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malomegh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Violence, and Suicide attempt
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Because I was such a slow reader, however, the hardcover came out before I could finish, so I read the last half in physical copy.
Why is it that every time I read a Romeo & Juliet retelling, I end up bawling my eyes out despite knowing the original story was never intended to be a romantic ideal?
It took me a solid week to get through this because it's a lot of politics crammed into 500 pages. You have to pay attention to every detail, otherwise you'll be lost further down the story. It would also help to have (re)read the first book recently. I couldn't for the life of me remember which sister was Kathleen and which was Rosalind, and the mention of Celia didn't help. I haven't picked These Violent Delights since I read the eARC last year, so I definitely wasn't in the loop anymore.
You get attached to all the characters, so every chapter is a knife in the gut where you wonder who will suffer this time around. Spoiler (not really): they all get their turn.
Chloe Gong managed to flawlessly include dialogue from the original play (eg "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet") and set it in this rich historical Shangai setting that will make you feel like you're really there. Her worldbuilding is a masterpiece, and the author's note at the very end speaks to the amount of research put into her work.
Speaking about the author's note, though, I need to know what the hell she meant by setting the set for the 1930s... Is there another book set in that era brewing? Because I will buy this thing the day it comes out!
Why is it that every time I read a Romeo & Juliet retelling, I end up bawling my eyes out despite knowing the original story was never intended to be a romantic ideal?
It took me a solid week to get through this because it's a lot of politics crammed into 500 pages. You have to pay attention to every detail, otherwise you'll be lost further down the story. It would also help to have (re)read the first book recently. I couldn't for the life of me remember which sister was Kathleen and which was Rosalind, and the mention of Celia didn't help. I haven't picked These Violent Delights since I read the eARC last year, so I definitely wasn't in the loop anymore.
You get attached to all the characters, so every chapter is a knife in the gut where you wonder who will suffer this time around. Spoiler (not really): they all get their turn.
Chloe Gong managed to flawlessly include dialogue from the original play (eg "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet") and set it in this rich historical Shangai setting that will make you feel like you're really there. Her worldbuilding is a masterpiece, and the author's note at the very end speaks to the amount of research put into her work.
Speaking about the author's note, though, I need to know what the hell she meant by setting the set for the 1930s... Is there another book set in that era brewing? Because I will buy this thing the day it comes out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahmreads's review against another edition
dark
sad
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
5.0
EVERYONE NEEDS TO SHUT UP AND GO PREORDER THIS BOOK! I AM IN TEARS!
Shanghai is crumbling to pieces. After Juliette sacrifices her relationship with Roma to keep him safe from the blood feud, Juliette now finds herself in a precarious position in fighting for the title of heir to the Scarlets. Roma is reeling from a betrayal most foul, he will stop at nothing to get revenge, even if that means killing Juliette. However, the threat of the monster still looms above Shanghai, and the two will be forced to work together again. Will they save their beloved city and themselves, or will other violent ends find them?
I cannot express in words how beautiful and painful this book was. Let's start from the beginning. I read the first book around the time it came out and I thought it was okay. I had some hopes, but wasn't sure I would pick up the sequel. I was quickly proven wrong because this might be one of the best sequels I've read this year.
Roma and Juliette I feel really come into their own roles, especially with their parallels in the classic Shakespeare play. Juliette realizes that not everything she has is what she wants, and what she doesn't have is what she really wants. Roma manages to grow past his hatred for Juliette... again. But they both had some beautiful moments together, even when they both thought they still "hated" each other. There was also a great line in there somewhere about having knives in bed and I'm still reeling from it.
The real stars of the show, in my opinion, were Benedikt and Marshall. OH MY GOD I've been wanting these two to get together for months now. This book filled my heart with so much hope for them, and seeing their own growth apart from each other hurt me so much. But them being reunited gave me all the love I've needed these last few months. Their arcs were done tremendously well and I applaud Chloe for that. I have cried at all of their scenes and I was not disappointed.
