A review by padme
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

adventurous emotional tense 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

4.5

Wow, what a sequel!!

Once again, I was planning on giving this four stars just because there were a few elements I didn't like
I didn't like Rosalind's storyline, especially since it was held back for so long as a dramatic reveal so we didn't get a lot of insight into how involved she was and why she did what she did. I also thought Dimitri was a pretty weak villain, and we didn't get much insight into why he was doing what he was doing, other than that he was a bad guy. I felt like the book was weakened somewhat by trying to paint Rosalind as a villain of some kind while also removing her agency in the situation, implying that it was all because of Dimitri that she did what she did. I think the book MIGHT have been better served giving Dimitri a POV and giving Rosalind some more focus up front, and then painting their story as a parallel to Roma and Juliette's. It would have eliminated some big reveals later on, but it would have made the first half of the book more investing and would have given the two villains more motivation later on
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However, I have to give this a 4.5 stars just because of how well the ending played. Chloe Gong knows how to stick a landing! The epilogue genuinely made me cry, and I wasn't expecting it to. 

Overall, it was a really incredible read, and I can't wait to see what Chloe Gong writes next! Such an interesting world, so many cool characters, and such a great way to adapt an old story. 

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