and Juliette are heirs to rival gangs, once secretly close now separated by betrayals, murders and time. Until a monster starts killing members of both gangs and a madness spreads through the city. Both sides will have to come together to stop it.
✨
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5
Review:
This was a hard read for me. What initially drew me in was the gorgeous cover, the promise of a historical setting in another country and the rave reviews I had already seen from early reviewers, I was so excited when I was approved! And if i could rate the book on the last 25% it would be a 5star rating however, the book as a whole fell a little flat for me.

I find myself so frustrated with this book. I struggled and pushed through the first 75% and I’m glad I did because the last 25% was incredible. If the whole book had packed that kind of punch it surely would’ve been a 5⭐️ read. I think for me, there was a lot of unnecessary information and so the book could’ve been shorter but a more impactful read. There was also the struggle of the multi-pov, now usually I enjoy a well written, multi pov book however there was an imbalance for me. I enjoyed Juliette’s part and enjoyed getting insight into Roma however I do think the book would’ve benefited from sticking with them rather than also giving rather odd snippets from other side characters (i.e Benedikt and the circle), there was a lot going on.

This is a book that will be well loved by many readers, the romance is a sloooow burn, enemies to lovers trope which I absolutely love as well as having LGBTQ representation! It shows the power struggles that can happen in families as well as in the gang with some interesting plot twists tho finish! It’s clear that the author has a very vivid sense and gives in depth descriptions of the atmosphere and environment. So whilst parts of this book fell a little flat, after that dramatic ending I am eagerly awaiting book two.

I knew this was a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but I have to say at first, each time someone's name was mentioned, I was a little worried it was just going to be the exact same plot set in Shanghai and with monsters. Thankfully I was wrong, and actually this is very, very loosely a retelling. Indeed, considering Romeo & Juliet is thought to be one of the ultimate romance stories (debate that as we all will), there is very little romance at all in These Violent Delights.

I liked the mash-up themes that were on offer here. The best way I can think to describe it is, it's like what would happen if an alien invasion met with politics, crime and two heavily feuding families. The politics are what kept it truly interesting, and I questioned a lot who the villains of the piece truly were, the people or the monster making people tear at their own throats?!

I did find it really hard to click with Roma, and his story arc. I felt like a lot more time was dedicated to Juliette and her back story, so she was much easier to understand, and I was almost left wishing the entire book was told from her perspective. I did enjoy the dynamics of the various other family members, but always found myself wishing for it to return to Juliette.

The story is left with a super open ending, setting it up nicely for the next book to pick up. I could definitely appreciate the unique aspects of this book, but I didn't love it as much as I had expected to, and I think that was largely due to some of the character development. A solid 3 stars.

I have never been so excited for a book as I have for this one! Set in 1920s Shanghai, this story follows the Scarlett and White Flowers gang as they try and defeat a flesh eating monster. This was a glorious take on Romeo and Juliette, following two rival gangs. The setting was stunning - the imagery was beautifully penned. The story was a bit gory which I quite liked to see (nothing too extreme, but really helped set the story). There seemed to be an underlying budding romance ? Which i loved to see. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend this to anyone who wants to experience an exciting and fast paced read. Thank you so much for my early review copy.

DNF @ 36%

Siiiiigh. I so wanted to love this book, and I probably could have pushed myself through it, but frankly 2020 has been a rubbish year and life's too short to read books we're not enjoying.

This novel has so much potential and I thought I would love it. I love a 1920s setting and I was very excited to read about 1920s Shanghai instead of the typical setting of 1920s New York, and yet I don't know if I would have guessed this novel was set in the 1920s unless it had been mentioned in the blurb. I also loved the concept of a Romeo and Juliet retelling involving rival gangs; this is a very loose retelling, of course, but I didn't mind that at all. It's pretty clear from the blurb that this is a story inspired by Romeo and Juliet rather than a direct retelling. Unfortunately I didn't find either Juliette or Roma particularly interesting to follow - in fact none of the characters ever felt like real people I might bump into in the street - and while I really appreciate that Gong made Juliette the more savage of the two (which makes perfect sense considering it's Juliet in the original play whose monologues are full of violence, while Romeo speaks of love), making their relationship a lovers to enemies to lovers relationship, instead of simply star-crossed lovers, left me feeling cold. I found it hard to imagine these two loving each other at all.

