[book-review] Chloe Gong - These Violent Delights

 

“The stars incline us, they do not bind us.”

I finished this book about an hour ago and I'm once more ruined. My feelings are ruined by a book. Probably my fav so far this year. 

Definitely 5/5 stars! 

But let me tell you how it came to this...

 I brought this book last November for myself as a birthday present (yes I do that). It sat in my shelve for ages, never coming around to read it, although I just heard good things and the cover is just stunning, it sat there and waited. Waited for the moment I'd pick it up. The moment was this Tuesday, shortly before my parents arrived for lunch. I didn't really get around to read it that day, only the prologue and it intrigued me. Since I had a massive headache on Wednesday, I didn't even picked it up for two days an the madness started on Friday when I finally picked it up again. And I couldn't put it down!

It took me a few chapters to get into Chloe Gong's writing style but I absolutely loved it! She's really good at describing and I felt as if I was in the Shanghai in 1926 - where our story takes place.

It all started with a monster. A monster that creeps through the river and people ripping out their own throat. The city is divided in two territories. One half of the city ruled by the Scarlet Gang, the other one by the White Flowers. 

Our protagonist of the Scarlet's is 19 year old Juliette Chai - freshly returned from America. Temperamental young woman who's the heir of the Scarlet Gang, supposed to run a tight leadership and the blood feud against the White Flowers. Russians who are lead by Lord Montagov. Their heir - Roma Montagov - is not as accepted as a leader under his father than Juliette is and it's showing. He's constantly fighting for recognition and not to fall in the ranks. 

The book itself starts with a group of White Flowers, a police officer and one Scarlet found dead by the river, throats ripped out. Roma starts investigating and head's to a burlesque club in Scarlet territory where he find's Juliette. She's shocked to see him and so is he. During the story we do find out that they know each other from 4 years ago before she left to America again and they both hate each other. When another Scarlet Gang member tore his throat out right in front of them in the club, Juliette's father - Lord Chai - wants her to investigate as well. 

Both heirs need to find out what's going on and since neither can really do anything since the city is divided, Roma suggests to work together after a while. Juliette agrees and promises to organize a meeting with his father. The two families meet up but the hate is stronger and the meeting ends in a disaster with Roma's younger sister getting infected with the "madness" - as they call it.

As the events go on like this, the two heirs seem to settle down their issues with each other and investigate the "madness" together. Finding a cure or who is responsible. They investigate in the ranks of the Communists and can't find some proper answers. More and more people - especially gang members - die and yet the both heirs get pulled closer and closer into their memories of the time when they were still younger. Back to the time 4 years ago when they first met and learned to love each other.

“Entitlement that encouraged their wives to place a delicate handkerchief to their nose and sniff, wholeheartedly believing the tirade was deserved. They believed themselves the rulers of the world—on stolen land in America, on stolen land in Shanghai. Everywhere they went—entitlement. And Juliette was so tired.”

I don't want to spoil anymore so I'll stop for now. But since this story is based on Romeo and Juliette by Shakespeare, you get a good impression of all the hurt to come. Yet it's not only a romance and enemies to lovers, it's so much more. We get a good case with investigations, violence, hurt, feelings, adventure and a good look at the problems of the 1920s in Shanghai where foreigners invaded the city, claiming everything their own. 

It's brilliantly written, heartbreaking, adventurous, cruel and made me hope. But the hope got torn out of my heart at the end. But I can tell you so much. I don't regret reading it. I don't regret getting destroyed by this. I just loved every damn moment of it! Every sentence! Every emotion. 

If you want something that hurts you, something that's brilliantly written, adventurous and romantic, go pick it up and read it! 

Oh and there'll be a second book. Our Violent Ends will be published on 16th November 2021 and I bet we get some more heartbreak and hope from Chloe Gong with this. And hopefully not the same end as with Shakespeare. 

 Also if you love some short stories, book details and infos to come, check out Chloe's website thecholegong.com :) 

Why are you this bad? I thought you were Russian?
- I'm Russian, but not an alcoholic.