Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

67 reviews

kylosten's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Classism, Xenophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence and Medical content

Minor: Transphobia

cnaccarato's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Gore, Murder, Grief, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, and Drug use

Minor: Police brutality, Outing, Bullying, Sexual content, and Homophobia

thehannahclaire's review against another edition

DNF @ 50%

LOVED the premise, wasn’t a fan of the execution outside of the discussion of colonialism and race. I really wanted to feel connected to the characters, but I just wasn’t. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Gore

Moderate: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Deadnaming, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Drug use

snikhtha's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

This book took me FOREVER to finish. I'm just glad I managed to get it done this year. Good riddance.

This has such a promising plot, but sadly the execution does not live up. The pacing is the obvious culprit. The plot moves at a snail's pace and each chapter barely reveals one minuscule crumb of plot point. It takes forever to get the main plot going, and none of the side plots are interesting enough to make up for it.

The other problem is Roma, and by extension, the White Flowers. They're not nearly as fleshed out as the Cai's, and they get far less screen time. Roma has no real personality besides being the love interest, and Benedikt and Marshall are just... there. In comparison to Juliette's relationships with her cousins, the White Flowers boys just don't measure up. Roma's place within the White Flowers is also murky and the gang just does not seem as threatening in comparison.

Also, the twist villain. It was obvious from the first meeting. I would like to think I wouldn't have a problem with guessing twists, but reading 400 pages just to find out what I guessed all along was anti-climactic to say the least. 

Looks like this series might be DNFd. I can't take another 5 months for just one book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, and Body horror

Moderate: Transphobia and Xenophobia

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Medical content

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Death of parent

prashiie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

“A love like theirs was never going to survive in a city divided by hatred.”

It took me a while to really get into the story and the insects and how they are described deserve a trigger warning! At first it was disgusting to read about the insects and it grossed me out, but luckily it got better.

This story is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set in Shanghai in the year 1926. The main characters Juliette and Roma are the heirs of feuding families and are expected to put their own family and gang first. But something weird is happening in Shanghai and it’s up to them to protect the city, together. However, from the start it is clear that there is some bad history between them.

“She could have reminded him of what he did four years ago, pushed the blade of guilt in until he was bleeding.”

As the story proceeds, we get to know what happened between them. They are both interesting and strong characters. I also really liked Marshall and Celia!

What shocked me the most is China’s political turmoil at that time and how much racism Chinese people faced by foreigners not only in America, but even in their own country. I could sense the resentment the author feels, rightfully so!

“Foreigners built parks and demanded the Chinese keep out. They poured funds into the city, and though China was never formally a colony, that was precisely what was going on in Shanghai: segment after segment being colonized.”

I’m glad to have read this book, because the background of this story was very educational! Now I’m curious to learn more about the history of Asia.

I’m so happy Marshall is still alive. I was ready to give up on this series when Juliette shot him… Great twist, Chloe Gong :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Xenophobia, Violence, Stalking, Sexism, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Colonisation

Moderate: Transphobia, Drug use, and Grief

Minor: War, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Beware of a detailed description of insects attacking humans!

c_ary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Gore, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Classism, Body horror, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Xenophobia and War

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Overall this was really enjoyable. A unique take on Romeo and Juliet, but maybe the best one I’ve read in being both recognizable and tolerable. Chloe Gong successively captures the atmosphere of the setting. There does seem to be the occasional anachronism, but nothing glaring or intolerable. Juliette came off as the badass heroine that YA stories often strive for without seeming flat or cringey. My biggest criticism would be that this is definitely overwritten in parts. There’s many instances where the prose could be simplified and tightened up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Classism, Blood, Colonisation, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Medical content, Racism, and Grief

Minor: Child abuse, Police brutality, Child death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Trafficking, and Xenophobia

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

i enjoyed this more than i thought i would. i liked the modern retelling of romeo and juliet, &

that they already had a past & were aged up so it was a new take, despite it being obvious they’d end up together.

majority of the plot was predictable with a few unexpected twists in there. quite political; so took me a little longer to get into it but was relevant to the story. i liked some of the side characters, they added depth to the story and it was left in a way that i want to read the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, War, Xenophobia, Murder, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Alcohol, Bullying, Racism, and Grief

karcitis's review against another edition

Just not in the mood, lots of gore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Self harm, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Death

Minor: Drug use, Addiction, War, Transphobia, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Xenophobia