Gorgeous Historical Fantasy for Young Adults

Chloe Gong's debut young adult novel is a clever retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In 1920s Shanghai, a blood feud between two rival gangs causes chaos in the city. Eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai has returned home to embrace her place as heir to the Scarlet Gang. When a contagion starts sweeping the streets, Juliette must work with her first love, Roma Montagov from the rival gang, to solve the mystery.

Chloe Gong's historical fantasy was rich with detail, bringing 1920s Shanghai to life. I loved the richness of the characters, as they struggle between love and loyalty. My biggest qualm was that the story was so bloody. A contagion causes people to randomly claw out their own throats, which was a bit gory for my taste. Yet, the overall story was delightful entertaining new young adult series.