i wish we were more willing to tell young writers to take their time, to read more, to let their voices and styles develop, to commit to a generative workshop model that allows them to hear criticism without any hurt. at 19 and even 20, you're not ready to produce good novels, especially in a genre that encourages wishy-washy politics. there's no way that a freshman in college is going to be able to thoughtfully tackle a multi-cultural historical fantasy set in a country with an incredibly complex political landscape that can in no way be captured by the watered-down YA equivalent of 'communism bad, wealthy factory owners victims 🥺🥺🥺, say no to fighting against exploitation!'-and one that's based on/inspired by one of the most popular plays in the world.Ĭhloe gong may well have poured her heart and soul into this book, sought out family for help, and committed to intense historical research. I do think that the growing urgency people feel to write, publish, and market books from a very young age is self-sabotage. The tiktok marketing has brainwashed everyone because this book was absolute ass…… Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.īabe, wake up, someone published a twitter thread critiquing capitalism's ongoing effects on young writers convinced they must publish before they're actually ready and it prompted chloe gong to drop a sulky, self-absorbed essay about how we're all really just jealous that we aren't published authors. 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. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.īut when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations.

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. The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.Ī blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos.

These violent delights review