The major reason this story didn't work for me, though, is because this novel does not need to be a fantasy novel. If Gong had written a historical fiction novel about two rival gangs in 1920s Shanghai and a pair of lovers caught in the middle of it all, These Violent Delights would have been a far stronger book. Instead, time that could have been spent creating a sumptuous setting and really involving us in the history of 20th century Shanghai was instead spent on a monster and a weird insect-induced virus that didn't quite fit into this story for me. This is Gong's debut and I think she's an author who's going to get better and better, but I think she tried to include too much in this novel which ultimately meant that none of it quite worked for me.

The ARC for this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.

When prompted with the synopsis that includes 1920s and Shanghai, I knew this was a book I wanted to read immediately. Some context needs to established to understand why I had such an interest in this book and that was the fact that as a child my family lived in Shanghai for 4 years. Finding a book that is set in a location I am very familiar with always excites me. Especially when it is somewhere that possibly many others are unfamiliar with it.

Overal, I did thoroughly enjoy this book. It was entertaining and fast-paced. It drew on inspiration from Romeo and Juliette and had a mystery element that left you questioning sides the whole way through.

Otherwise, the characters and intertwining world of 1920s China we richly developed. Descriptions of traditional Chinese cultures, words and phrasings, and landmark locations were built into the story creating a very accurate depiction of the world at the time.

However, ultimately there was one element of the story left me very confused. At the heart of the book was a mysterious monster causing madness within Shanghai. Unfortunately, with the book set in our reality, the story limited itself in being able to provide scientific understanding of why these things were happening and thus this element fell slightly short for me.

But all in all, this book is vastly entertaining and brings a wonderful own voice perspective to a country that has suffered great injustice during 2020.

Nov 23, 2020:
It's been almost 2 months since I read this and I'm still trying to sift through my feelings about this book. (This is a good thing! It means the TVD world has been living in my head for quite some time!!)

There is a lot of hype centering around this book and for the most part I would say it lives up to it!!

This is a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, featuring a Chinese Juliet (Juliette Cai) and Russian Romeo (Roma Montagov) who happen to be the heirs of rival gangs, who *happen* to also be ex-lovers. (Hence this story plays with the lovers-enemies-lovers trope!!!) Juliette returns to Shanghai after being sent away to New Year for 4 years - into a Shanghai that is even more politically broken than how she left it. Tensions are high as ever as the city is on the cusp of the Chinese Civil War (communists and nationalists are battling it out) and everyone either aligns with The Scarlet Gang (Juliette's gang) or The White Flowers (Roma's gang) in order to survive. In the midst of all this chaos, a monster rears its head in the Huangpu River, causing mysterious deaths in both gangs. Then the inevitable happens: Juliette and Roma have to (secretly) work together to defeat this monster, and you already know what's going to happen next.... *mega angst*

In a way, this book revived my love for YA - after quite a few misses from the genre this year, I was fearing that I might have outgrown the genre, but what I was really missing was this fresh new wave in YA Fantasy that is filled with characters from different ethnicities and backgrounds - backgrounds that pertain to mine for this specific book - as well as exploration of history on this side of the Earth (other wars were being waged while WW2 happened!)

Upon finishing this book, I *had* to gush about it with a friend who read it as well, and I think that's what I love the most about YA - it's a genre that is more accessible than most, and has active fandoms to appreciate the characters and content of the books.

