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A review by perpetualpages
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
CWs: Depictions of blood, graphic injury, physical assault, murder, corporal punishment, and gun violence; some mild body horror; some explorations of grief; brief allusions to suicide; and references to contagious disease
Every single thing I felt for These Violent Delights I feel tenfold for this conclusion, because it simply has no business being as good as it is, and it left me in an absolute emotional tailspin more than once.
I said this when I first read These Violent Delights, but I love this re-imagining because it honors the source material without being a copy-paste recreation of the story in any way. When you dive into this duology, you are guaranteed to get the major beats of Romeo and Juliet, but they will never, in a million years, unfold in a way that you expect. This is not a version of the story that could possibly be anticipated just from comparing it to the original, and I think that’s an absolutely incredible feat.
Reading a sequel, I continue to have such an appreciation for the historical elements and the setting, especially because it’s abundantly clear that those choices were not arbitrary or make simply for aesthetics sake. The setting of 1920’s Shanghai is not only incredibly specific in a cultural sense, but it’s really important in terms of political conflict and exploring how foreign powers were converging in Shanghai during that time. The ongoing war between Nationalists and Communists that was being supported by factions of European and Russian foreigners really underscores the tension between these two rival gangs, who are also being swept up in politics themselves because of their own self-interest. Greed and hunger for power gets tied up in politics and the prevalence Western ideals, and the confluence of all of those issues makes for an epic finale that’s both urgent and dynamic.
I also continue to be fascinated by the fact that loyalties are being tested and even changing over time. Not only are the Montagovs and Cais crossing over enemy lines, so to speak, but some of them are defecting entirely or they’re facing down potential uprisings from within their own ranks. Even with central characters, you’re not always entirely sure where they stand, and they could decide to switch sides at a moment’s notice. Similarly, the push-and-pull dynamic between Roma and Juliette is intoxicating, because there’s an equal likelihood that they will kiss each other or *kill* each other—and they really could go either way at any given moment, which brilliantly heightens the narrative stakes.
“Interesting” feels like the wrong word, but there’s definitely a fascinating parallel between these contagious monsters and the COVID era that we're continuing to live through that I think is going to resonate with a lot of folks. The constant uncertainty, the way the monsters and the contagions evolve, the politics and the science behind developing and distributing vaccinations—it all feels very familiar, and I think there’s an added layer of tension in the story because of our current landscape. So it’s interesting to think about how that’s going to reflect back on this book ten years from now, twenty years from now. Even though the story is firmly historical fantasy, that social parallel is something that makes the story feel more immediate.
I can't say too much more without giving anything away, but this conclusion definitely solidified this duology as one of my all-time favorites. I so loved being back in this world with these characters. Following them throughout this epic, perilous finale absolutely shook me to my core and left me emotionally strung-out in every imaginable sense. I can definitely say this series kept my full attention and left me guessing until the very last page. If you haven't gotten a chance to start this duology, I assure you there's no better time than now, because it is absolutely worthwhile in every possible way.
Every single thing I felt for These Violent Delights I feel tenfold for this conclusion, because it simply has no business being as good as it is, and it left me in an absolute emotional tailspin more than once.
I said this when I first read These Violent Delights, but I love this re-imagining because it honors the source material without being a copy-paste recreation of the story in any way. When you dive into this duology, you are guaranteed to get the major beats of Romeo and Juliet, but they will never, in a million years, unfold in a way that you expect. This is not a version of the story that could possibly be anticipated just from comparing it to the original, and I think that’s an absolutely incredible feat.
Reading a sequel, I continue to have such an appreciation for the historical elements and the setting, especially because it’s abundantly clear that those choices were not arbitrary or make simply for aesthetics sake. The setting of 1920’s Shanghai is not only incredibly specific in a cultural sense, but it’s really important in terms of political conflict and exploring how foreign powers were converging in Shanghai during that time. The ongoing war between Nationalists and Communists that was being supported by factions of European and Russian foreigners really underscores the tension between these two rival gangs, who are also being swept up in politics themselves because of their own self-interest. Greed and hunger for power gets tied up in politics and the prevalence Western ideals, and the confluence of all of those issues makes for an epic finale that’s both urgent and dynamic.
I also continue to be fascinated by the fact that loyalties are being tested and even changing over time. Not only are the Montagovs and Cais crossing over enemy lines, so to speak, but some of them are defecting entirely or they’re facing down potential uprisings from within their own ranks. Even with central characters, you’re not always entirely sure where they stand, and they could decide to switch sides at a moment’s notice. Similarly, the push-and-pull dynamic between Roma and Juliette is intoxicating, because there’s an equal likelihood that they will kiss each other or *kill* each other—and they really could go either way at any given moment, which brilliantly heightens the narrative stakes.
“Interesting” feels like the wrong word, but there’s definitely a fascinating parallel between these contagious monsters and the COVID era that we're continuing to live through that I think is going to resonate with a lot of folks. The constant uncertainty, the way the monsters and the contagions evolve, the politics and the science behind developing and distributing vaccinations—it all feels very familiar, and I think there’s an added layer of tension in the story because of our current landscape. So it’s interesting to think about how that’s going to reflect back on this book ten years from now, twenty years from now. Even though the story is firmly historical fantasy, that social parallel is something that makes the story feel more immediate.
I can't say too much more without giving anything away, but this conclusion definitely solidified this duology as one of my all-time favorites. I so loved being back in this world with these characters. Following them throughout this epic, perilous finale absolutely shook me to my core and left me emotionally strung-out in every imaginable sense. I can definitely say this series kept my full attention and left me guessing until the very last page. If you haven't gotten a chance to start this duology, I assure you there's no better time than now, because it is absolutely worthwhile in every possible way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts