Book Review: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

A mysterious plague has engulfed 1920s Shanghai, leading victims to sever their own throats. The city's two main gangs are forced to put aside their long-standing rivalry and work together to repress the source before it's too late. Among the animosity are ex-lovers Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, who are both heirs to their respective gangs. Past betrayals and rivalry between their clans are keeping them apart. An alliance is formed, clues are unraveled and discoveries are made. It is a mystery, a monster-hunt and a Romeo and Juliet retelling, all rolled into one.

    

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Rating: 4/5

The author’s eloquent writing was by far my favorite aspect of this book. It seemed to flow naturally and complemented the ornate setting of Shanghai. Each page brimmed with emotion and elegance. Artfully built suspense provided a dark aesthetic as the novel progressed. 

The action-packed plot was pleasantly paced and featured outstanding characters. Although I couldn’t connect with any of them, I enjoyed the diverse representation that the book had to offer. The prose was thoughtfully laced with themes of communism and colonization that left me thinking long after I finished reading it.

This novel is perfect for fans of dark mystery and forbidden romances. I would highly recommend looking up the book's trigger warnings.

Age recommendation: 13+

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Retelling, Romance, Young Adult

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"Morning turned to noon with an exhausted flop, beams of gray daylight streaming through the dirty windows of the burlesque club."

“Memories were beastly little creatures, after all—they rose with the faintest whiff of nourishment.”

“Her feminine beauty was a concept as fleeting as power. If she acquired a tan, put on some weight, and let a few decades pass, the street artists would not be rendering her face to sell their creams anymore. Chinese and Western standards alike were arbitrary, pitiful things. But Juliette still needed to keep herself in line, force herself to follow them if people were to look up to her.”

“This is why my betrayal was so terrible. Because you believed me incapable of hurting you, and yet I did.”