After the initial *I can't think about anything else except how I love all the characters in TVD* phase, I started thinking below the surface - about how I saw a lot my younger self in Juliette - she spent 4 formative years in New York, so it's inevitable for her Chinese heritage to clash with her now Western-influenced identity. At times in the book, Juliette subconsciously prefers to do things the Western way instead of the Chinese way (I mean, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, amirite?), sometimes even *subtly* looking down at the way her own people dresses/thinks. (She gets her fair share of people hinting at her that she's *changed* a lot, don't worry)

Although I've never step foot in New York nor Shanghai, on this plane of the planet, specifically Asia (and even more specifically Malaysia), Western media is extremely pervasive - so in a way my childhood was quite Western-influenced - and when that is all you see growing up, you end up unintentionally internalising dislike towards the very culture running in your own veins - I preferred to do things the Western way, speak like them, *only* speaking English, refusing to be serious in learning my own mother tongue, just because I was (pretty much) brainwashed into thinking the Western ideal is *the* superior ideal, through all that heavy consumption of Western media. (Don't worry, eventually I came to my senses)

What I'm trying to say is - Chloe Gong wrote this as a diaspora story, specifically for kids who were raised in Western countries that they are not native to - and based on that, I find it fascinating that the countries don't need to match for people to relate to Juliette. Even more fascinating is that I was raised in Asia and yet feel the effects of Western hegemony from so far away, and related to Juliette in that aspect. There is so much to unpack in this character thread and I can't wait for more of it in book 2.

Fav characters
-OOF. Marshall Seo probably? (he and Juliette are fighting for space in my head as we speak - oh wait now they're shaking hands) he is a precious cinnamon roll that must be protected.
-I would have preferred to see more from Roma's POV though! We know quite a lot about him but also *don't* know quite a lot about him, you get me?

Also if you've read the original Romeo and Juliet play (present day me is thanking May 2020 me for deciding to pick it up on a whim - it came to good use after all lol), it's extra fun to pick out the parallels and !also! since you know who dies who doesn't, it adds an extra layer to your reading experience + you'll have a lot of fun theorizing how Chloe will change things up in her own work.

5 stars!! One of my faves of 2020 :D
Can't wait for my physical copy to arrive so I can delve deeper into it this time!
(*will probably come back and write a more coherent review after my 2nd read!)

This book was one of my most anticipated release of 2020 and it's now one of my favourite reads of the year as well.

These Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling taking place in Shanghai in the 1920s. Two rival gangs are faced with a curious madness killing everyone in their ranks. Where does it come from? How do they stop it? That’s what the heirs of each gang are trying to find out. But will they be able to put aside the blood feud and their own history to work together against this common enemy?
This book basically has all my favourite tropes. It’s fast paced, there’s action and suspense, the characters are witty and wonderful, and so are the relationships whether they’re familial, friendly, or romantic.

Juliette and Roma are such interesting and complex protagonists. They'd do anything for their family and their gang, they're both smart, strong-willed, determined, and so lovable. I instantly fell in love with Juliette, I love ruthless and powerful women. Even more when their confidence hides a lot of self doubt. And I loved the contrast with Roma. Where Juliette is hot-headed and violent, Roma is more calm and will try to get his way without shedding blood.

I also adored the secondary characters, Kathleen and Marshall own my heart. Gong really took time to develop all of her characters, and you get attached to all of them so easily.

It's absolutely amazing that this is Chloe Gong's debut novel. It's so well-written, so enticing. I absolutely cannot wait for the second book, and for Gong's future books.

It’s more than a retelling, more than a doomed love story …

Saying that I enjoyed Those Violent Delights would be an understatement. It was an fabulous ride, leaded by a fantastic writing. Chloe Gong mastered the construction of her story and her characters in a unique way and it’s even more impressive that is her first published novel.

Besides the fact that we already got a lot of Romeo & Juliet retelling in YA, this one felt unique. I’m not a huge fan of the original play by William Shakespeare for multiple reasons I won’t explain here, but I felt understood by Chloe Gong in the way that she put EVERYTHING I love in a book in hers. I absolutely loved the political, economic and social stakes about the war gangs, colonialism and the rise of communism in China. All those elements fit into each other perfectly and it felt right for a dramatic story such as Romeo & Juliet to have so many decisive and oppressive elements around them. Because that’s what this story is truly about: all the unstoppable forces which prevent two people to fall in love. Roma and Juliet are trapped in their social, economical and political situation and it takes more than just a flirt to destroy the system.

