Book Details:
- Published Date: November 17, 2020
- Author: Chloe Gong
- Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult
- Format: Hardcover
- Length: 449 pages
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.
But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.
Ok, so I’m not a huge fantasy book reader, but I told myself in 2022, I would branch out and try to read other genres. This series happens to be a part of that branching out.
This book was compared to Romeo & Juliet. I personally feel like whenever people try to do retellings of this story it is usually either really good or just not it. So in this book you basically have a rivalry of two families, Scarlet Gang and White Flowers. Juliette had a forbidden relationship with the White Flowers heir, Roma. Of course that ended quickly when Juliette was sent to the United States for 4 years, but now she’s back. When she gets back, she finds herself forced to work with her former lover/enemy, Roma.
If you are a Shakespeare fan, I think you will absolutely love this version of Romeo & Juliet. I thought it was a good retelling and with the cliffhanger, it lets you know that there is a part two to this book. I already have the second book, so at some point I do plan on reading the second book to this duology.
My Rating:
Have you read These Violent Delights? What were your thoughts?
Chillin' With Books 
I’ve just finished this book and, if I’m being brutally honest, I was underwhelmed by it. The original play focussed on just one thing, the romance, and did it extremely well but These Violent Delights tried to do too much and the story suffered as a result.
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I agree, this book definitely had a lot going on which does take away from the actual story.
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I agree, this book definitely had a lot going on which does take away from the actual story.
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