6 Reasons Why I Enjoyed These Violent Delights

Book Review:
Title: These Violent Delights
Author: Chloe Gong
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“So don’t start believing that skill is all it takes to stay at the top. Loyalty plays its dirty hand too, and it is a fickle, ever-changing thing.” 

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.

These Violent Delights was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. The premise of the story drew me in immediately and I impatiently waited months for it to come out. Then of course Uni got in the way and I wasn't able to pick it up straight away, but, it was the first book I read after I submitted all my assignments as a little treat to myself, and boy was it a treat!

Here's 6 reasons why I enjoyed These Violent Delights:

1.)   Shakespeare
I think everyone and their mother is aware that this is a Romeo and Juliet inspired story, which already makes this book exciting because *star-crossed lovers* and *rival gangs* and *angst*, but Chloe Gong really does make this story her own. While you get some undertones of the original Shakespeare play, this book stands solidly on its own. Other than the major change of adding a monster and having a ‘madness’ sweep through the city, there are a few themes and plot points from the original that are flipped on their head, which made this book even more exciting to read.

2.) Violence
With a title like These Violent Delights and having two families who absolutely hate each other, I expect violence. And Miss Gong delivered! I don’t know why but books with gangs, the mafia or feuding families really appeal to me, and there’s honestly a lack of them in the YA space (kind of understandably since things can get messy, but still…) so the level and quality of violence in this book seriously ticked some of my boxes.

3.) Culture and Important Discussions
1920s Shanghai. It was as fascinating as it sounds. There was so much culture embedded into this book and story, and it was all wonderful. From larger descriptions of the general setting to more intricate descriptions of clothing, Chloe’s Gong prose made it so easy to vividly visualise everyone and everything (I can already see how gorgeous this setting would look as a tv show!). And then on top of the crazy story and culture learnings, there were also some much needed and appreciated discussions about colonialism and identity – knowing and figuring out who you are.

4.) Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov
Obviously, the main characters need to be on this list. I loved how different these two characters were – Juliette is this boss-ass b*tch who doesn’t take shit from anyone, knows what she wants and *will* get what she wants. Roma on the other hand is also badass, but on a more muted scale and, let’s be honest, is basically a simp, which I loved. We need more soft boys in YA.
While there wasn’t as much romance as I expected, it still ticked a load of boxes for me. The angst, the yearning, the tension, it all built up beautifully throughout the course of this book and I can’t wait to see it continue to grow (I’m still hoping that the ending of this series will stray from the original…)

5.) The Squads
Roma and Juliette both have their own respective squads within the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers. In the girl gang we have Kathleen and Rosalind, and with Roma we have Marshall and Benedikt. I loved the dynamic in each of these groups, especially when they occasionally overlapped. They also felt nicely fleshed out for side characters, so I really enjoyed getting to know them and their own mini arcs in the story.
I really want to see them become one big squad in the sequel, because not only do I think they would get shit done, I know the dynamics would lead to an incredible amount of banter!

6.) Vibes
Finally, we have the vibes. I don’t consider myself much of a critical reader - my enjoyment of a book usually stems from the *vibes* I get. And to put it simply, These Violent Delights gave off some great vibes from the very start, so that in itself is already a win in my eyes.

4 Stars
Goodreads