Okay, I've finally pulled myself together enough to write a review. This review will also be available on my blog.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also, thank you to my sis Briana for buddy reading this with me.

This was such a wild ride. From the moment you begin the prologue, things take an unexpected turn. While the Cais and the Montagovs are clearly meant to be the center of the story, it's also clear that there are so many other events and characters that hold weight within the story. Not only are we dealing with a long standing family feud, we're dealing with emotional newly formed adults who happen to have engaged in a past secret love affair, the colonization and invasion of Shanghai, and a mysterious monster that is causing havoc and spreading madness along the Huangpu River.

Let me tell you that for majority of this book I was asking myself what in the world is going on? On the surface I obviously understood what was happening, but once we start to dig deep....this was all over the place. I SWEAR I MEAN THAT IN A GOOD WAY. There were so many subplots and elements going on that I can't even decide which one was the best or had me the most involved. The battle of the Communists, the Nationalists, the Foreigners, and the gangsters of Shanghai is something that is always in the forefront. While the Montagovs and Cais are constantly at each other's throats with violent act after violent act, they also have to deal with the fact that both may be losing control of their city. They are fighting on war on multiple fronts, not just with one another. Throw this mysterious monster into the mix and well....things begin to boil over.

One thing I loved is the fact that there isn't a full rhyme or reason to why the blood feud is happening. Yes we learn about the recent stressors that have led to the violent escalation of the past few years, but most of the gang members don't even know how this feud started. There is no real explanation. You don't join the gangs because you hate the opposing end. You hate the opposing end because you've joined the gang. It really lent itself to the trickle down effect that I think the gangster lifestyle has. Even the slight association with the wrong person can get you on a list that leads to you killing or being killed. The Cais and Montagovs are the definition of on sight and we learn that from the very first page of the book.

Character wise, we meet an array of amazing faces, each with their own motivations and stories. We learn early on that Juliette is committed to being as ruthless as possible. There's no room for her to question herself. The reasons behind this aren't immediately understood, but eventually I think it all comes down to two things: Her past with Roma and her role as a female heir in an otherwise traditional family. Juliette has been westernized and so it's easy for others to question whether or not she's truly the best person to take over once her father steps down. Add on top of that that having a woman leader is something that the Cais have never had to face. Yeah that'll have you trying to prove yourself. Juliette also has the added element of having a secret affair with Roma which led to devastating consequences in the past. She can't afford to be seen as weak and she'll do anything to prove that family is her first priority.

Roma is an emotionally driven character through and through. Unlike Juliette, he's fought against the notion that he has to be ruthless just because he's a Montagov. The one ruthless act he committed nearly destroyed him and yet he still has a role to play. Early on, I couldn't get a good sense of Roma and I was worried that he would just serve as a catalyst for Juliette's story, but I definitely fell in love with him while reading. It's clear that he's fiercely protective and loyal and I want him protected at all costs okay. I will say that his nonchalant attitude about the blood feud was a bit weird. I couldn't tell if he was just jaded or if he truly believed that this is the hand he was dealt.

Other characters I had strong feelings about:
-Tyler Cai and Rosalind Lang could jump off the dock because they irritated me so much. Tyler at least served as an outright antagonist so he was supposed to irritate me, but Rosalind I didn't understand. Why are you so mad sis??? Please explain.
-Kathleen Lang was amazing. I loved her loyalty and the work she put in to collecting intel. I also really appreciated the dynamics of her relationship with Juliette. Her backstory just made me so emotional and I just want all the happiness for her.
-Benedikt Montagov and Marshall Seo must be protected at all costs and I'll fight anyone who disagrees.

The last 33% of the book really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster that I don't think anything can prepare you for. It literally knocked me on my ass. There were a few cliffhangers and items that weren't explained that I hope we get resolved in the follow-up book.

If I had to give a critique of anything it would be that it took awhile for me to get into Roma's character. Like I said, I eventually grew to love him, but for the first 1/3 of the book it felt like he was only there to drive Juliette's character and the plot. I would also say that sometimes things did feel a little chaotic and I had to re-read some moments to understand what was going on. I think it's just because there were so many sub-plots that at times it felt a little overwhelming.

All in all though, this was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed letting one Chloe Gong wreck my life.