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Module 4 - Book Review 2 - THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS: by Chloe Gong


 Module 4 – Book Review 2 

Review of Chloe Gong’s THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS 

*This review was written for a course through Sam Houston State University. 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Gong, Chloe (2020). THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS. Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN: 978-1534457690 

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

The book, These Violent Delights, is a dark twist on the story of Romeo and Juliet set in 1926 Shanghai. The story is set during a time of gang violence and chaos in the city. Eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai comes back to Shanghai in order to take over her family’s gang, the Scarlets. She reunites with Roma Montagov who is the leader of their rival gang, the White Flowers. He is also her ex-boyfriend with a past and hurt her. There is a supernatural element to the story that shows gangsters from both sides dying in a crazy way by going mad and clawing at their throats. This makes it seem like a monster is on the loose and plaguing the city. More deaths keep happening and ramping up the violence that could destroy Shanghai. Juliette and Roma have to work together by putting their hatred for each other aside to figure out what is causing the deaths and stop it. Their journey together forces them to deal with and figure out what it means to be loyal, deal with betrayal, and, of course, how they really feel about each other. The book offers a little bit of everything from power, love, gang warfare, and the horror found with the supernatural in a historical setting. Shakespeare lovers and those who enjoy fantasy combined with a passion for historical fiction will absolutely love this book. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS  

Chloe Gong gives a great example of retelling Romeo and Juliet by making Juliette and Roma active leaders of gang warfare instead of Shakespeare’s innocent victims caught between families. The switch manages to transform the story from focusing on external fate to internal moral choices and makes their partnership an act of resistance against violence itself. The novel's 1926 Shanghai setting works as its own character instead of just a backdrop. The corruption in the city and atmosphere help to create a morally complex world where it is difficult to see right and wrong. Gong works to create symbolism, and an example is the Huangpu River, which symbolizes the hidden darkness that reflects the corruption living inside the characters. Gong's most creative and unexpected choice is mixing historical fiction with supernatural horror. The mysterious illness that makes gangsters fall into madness works both as a real threat and as a symbol for how gang violence destroys people from within. This idea begs the question of whether violence is unavoidable or chosen. Unlike typical retellings that make one side good and the other bad, Gong doesn’t try to simplify the story. Both gangs are criminal, and both Juliette and Roma share the blame for the suffering in Shanghai. This design makes their decision to work together feel real and earned rather than some predetermined destiny. Finally, Gong uses dark, vivid descriptions and a gothic style to create fear and tension through sensory details that match the novel's themes of hidden corruption and mental breakdown. These choices in storytelling pull the audience into Shanghai's dangerous criminal world and emphasize the story's exploration of power, guilt, and the cost of violence. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Booklist starred (September 1, 2020 (Vol. 117, No. 1)) 

This exciting debut brings readers to 1920s Shanghai—in the wake of the Opium Wars and the rise of communism—and an unforgettable reimagining of Romeo and Juliet where rival factions the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers battle for financial and political control of their city.  Gong brings a high literary style and Shakespearean inspiration to a wholly unique world, from the vivid characterization of Roma Montagov and his mysterious connection to—and traumatic betrayal of—Juliette, to the banter, plot twists, and meticulous details on fashion. 

Kirkus Reviews starred (August 15, 2020) 

A monster spreads madness through the streets of Shanghai. It is the autumn of 1926, and Shanghai is poised at the brink of transformation. Foreign powers have carved out portions of the city for themselves; what remains is divided between two feuding gangs, the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers. Allusions to Romeo and Juliet are evident in names and specific scenes, but familiar themes of family, loyalty, and identity bear new significance in Gong’s inventive adaptation. 

Publishers Weekly starred (November 2, 2020) 

This mesmeric fantastical reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet nestles the star-crossed lovers-renamed Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai-in an atmospheric mid-1920s Shanghai, where the Russian Montagovs, head of the White Flowers, and the Chinese Cais, head of the Scarlet Gang, have been embroiled in an age-old blood feud. Gong’s incisive retelling imbues a thoroughly modern richness, with arresting prose and an inclusive cast. A lush, wholly original debut that will satiate Shakespeare aficionados and draw those seeking an engrossing, multifaceted historical fantasy.  

School Library Journal starred (October 1, 2020) 

Insta-love reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet occurred four years before this story begins, leaving Juliette and Roma the bitterest of exes. Gong combines star-crossed lovers with a gripping mystery, violent blood feud, and the glamour of 1926 Shanghai, turning the familiar play into a story readers have never seen before. Shakespeare fans will feel rewarded by parallels in the retelling, but Gong's writing has a sharp wit and offers new, thrilling stakes for all her readers.  

5. CONNECTIONS  

Related Books – Other books about the power, moral ambiguity, gang violence and the reimagining of history 

  • Gong, Chloe. OUR VIOLENT ENDS (Book 2 in series): 978-1534461284 

  • Thomas, Angie. THE HATE U GIVE: 978-0062498533 

  • Tahir, Sabaa. AN EMBER IN THE ASHES: 978-1595148031 

Activities and Extensions 

  • Have students create a power map of Shanghai’s underworld 

  • Draw a map of the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers’ territories 

  • Discuss how geography and territory fuel any conflict 

  • Ask students to analyze the “monster” as a metaphor 

  • Compare the supernatural horror to any real-world consequences of gang violence 

  • Research 1920’s Shanghai gang history 

  • Ask students to consider Juliette and Roma’s relationship and choices throughout the story 

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