I felt like Kathleen had more of her own moments to shine than Rosalind, but regardless I think she still had some good times to shine through, especially with her own growth outside of the Scarlet Gang. Overall, I'm neutral about their growth.
In terms of plot, I thought it was decently fast paced. Do I think that the whole "re-emergence of the monster" plot was put too much in the background? Yes. Am I mad it was overshadowed by political riots and disruption? Absolutely not. I'm usually not one for political intrigue in a book, but this was done so well that I really felt for the rage and fury that Juliette had for her own city being destroyed before her eyes, because of forces she cannot control. It really mimics what happened in history at that time, and tied it right into the lives of the main characters enough that it could not be ignored. And in the end, it didn't become a fight to stop the Nationalists and the Communists. It was more a "we need to save ourselves because we can't stop this," and I really love that take on it. We don't see that a lot in YA books these days, where protagonists are set on demolishing evil political powers. It's refreshing to see this take such a different approach and yet still have it really fit the characters.
I also just really loved Chloe's style of writing?? It's done so beautifully well and I think it finally hit me how good stylistically this sequel was. I really felt myself among the streets with the Scarlets and the White Flowers in Shanghai and felt every single emotion these characters felt. It was so impactful on me as a reader.
Our Violent Ends far surpasses its legendary predecessor and will make you cry. Chloe Gong, you mastermind, I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for us. Oh, and bring your tissues for this one.
I received a copy of this book as an e-arc from NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Shanghai is crumbling to pieces. After Juliette sacrifices her relationship with Roma to keep him safe from the blood feud, Juliette now finds herself in a precarious position in fighting for the title of heir to the Scarlets. Roma is reeling from a betrayal most foul, he will stop at nothing to get revenge, even if that means killing Juliette. However, the threat of the monster still looms above Shanghai, and the two will be forced to work together again. Will they save their beloved city and themselves, or will other violent ends find them?
I cannot express in words how beautiful and painful this book was. Let's start from the beginning. I read the first book around the time it came out and I thought it was okay. I had some hopes, but wasn't sure I would pick up the sequel. I was quickly proven wrong because this might be one of the best sequels I've read this year.
Roma and Juliette I feel really come into their own roles, especially with their parallels in the classic Shakespeare play. Juliette realizes that not everything she has is what she wants, and what she doesn't have is what she really wants. Roma manages to grow past his hatred for Juliette... again. But they both had some beautiful moments together, even when they both thought they still "hated" each other. There was also a great line in there somewhere about having knives in bed and I'm still reeling from it.
The real stars of the show, in my opinion, were Benedikt and Marshall. OH MY GOD I've been wanting these two to get together for months now. This book filled my heart with so much hope for them, and seeing their own growth apart from each other hurt me so much. But them being reunited gave me all the love I've needed these last few months. Their arcs were done tremendously well and I applaud Chloe for that. I have cried at all of their scenes and I was not disappointed.
I felt like Kathleen had more of her own moments to shine than Rosalind, but regardless I think she still had some good times to shine through, especially with her own growth outside of the Scarlet Gang. Overall, I'm neutral about their growth.
In terms of plot, I thought it was decently fast paced. Do I think that the whole "re-emergence of the monster" plot was put too much in the background? Yes. Am I mad it was overshadowed by political riots and disruption? Absolutely not. I'm usually not one for political intrigue in a book, but this was done so well that I really felt for the rage and fury that Juliette had for her own city being destroyed before her eyes, because of forces she cannot control. It really mimics what happened in history at that time, and tied it right into the lives of the main characters enough that it could not be ignored. And in the end, it didn't become a fight to stop the Nationalists and the Communists. It was more a "we need to save ourselves because we can't stop this," and I really love that take on it. We don't see that a lot in YA books these days, where protagonists are set on demolishing evil political powers. It's refreshing to see this take such a different approach and yet still have it really fit the characters.
