I went far out on a limb reading this book. To me, the Romeo and Juliet trope is an immediate book turn-off. It's not often at all that I enjoy the Shakespearean retelling genre, or anything of the like, but 2024 is the year to get out of my comfort zone, and I'm glad I did with These Violent Delights. Based in 1920s Shanghai, "a lawless place where governments came both to be born and to die," the novel starts out strong. Chapter one jumps right into the thick of gang rivalries and alludes right away to the "Guài wù," the "chudovishche," - that there is monster afoot. Then there is also an immediate passionate tension between Roma and Juliette that hooks you, because you want to know right away what happened at the core of their former relationship to cause such hostility between them years later. The imagery Gong uses is mostly simple and modern, yet no page lacks in intensity. Through the terse moments of sexism, nepotism, violence, and ruthlessness, there is also room for humor. 

"'That's not a necklace, is it?'
'It is not, Bàba.'
'That's a garrote wire, isn't it?'
'Indeed it is, Bàba.'
'How many other weapons have you concealed on yourself?'
'Five, Bàba.'
Lord Cai pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, 'Wôde māyā, have mercy on my soul.'
Juliette smiled like she had been complimented." 

I would give five stars if it weren't for the pace - while I felt like it progressed quick enough, at certain points it felt like some chapters were completely unnecessary and just there as fluff/filler. The political aspects were also drawn out - it would've been a perfectly fine plot without such a heavy focus on politics and communism, etc, etc. 

With over 400 pages, These Violent Delights managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails the whole time. I look forward to seeing how the rest of this story unravels in Chloe Gong's next book, Our Violent Ends.