Moreover the situation in Shanghai in the 1920’s you get a monster scaring the city? Oh that’s brilliant. The "malediction" or "disease" that spread in the streets during the novel gave an extra tension to the story that I really enjoyed. I’m not sure if I appreciate the ending about that but I’m extra curious for what will happen next.

Those Violent Delights is also … a love story. But not entirely. I really like slow burn in my reading but this one was a snail. But it didn’t bother at all, on the contrary. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering when they’ll finally admit that they are in love with each other. Love is not the "heart" (sorry for that one) of the book, but it’s definitely the silent snake swimming beneath the surface (see what I did there ?). I love that everyone in this book is driven by love for their country, family, a significant other, dynasty, etc. It pushed the character to give their best or their worst and it was so interesting to see their evolution through the prism of love.

This book has the all package. It’s clever, captivating, thrilling and well-written. It’s definitely one of the best release of 2020. By far.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.


When I saw this book being advertised on BookTok (the bookish side of TikTok) through Chloe Gong's account, I was sold. Juts by the cover. Then when I did further research and found out it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, I knew I would love this book. It's an enemies to lovers romance which is one of the biggest tropes in Young Adult literature.

This modern re-telling has kept some of the most iconic scenes from the original play. The modern twist keeps the book entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I already know the These Violent Delights is going to be the next huge YA hit, and Chloe Gong will become a well known name in the young adult literature world.

"These violent delight have violent ends."

There are many content warnings for this book including: gun violence, gang violence, knife violence, murder, transphobia, consumption of alcohol, suicide, suicidal thoughts, illness

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of These Violent Delights in exchange for an honest review.

In Shanghai, in 1926, a blood feud that has been ongoing for years continues.

Tensions between the Scarlet and White Flower gangs is constant causing casualties on both sides.

4 years earlier heir to the Scarlet gang, Juliette Cai and the White Flower heir Roma Montagov saw past the blood feud and fell in love. That is, until he betrayed her.

After some time away, Juliette has returned to Shanghai.

Soon people from both sides of the feud start going mad and tearing out their own throats in what seems to be the beginning of a contagion. Juliette and Roma must work past there grudges and discover the cause of the contagion before both gangs are wiped out.

What I liked about this book

This is a really interesting take on Romeo and Juliette. It has an original and enjoyable premise.

The character line up is really diverse. I particularly liked Kathleen. Her loyalty and kindness are admirable.

Action packed scenes keep the story moving forward at a fast pace

What I didn't like

Due to the fact that this is a Romeo and Juliette retelling, I expected a lot more from the romance.

The perpetrator is quite obvious from the first few chapters.

These Violent Delights ends on a cliffhanger leading me to believe that there will be a second book. I didn't get what I was expecting from this book, though I did enjoy it.

3.75 stars
✮✮✮✭

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars!

These Violent Delights is definitely one of the most beautiful and refreshing re-telling that I have read in recent years. Based on Romeo and Juliet but set in 1920's Shanghai, this book has such a vibrant and atmospheric setting. I loved how Shanghai has been described, I loved the mix of culture and food that were presented in the book and I loved how the author presented and discussed colonialism and its effects in the story.

In addition, the plot had just the right amount of mystery, family intrigue, power struggle and action. Admittedly, I think that the story started out a little slow but once, I reached the 30% mark, I was fully invested in the plot and flew thew the rest of the book in a day or so. The characters too were well written, especially, the MCs Juliette and Roma, I really liked their personal struggles and loved how they developed through out the story, However, my one qualm was that I didn't feel attached to the characters very much, especially the side characters, there were quite a few of them and I loved the representations they added to the story, but I really wished some of their back stories was explored a little more. I do hope that is something which gets explored in the next book.

Overall, a good story and a great debut! I will look forward to what the author does next especially with that brilliant ending!!