A review by plumpaperbacks
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

Cheese and rice. I knew this book was going to be intense, but I was absolutely not prepared for how intense it actually was. I think I survived all of the other books I’ve read over the years just so this one specifically could kill me. Very rarely do books evoke such physical reactions in me; as I read, I was laughing, gasping, and my heart was pounding. I don’t think it slowed down at all during the second half of the book.

There’s not much I can say that’s spoiler-free, and honestly, I don’t have either the physical or emotional energy right now for an in-depth review. Just know that as much as I loved the first book, somehow I love this one even more. Juliette, Roma, Marshall, Benedikt, and Alisa stole my heart; Juliette and Roma in particular own my soul. I’m legit reevaluating my mental list of favorite series of all time to make room for this duology in the top five. Anything that affects me as much as this did sure as hell deserves it.

So yeah. My heart is a pulp and my brain is mush and I don’t really know what to do with my life right now. If these books weren’t already one of my main personality traits, they are now. I’ll definitely reread them at some point, but I need to prepare myself for that first. I’m eagerly (and nervously) awaiting Chloe Gong’s next book.

Representation
  • Chinese protagonist and side characters
  • Chinese trans girl side character
  • Korean queer side character
  • queer side character with OCD
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