These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Gong, C. (2020). These violent delights. Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 978-153445769
🚨Content warning: gore, death, insects, violence, murder, grief, weapons, drinking🚨
These Violent Delights is a retelling of the classic Romeo and Juliet story. Taking place in the 1920s in Shanghai, China, the blood feud between the White Flowers and the Scarlets is well and alive. Juliette Cai has just returned to Shanghai from the United States when she discovers that madness has swept over Shanghai, where people are clawing their throats out. Forced to team up with her sworn enemy and forbidden ex-lover Roma Montagov, Juliette and Roma must find the cause of the madness because if they don't, the city they both love and kill for will fall.
Before reading These Violent Delights, I knew little about Shanghai in the 1920s. After reading and a few Google searches, I can say that Gong does a great job portraying Juliette's and Roma's distaste for the foreign colonizer that threatened each of their respective "kingdoms." The storytelling and worldbuilding that Gong does make it feel as if you are present in Shanghai in the 1920s. Tensions are rising between the White Flowers, Scarlets, and the Nationalists as they all strive to rule over Shanghai. As a result of not knowing very much about Shanghai before reading, it was very interesting to read about the history of Shanghai through the characters' eyes rather than through a history book. The book was also full of different languages; some phrases were translated while others were not. My only wish was that all the phrases were translated in the book, but that was not too big of an issue when I could easily translate those phrases on my phone. Even without the translations, readers can understand what is being said based on the events happening.
The book is told from multiple POVs, which was an unexpected but fun surprise. I enjoyed reading from the other characters' POVs because it gave the reader more insight into the situations and why they were how they were. It also allowed the story to have multiple plot lines told through the different characters, which helped the plot feel fast-paced but still well-written. In addition to getting to read from Juliette's and Roma's POV, we were also able to read from some of the side characters' POVs, such as the best friends, Marshall, Benedickt, and Kathleen, who were not the main characters but were written with depth and personalities. Some of my favorite characters were the secondary character because of their storyline and how well-written they were. I was not expecting to see a trans character, but there was one, and I was glad to see her! The mention of the character being trans was brief, but I loved that it was brief because being trans is the main feature of the character. It was mentioned, but it keeps the character and her storyline intact.
These Violent Delights does not shy away from gore. There are multiple descriptions of people being murdered and the madness spreading. While the descriptions of murder did not bother me, the description of the madness (also later revealed insects) did make me squeamish. Though, they were well written. Reading different situations of the madness occurring, from people clawing their throats to one of the doctors extracting an insect from a dead body to find out that the removal triggers a response for all the insects to leave the body, to reading how the insects burrow into their host's scalp like lice, adds to the urgency Juliette and Roma have to find the source of the madness. You root for them even more, to find a cure when the stakes are raised because Roma's little sister Alisa is subjected to the madness and is en route to suffer the same fate as thousands of others. The book does leave off on a shocking cliffhanger that I did not see coming, so if you enjoyed reading the first book of this series, I recommend you start the second book, Our Violent Ends, as soon as possible!
Kirkus Reviews says that Chloe Gong's debut novel is a " must-read with a conclusion that will leave readers craving more." Madi L. Fabber from The Harvard Crimson says "this novel spins a unique take on star-crossed love, family dynamics, and the balance between honor, duty, and desire." TikTok user @azantareads agrees that "Chloe Gong's writing is flawless in the way that it's set up, the voice of the characters, and all of that. All of that comes through and more, and she creates the perfect movie for me to watch in my head" (when talking about Gong's world building abilities).
If you enjoyed reading These Violent Delights, I recommend the sequel in the duology Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong, and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. If you want to learn more about Shanghai's history, feel free to visit Britannica to learn more!
Awards and Recognition:
- TAYSHAS Reading List (TX)
- ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - Top Ten
- Flume Award Nominee
- Arkansas Teen Book Award Master list
Azanta. (2021, January 6). Azanta on TikTok. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@azantareads/video/7050176038143331630?_r=1&_t=8dskF39kcGp
Fabber, M. L. (2020, December 29). ‘These Violent Delights’ is a Daring and Dazzling Debut. The Harvard Crimson. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/12/29/violent-delights-review/
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). History of Shanghai. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Shanghai/History
McElderry. (2020, November 17). These violent delights. Kirkus Reviews. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chloe-gong/these-violent-delights-gong/
These violent delights. Simon & Schuster. (n.d.). https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/These-Violent-Delights/Chloe-Gong/These-Violent-Delights-Duet/9781665921763
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