Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Epic, engaging historical fantasy reboots Romeo and Juliet.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 12 kid reviews
Kids say the book is a thrilling and engaging retelling of a classic tale, praised for its character development and immersive historical setting in 1920s Shanghai. Many enjoyed the complex plot, the balance of romance and action, and the graphic violence, while highlighting its appeal to mature teens despite some concerns over gore and swearing.
- engaging characters
- immersive setting
- graphic violence
- complex plot
- mature themes
- diversity represented
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS tells the story of two crime families vying for supremacy over Shanghai in 1926. Attacks and retaliations have spilled a lot of blood on both sides. Roma Montagov is heir to the White Flowers gang, and Juliette Cai is heir to the Scarlets. Four years ago they met and fell in love, vowing to put a stop to the feud when they took over. But Roma betrayed Juliette, and Juliette's been living overseas for the last four years. Now that she's back in Shanghai, she hardly recognizes the city she left behind, and she hasn't been able to forgive Roma, either. Amidst the violence and chaos, a horrible disease begins to spread throughout the city, and rumor has it that it's caused by a mysterious monster that's been sighted in the Huangpu River lately. Realizing that neither family can rule over an empty, decimated city, Roma and Juliette agree to work together to stop the disease from spreading. But they don't agree to let go of the past, to forgive, or to forget.
Is It Any Good?
This is a strong, epic debut novel from promising college undergraduate Chloe Gong, who does an especially good job of bringing Shanghai in 1926 vividly to life. Her powers of description are best in creating atmospheres from the eerie river at night to elegant lawn parties in the French section of town. The large cast of characters are well developed and for the most part easy to keep track of. Teens will enjoy this retelling of the classic star-crossed-lovers tale whether they've read Romeo and Juliet or not.
Action, excitement, and mystery solving share the pages with sweeping and epic change in the politics and society of Shanghai at the time, as well as with the inner workings of the two rival criminal gangs. It's a lot to take on, and it's pretty well balanced, although some readers may feel it slows too much when it delves into Shanghai history, the rising popularity of Communism, or the foreign powers all too eager to gain control of Shanghai for themselves. Overall the plot builds well to an exciting cliff-hanger of an ending that will have readers eager for the rest of the story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in These Violent Delights. How much is too much? Is reading about it different from seeing it in movies, videos, or games?
Romeo and Juliet is a lot of students' introduction to Shakespeare. What makes it so timeless? Have you read or seen the play, or a movie adaptation? Which did you like the best?
What about alcohol use in the story? Is it realistic? Is it glorified? What are your own and your family's attitudes and values about drinking?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon Pulse
- Publication date : November 17, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 464
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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