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A review by mezzano
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
These Violent Delights is a beautifully written debut novel which also happens to be a book I thoroughly disliked reading. Paul and Julian have their tender and loving moments which make the tragedy believable, but the setting and writing comes across as overly pretentious and showy. Before any real crime or violence took place in the novel, I already disliked the characters. Their mistakes and the late-book drama felt stale as I found it impossible to feel any sympathy of Julian OR Paul. By creating a world rich with imagery and prestige, the leads become less desirable as protagonists.
Considering this is a debut novel the book is written masterfully, but if a character-driven novel has characters who are hard to love, the story will be difficult to finish. Some good notes in this book which do land well is the corruptive power of money and influence. Paul is dragged into Julian's world of power and charisma, and learns that a posh world is the opposite of an honest one. Unlike other reviews, I did enjoy certain aspects of the ending of the book, such as when Paul needs to face the reality of his past actions alone. At its highest points, These Violent Delights is intoxicating, but the hangover the highs leads isn't worth the effort. The drama could have been easily prevented with characters that had an ounce more common sense or empathy.
Considering this is a debut novel the book is written masterfully, but if a character-driven novel has characters who are hard to love, the story will be difficult to finish. Some good notes in this book which do land well is the corruptive power of money and influence. Paul is dragged into Julian's world of power and charisma, and learns that a posh world is the opposite of an honest one. Unlike other reviews, I did enjoy certain aspects of the ending of the book, such as when Paul needs to face the reality of his past actions alone. At its highest points, These Violent Delights is intoxicating, but the hangover the highs leads isn't worth the effort. The drama could have been easily prevented with characters that had an ounce more common sense or empathy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Mental illness