These Violent Delights: A Unique Twist on Romeo and Juliet

YA is no longer my favorite genre, so I don’t follow what’s happening in that world. What made me pick up These Violent Delights from the library was the beautiful cover and the blurb at the back of the book that indicated this would be a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, but set in 1920s gangland Shanghai.

These Violent Delights Synopsis

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in 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 betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats, the people start whispering. 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, there will be no city left for either to rule.

~ Synopsis from GoodReads

My Review

I thought this book was a standalone when I got it. If I had known this was a series, I might not have picked it up. These days, I avoid series like the plague. There are too many unfinished stories rolling around in my head. But finally, I am glad I read These Violent Delights.

When I read a YA, especially when it’s a debut novel written by a 20-year-old, I deliberately lower my expectations a bit.

But with this one, I didn’t have to worry too much. It’s a solid story – catches your interest with the unique storyline. I love that it wasn’t too similar to the original Romeo and Juliet story. Plus, here, Juliet is kickass – loved her attitude.

The only negative I had was that the book seemed a little too slow to get going. A saggy middle section could have been tightened up a bit.

And I wish this story could have been told within one book instead of splitting into two. The book ending was also unsatisfactory – didn’t leave me longing for more, yet not enough of a standalone ending.

What I loved were the descriptions of 1920s Shanghai – a city I loved when I visited in 2018. I had roamed the same areas described in the book, and although it’s all touristy now, it still helped me mentally visualize the setting.

Overall, I have to say this book exceeded my expectations. I loved the characters, there was some crackling chemistry between the leads, the supporting characters were fine. There was not too much teenage angst (my main beef these days with YA), and it was overall quite unpredictable.

One of those books that ended up really exceeding my expectations. I probably will have to read the sequel now to see what happens to these two characters. Sigh!