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A review by abookandchai
Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong
3.0
3.5 stars
now that the initial height of emotions have faded i can finally put together my thoughts about this!
our violet ends is definitely a satisfying conclusion to this duology as well as a great set up for chloe's next series, foul lady fortune. the one thing i loved most about this is the writing. compared to tvd, i found this so much easier to read. its simple, smooth and effective, allowing you to dive back into the world easily. chloe's growth as a writer definitely shows. the ending and the epilogue.... well consider me in pain.
i do think the angst delivered. the situations, the narration and dialogues moved me to tears, given how tvd ends and the star crossed romance of roma and juliette continues. amidst the chaos of monsters, gangs and revolution of china. that's what makes this sequel a good one. then of course, i loved all the benmars crumbs!! the yearning *chef's kiss* the side characters had such significant personalities in this book, another thing i really liked.
but in the end it also felt lacking. for one, the conflict of nationalists and communists felt very flat. like it was thrown around to set the background but not given enough depth to be of importance to the plot. given how tense and deep the situation of 1927 shanghai is, i wanted more exploration of it. we all know how romeo and juliet goes. though i have to say here the commentary on foreign invasion and colonialism is portrayed well with respect to the situation in china then, relevant and impactful. while i was very much invested in the initial angst of roma and juliette, their on and off misunderstandings (especially towards the end) didn't work for me.
overall, our violet ends is an enjoyable read. those who have loved tvd and await the sequel will definitely have the time of their lives (haha) reading this but personally it could've been better.
thank you hodder & stoughton and netgalley for the arc!
now that the initial height of emotions have faded i can finally put together my thoughts about this!
our violet ends is definitely a satisfying conclusion to this duology as well as a great set up for chloe's next series, foul lady fortune. the one thing i loved most about this is the writing. compared to tvd, i found this so much easier to read. its simple, smooth and effective, allowing you to dive back into the world easily. chloe's growth as a writer definitely shows. the ending and the epilogue.... well consider me in pain.
i do think the angst delivered. the situations, the narration and dialogues moved me to tears, given how tvd ends and the star crossed romance of roma and juliette continues. amidst the chaos of monsters, gangs and revolution of china. that's what makes this sequel a good one. then of course, i loved all the benmars crumbs!! the yearning *chef's kiss* the side characters had such significant personalities in this book, another thing i really liked.
but in the end it also felt lacking. for one, the conflict of nationalists and communists felt very flat. like it was thrown around to set the background but not given enough depth to be of importance to the plot. given how tense and deep the situation of 1927 shanghai is, i wanted more exploration of it. we all know how romeo and juliet goes. though i have to say here the commentary on foreign invasion and colonialism is portrayed well with respect to the situation in china then, relevant and impactful. while i was very much invested in the initial angst of roma and juliette, their on and off misunderstandings (especially towards the end) didn't work for me.
overall, our violet ends is an enjoyable read. those who have loved tvd and await the sequel will definitely have the time of their lives (haha) reading this but personally it could've been better.
thank you hodder & stoughton and netgalley for the arc!