I also just really loved Chloe's style of writing?? It's done so beautifully well and I think it finally hit me how good stylistically this sequel was. I really felt myself among the streets with the Scarlets and the White Flowers in Shanghai and felt every single emotion these characters felt. It was so impactful on me as a reader.
Our Violent Ends far surpasses its legendary predecessor and will make you cry. Chloe Gong, you mastermind, I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for us. Oh, and bring your tissues for this one.
I received a copy of this book as an e-arc from NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm and Suicide attempt
rachrreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Netgalley for giving me an eARC copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Our Violent Ends was a masterpiece and Chloe Gong has proven herself to be a compelling storyteller. This thrilling and emotional conclusion to the These Violent Delights duology takes place in 1920s Shanghai, where Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are enemies. Or at least, that’s what their families want them to believe. Roma and Juliette are on two opposing gangs in a blood feud that has lasted for decades, but no one even remembers why it started.
This beautiful twist on the story of Romeo & Juliet adds in other themes as well. Filled with historically accurate political concepts, Roma and Juliette must maneuver this political minefield while also stopping the monsters from attacking again. A new “larkspur” is in control of the monsters now that Paul is gone and both gangs are being threatened. Working together this time proves to be trouble, especially when Roma believes Juliette murdered one of his best friends. It had to be done to prevent her cousin, Tyler, from taking her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir and killing Roma to do so. Juliette will do whatever is necessary to keep Roma alive, even if it means losing a relationship with him forever.
Wow. Just wow! I cannot believe Chloe Gong is the same age as me and has written one of my top 10 books I’ve read (counting series as one book)! Oftentimes I find retellings to be worn out, after all it’s the same story with different settings, but Chloe made this her own. This book is a beautiful homage to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, while also being separate enough to leave me on my toes. I found myself thinking one thing would happen, only to be thoroughly surprised when it did not.
I cannot express my love for this book enough, and I will definitely be rereading this for years to come. Not once did I feel like the pacing dragged! The prose was beautifully done and even when something made me sad, I found myself saying “Yes, Chloe, yes!” I cannot wait to read her spin-off duology in 2022. I expect great things from Chloe Gong in the future and she is an automatic buy author for me.
Our Violent Ends was a masterpiece and Chloe Gong has proven herself to be a compelling storyteller. This thrilling and emotional conclusion to the These Violent Delights duology takes place in 1920s Shanghai, where Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are enemies. Or at least, that’s what their families want them to believe. Roma and Juliette are on two opposing gangs in a blood feud that has lasted for decades, but no one even remembers why it started.
This beautiful twist on the story of Romeo & Juliet adds in other themes as well. Filled with historically accurate political concepts, Roma and Juliette must maneuver this political minefield while also stopping the monsters from attacking again. A new “larkspur” is in control of the monsters now that Paul is gone and both gangs are being threatened. Working together this time proves to be trouble, especially when Roma believes Juliette murdered one of his best friends. It had to be done to prevent her cousin, Tyler, from taking her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir and killing Roma to do so. Juliette will do whatever is necessary to keep Roma alive, even if it means losing a relationship with him forever.
Wow. Just wow! I cannot believe Chloe Gong is the same age as me and has written one of my top 10 books I’ve read (counting series as one book)! Oftentimes I find retellings to be worn out, after all it’s the same story with different settings, but Chloe made this her own. This book is a beautiful homage to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, while also being separate enough to leave me on my toes. I found myself thinking one thing would happen, only to be thoroughly surprised when it did not.
I cannot express my love for this book enough, and I will definitely be rereading this for years to come. Not once did I feel like the pacing dragged! The prose was beautifully done and even when something made me sad, I found myself saying “Yes, Chloe, yes!” I cannot wait to read her spin-off duology in 2022. I expect great things from Chloe Gong in the future and she is an automatic buy author for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Death of parent