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A review by quillnqueer
These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Loved these toxic boys so much, I need them 6000 miles away from each other. This is a dark, slow paced story of first Queer relationships, violence and obsession, set in the 1970s. Quiet Paul comes from a close knit Jewish family, while Julian barely speaks of his wealthy family.
A constant theme in this story is an assumption that Paul, the quiet, shy boy, must be under the influence of Julian. But as one character says, it's impossible to know who is influencing the other. The vibe I got was that Julian would do anything to make Paul love him, and as Paul descends into violence, he pulls Julian in with him.
The only thing that pulled the rating down a little for me was that I felt a little detatched from the characters and their relationship. With other books I often feel like I am part of the relationship, but this story kept me as a bystander the entire time. The emotional impact was still there though, and this was such a solid read.
A constant theme in this story is an assumption that Paul, the quiet, shy boy, must be under the influence of Julian. But as one character says, it's impossible to know who is influencing the other. The vibe I got was that Julian would do anything to make Paul love him, and as Paul descends into violence, he pulls Julian in with him.
The only thing that pulled the rating down a little for me was that I felt a little detatched from the characters and their relationship. With other books I often feel like I am part of the relationship, but this story kept me as a bystander the entire time. The emotional impact was still there though, and this was such a solid read.