Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the provided ARC in exchange for a review.
When I first saw the premise, a Romeo and Juliette retelling set in Shanghai in 1926 that also included gangs, I was sold. It seemed like something new that also appealed to my very new interest in East Asian inspired books and other media. I've never read a Romeo and Juliette retelling before and I was excited about this book but I also really loved the cover! So, when I saw that I was approved for a physical ARC, I was beyond excited.
And oh, this book did NOT disappoint!
I was completely engrossed with it right off the bat. The two things that immediately caught my attention were the beautiful writing and the very well-done atmosphere. Chloe Gong's writing flows so well on-page and reads effortlessly and I loved that. These Violent Delights is one of the few books with a strong feel for the atmosphere that I've read. It basically felt like I was there with the characters, and whenever I had to stop reading I just missed that feeling. Reading a book set in Shanghai was also definitely refreshing and the type of new in YA I crave.
I feel like I have to say that in my opinion, this book is more historical fiction than fantasy and although it has some fantastical elements, they are very low-key, to the point where I'd say it's more of the magical realism type. I still don't know how they managed to create a monster even after the explanation at the end of the book, but I'm okay with that because I really enjoyed this.
The book definitely kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it. I absolutely loved it and that's why putting my feelings into words will be hard.
I don't have a single complaint. The plot was executed very well, it kept me interested the whole time and there wasn't a single boring part in it. I was engrossed with it the whole time and I didn't want it to end. What's more, for the first time in ages I found myself wanting to read to the wee hours of the night and I even stopped watching my dramas (something that I usually look forward to) in favour of reading this. I enjoyed it that much.
Usually, when I read a book, I'd have this one main character that I'm not that interested in, but this wasn't the case here. I welcomed each POV the author introduced and if anything, I'd like to see more from all of them! Especially Kathleen and Benedikt, I want to know more about them.
I loved all of the effortless representation we have here because it's not made to be a big deal and that's what I love seeing. It's done well and I appreciate it.
What I loved about Juliette and Roma is that they aren't the kids from the original story. They are the same age, 19, and they already have some kind of history that is revealed slowly throughout the book. I enjoyed it because it was definitely done in a way I liked. For those of you who don't like much romance, but would like to give this a chance, I'd say the romance is very low-key and is definitely not the main thing in the book at all. It's focused more on the plot which I loved because I believe it just made the romance part better. Juliette and Roma had great chemistry, as did another pair of characters that shall remain a secret.
I would have liked a bit more from Rosalind because I feel like her character was kind of absent, and there was definitely a reason for it but it wasn't completely clear so I definitely hope there's more of her in the sequel.
Benedikt and Marshal seem like an amazing duo and I loved their dynamics, they were the best partners to each other and to Roma.
In my head, Roma is a soft cinnamon roll who tries to be fierce and I love him. I loved him in These Violent Delights and how much he was trying to stay true to himself and what he believed in. Actually, that's what I love about both him and Juliette. They decided to keep going and find out what or who's behind the madness and the monster even when nobody else cared enough to do so. I loved seeing them work together.
Juliette was also a great character who has her strengths and weaknesses. I loved how human she was even when she was trying to be ruthless. She was written excellently, just like everything else in the book. I'm extremely biased.
I loved the mystery element but what I appreciated the best was the way the madness was described and how realistic the reaction of the people was. I don't know if it was added as a later edit or if it was just spot on from the beginning, but the different types of reactions to it were very, very realistic.
What's more, that ending was just great. It left me wanting more. While I wasn't surprised at one of the final acts, I was so not expecting this ending, and I'm so excited about the sequel.
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