“How many more faux monsters would be torn down with unbidden violence in their path toward finding the real one? How was she any different from the killers that lurked in this city—the ones that she was trying to stop?”

Without any preamble, These Violent Delights has you falling into one familiar character after another—realizing without realizing the connection to Shakespeare’s archetypal characters. There’s the obvious Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai, but then it took me halfway through the book before I realized that the White Flowers scientist Lourens was the adaptation of Romeo’s herbalist Friar Laurence. None of these characters are cookie-cutter replicas of their Elizabethan counterparts, which made this a fresh read.

Like the prologue to Romeo and Juliet, which alludes to more hate and violence than love and romance, These Violent Delights also focuses more on the feuding in this 1920’s Shanghai gangster-ruled setting. In this version, it’s years after the original tragic ending where the only deceased counterpart characters are the Nurse and Lady Montague. We’re given snapshots of flashbacks to fill in the gaps about what has occurred to start and fuel the feud, as well as the alluded betrayal between the two main characters. This original plot pits Roma and Juliette, heirs of the blood-feuding gangs, against one in another in control of the city they love; however, they come together to fight a new sci-fi enemy—a monster that’s being unleashed on both Scarlets and White Flowers alike.

This story is at its best when the plot moves along without all of the muddled political dissection, which doesn’t seem to happen until the last 100 pages or so, and when the characters move beyond their single-layer trope, which, again, doesn’t happen until the last 100 pages. Juliette Cai portrayed as a cold-blooded killer doesn’t work until we see her struggle with one of the novel’s most essential questions: Do you have to become a monster to fight a monster?

Even though the middle seemed to drag rather mundanely, enough movement and intrigue occurred at the end that made me want to know what will happen next in this series—a series meant for ninth-graders. This first book is the perfect mix of Odysseus’s sea monsters lurking beneath the water’s edge, Romeo and Juliet’s lovers star-crossed above, and Lord of the Flies’ transcendental question of humans being the real monsters within. ( )

read

Probably a better read for everyone else than it was for me. My experience was somewhat dull, but I have no doubt this will be a hit with most other readers if they think they would like it!

Recommended: eh
For a glimpse into 1920s Shanghai, for a historical fantasy gangster story (not a common combo I think), for flavors of Romeo & Juliet but ultimately its own standing story

Thoughts:
Look, I know. This book has everything. Shanghai in 1920s, one of my favorite place-time combos. A basis in Shakespeare. A fantasy element of monsters. A touch of brutality and gore to darken the story.

So why didn't I love it???

I'm a bit baffled, honestly. I've tried to pinpoint what kept me from falling in love with this book, as I should have by all rights. I think my issue was partly that I wasn't expecting it to be intertwined with magic and I wasn't really in the mood for that -- and obviously that's a personal issue, nothing with the book. But the bigger issue I faced was that I just didn't really care about either of the main characters.

Poor communication is at the crux of both of Juliette and Roma's issues, which is a common trope but still one that immediately turns me off. Their relationship and history together was predictable -- and not just because it's based on Romeo and Juliet. The forbidden longing aspect was weak because of it, so that had no pull on me. The rest of their character - the powerful heir who doesn't want the job - was meh.

Give me more Marshall and Benedikt any day though! I adore them. 

Besides that this story shines in it's world building and portrayal of Shanhai at the time. It was truly a wild place, and not in entirely good ways. The chaos of competing powers between gangs, countries, and even government systems is captured exquisitely within. I could imagine every scene in the city so vividly, and that was what I loved most. The contrasts of the city were perfect.

Now if you're curious how much this really pulls from Romeo and Juliet, the answer is minimally. There are a few key elements to the original story that are reflected in here, but overall it is uniquely its own. To come in expecting a straight retelling is woefully misguided. This is a fresh new story; it just happens to throw some nods to relationships and plot points from the OG R&J.

So if you read the blurb of this book and think "hey I'll probably like that" then you probably will. This book has tons of action blended well with introspection and interpersonal development. My issues are mostly my own, and my "it was okay" rating (as always) reflects my own experience and not the objective quality of the book. ( )

I was not expecting to like this book so much. The setting was lovely. The characters were lovely. And despite the gruesome plot line, the book itself was lovely. A twist on Shakespeare and I definitely recommend. ( )

I see that other users have tagged this as romance (and I will begrudgingly do so because sure, there's romantic elements) but by and large, this is more historical fantasy/mystery. Always interesting to see what people do with retellings, and in this case changing who lives and who dies! This is half of a duology though, so we'll see what happens next and if it ends in tragedy like the original source play.

Monster/plague causing anxiety in the city layered on top of colonialism and factions wrestling for control makes a deliciously chaotic setting, and I appreciate having trans rep without it ending in tragedy.

The author's so young! an impressive debut. There's maybe too many teenagers with power but I am interested enough to finish reading the duology. ( )