Author: Chloe Gong
Publication Date: 17 November 2020
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Page Count: 464
Reading Method: Physical Book
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 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.
Review:
This is another segment in Haley and Kim’s quest to complete our backlogged Owlcrate reads. I was thrilled that we chose to read this one in March, and we even managed to rope another reader into our buddy read. As usual, the Owlcrate version of These Violent Delights is stunning. The cover is green – GREEN! I need more green books please (hey publishers, I’m talking to you!)
I’ve heard this book pitched as a retelling of Romeo and Juliette set in 1920’s Shanghai and I was so dang excited to dive into the world of these badass gangsters. I was expecting heat, forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, 1920’s aesthetic, and high stakes – and it delivered on some of these, but not others. Let’s get into it!
Characters:
Our main characters are Roma and Juliette (did you expect anything different?). Roma is the heir to the White Flowers gang, while Juliette is the heir to their rival gang, the Scarlets. Roma seems to be all soft edges, a dreamer, fiercely protective of those he loves, but can throw down when needed. Juliette is a bit sharper, more cunning, an absolute badass, and fully ready to accept her position as the leader of the Scarlets.
Every great leader needs a crew! Roma is nearly always accompanied by Benedikt and Marshall. These two were probably my favorite characters in the story. They provided a bit of comedic relief and always had Roma’s back. There were moments where they genuinely just felt like good dudes I could pal around with. Juliette’s number one ally is her cousin Katherine. We get little bits and pieces from Katherine’s perspective throughout the story and she is just so dang admirable. She is brave, strong and loyal to Juliette. She would be a fabulous person to have on your side.
The final character I want to mention is the city. The way the Shanghai is described in this book is truly like it is its own character. The descriptions were vivid and made the city feel like a living, breathing thing that the reader could become attached to as much as any other character we were introduced to.
Plot:
The idea for the plot in this book is brilliant – a madness sweeping the city causing people to rip their own throats out, but no one knows what is causing it or how to make it stop. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences and work together to find the cure. Highly intriguing! While all of this is happening, or maybe because of it, there is gathering political unrest and tensions between the White Flowers and Scarlets are higher than ever.
Roma and Juliette aren’t supposed to fall in love, yet they can’t seem to stay away from each other. I do wish there had been a little more of a spark between them. Their chemistry wasn’t entirely believable. I would have liked to have seen some more flashbacks to the past when they were initially falling in love, and a bit more heat in the present. I know this is characterized as a young adult book, so obviously no *real* spice is expected, but I didn’t find myself rooting for them, one way or the other.
The saving grace of These Violent Delights for me was the whole madness/monster terrorizing the city story line. This is what kept me coming back – I needed to know what was going on! I can’t really say too much about it all without giving it away, but I thought it was done really well. It was smart and completely original. And the ending “resolution” will leave you gasping and anxiously awaiting the sequel.
Writing:
This is where I struggled with These Violent Delights. The characters and plot were the ideal set up for a 5 star read. Unfortunately, there were pacing issues that made it difficult for me to find the drive to keep picking this one up. There are moments of fast paced action and intrigue, but then it slows way down and becomes overly descriptive or repetitive. Because of this, I would be enjoying it while the book was open, but lack motivation to continue on once things started to slow down. There were some truly lovely descriptions and beautiful passages scattered throughout, but I had a hard time with the in-between moments.
Overall:
I’ve thought about this a lot since finishing These Violent Delights, and I think I truly did enjoy it. It wasn’t a book that grabbed me from the start and gripped me throughout, but it is one that sits with you and the more I think about it, the more I like it. The ending was enough to leave me hooked and desperate for the next book.
