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breedawnwriter's review against another edition
5.0
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Wow, I truly cannot believe I’m two years late to the party. I initially wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book because I’d heard it was quite violent, but now I’m completely sold and ready to defend these characters WITH MY LIFE.
What I Liked:
- The setting. Worldbuilding is a hard thing for me—I either love it or it puts me to sleep. However, from the moment I started playing the audiobook, I was completely enchanted by this gritty, dark, glistening city of heartbreak and bloodshed. Every moment of description just enhanced the atmosphere tenfold, and I’ll literally spend the rest of my life trying to reach this level of awesomeness.
- Juliette. She’s such a fiery, strong female character. She’s the perfect embodiment of what we’ve all been saying we want in a strong female character. She embodies this because she’s badass, but she’s also feminine. Juliette embraces her femininity, she’s emotional at times, but she’s also incredibly calculated and careful and omg just go read the book, y’all.
- Roma Montagov. *heart eyes* I’m sorry, but I’ll never be over Russian guys who call girls Russian pet names *glances at Dimitri Belikov* Roma really is a great dude. He’s the broken, soft boy who just needs a hug, but he’s also incredibly brave and compassionate and bold and ugh, I love this man so much.
- The “side” characters. Marshall, Benedikt, Rosalind, and Kathleen all were so well-developed and I loved getting to see some of the story through their eyes.
What I didn’t like:
- The multiple POVs. I loved this, don’t get me wrong, but there were definitely moments where the switch felt too sudden and brushed against head hopping, which is a big no-no.
- I kept getting Marshall and Benedikt confused. I’m pretty sure this is just a me problem, but it was kinda frustrating because I love them both so much.
This was my first time reading a book that addressed colonialism in an obvious way and had a transgender character. All personal feelings/opinions aside, it was really interesting (in a good way!) to see a glimpse into these perspectives because I’ve never personally experienced either of these things. So, that was a cool, and new, experience that I appreciated!
At the end of the day, this is a gritty, violent book about enemies who used to be lovers, a mysterious and disturbing plague, and two rival gangs who will do anything to stay on top. If that’s your cup of tea, I’d highly recommend this book.
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Content warnings (from the author): Blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse.
For more information about potentially triggering content, click here: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/index.php?title=These_Violent_Delights_by_Chloe_Gong.
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gun violence, Self harm, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol
btrz7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Transphobia, Sexism, and Xenophobia
dandilion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug use, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
scarletto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
takarakei's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Throughout both books I was way more interested in the secondary characters: Benedikt and Marshall and Kathleen in particular. I found myself wishing for more time spent with these characters and their journey, struggles and development. To me, Kathleen is the real intriguing character of the series - she is way smarter, complex and ultimately I think more badass than Juliette.
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Misogyny, Racism, Transphobia, Blood, and Medical content
Minor: Colonisation and Deadnaming
celine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Colonisation
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Classism, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Transphobia
ghostsversion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Colonisation, Cursing, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexism, Transphobia, and Medical content
persikan_05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death of parent, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Vomit, Death, Drug use, and Fatphobia
packedjam's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide, Gore, Murder, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Classism, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Genocide, Alcohol, Trafficking, and Xenophobia
Minor: Drug abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Transphobia, and War