These Violent Delights book review

 These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

2020

Historical fiction, young adult, fantasy

These Violent Delights is an amazing debut filled with delightful worldbuilding. In 1920s Shanghai, Juliette Cai has returned to her home city and her position as heir to the Scarlet Gang. After a mysterious, monstrous threat begins killing Shanghai’s people, Juliette is forced to team up with her former lover and heir of the rival gang the White Flowers, Roma, to put a stop to the deaths before all is lost.

Shanghai of the 1920s is so much fun to explore, and Gong is great at describing the landscape. I felt completely immersed. The low fantasy setting allowed Gong to weave in realities of Chinese history, like the erasure of Chinese culture in Shanghai, racism, opportunities for women, politics, and class. It’s safe to say I’m now tired of the constant depiction of 1920s New York; give me more rival inheritors of fantastical Shanghai any day!

I LOVE the star crossed lovers theme, it works really well due to the darker setting of the novel. This is in part to the great character development of Juliette and Roma, who are both so much fun to follow. With other young adult books, you know all is going to end well, but These Violent Delights keeps you on your toes. 

I also just can’t believe Gong was a student when this was published and not much older than me. Part of the reason I loved the characters so much is due to the fact they genuinely felt their age. I can’t wait to see what Gong brings in the future!

Rating 4.5/5: I’d highly recommend These Violent Delights. Though it’s definitely dark YA due to all the murdering, I think the consistent quality of These Violent Delights will bring new fans to the YA fantasy genre.