Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

55 reviews

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Body horror, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

jessiereads98's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.75

This was a great ending to the duology. It strays enough from the original Romeo + Juliet while maintaining the themes to create the perfect balance for a retelling. 

Chloe Gong once again nailed it with the setting and atmosphere of 1920s Shanghai. I loved how she tracked the shifting the politics and atmosphere of change. The pacing in this book is great. I also just love a fantasy novel set in or based on 1920s East Asia.

The characters were well done and compelling for the most part. I feel like we got a good amount of time with all the side characters to experience the world outside the view of the two main characters, without it feeling like it detracted from the story or was a waste of time. I actually wish we had gotten more time with Rosalind. I think the story would’ve felt more complete, and she would’ve been a great counterpoint to Juliette had she been more fleshed out. I was left with questions at the end around her character and motivations.

I know she’s the focus of the next duology in this universe. However, her character and POV still should’ve been explored more in this book, especially given the important role she plays here.

Once again, this book is a bit overwritten. There’s metaphors and heavy handed setting descriptions that are unnecessary. Some of the dialogue feels forced rather than natural for the characters and their setting. There are a few moments of cringe, but it isn’t enough to make the entire book off-putting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

dianaschmidty's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Police brutality

linblythe_pub22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Blood

Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, and Colonisation

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Colonisation, and Classism

andatherrin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and War

Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

hnagarne's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

Moderate: Deadnaming and Homophobia

clairew97's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

namenotimportant's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"Why do you pause?" "Because even if you hate me Roma Montagov, I still love you."

"In the end, this was all that they were. Two hearts pressed as close as they dared, shadows melding into one by the flickering candlelight."

Wow, I'm in awe. This book had me in a chokehold for the last 100 pages. No scratch that, at least the last 200 pages.

Although I wished for a different ending for them, it fits. A bittersweet ending for a bittersweet love. I love that at least Marshall and Benedikt have a chance together now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

sydneyluxford's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

THE WAY I KNEW EXACTLY HOW IT WAS GOING TO END AND I STILL HAD THE NERVE TO CRY. I AM LITERALLY BROKEN RIGHT NOW. I really don’t get why Miss Chloe Gong had to put me through that? I don’t know if I did something to offend her, but it was truly uncalled for.

Juliette and Roma have my whole heart, for real.

Gong better have a trick up her sleeve and they better not have actually died because I am too sad. I actually don’t know why the ending shocked me when it’s literally a Romeo and Juliet retelling.

Despite the ending, the moments between Juliette and Roma were so fucking good. It was definitely a step up from the first book, which I felt was lacking. I don’t know how I’m going to recover from this. The way they always found their way back to each other despite being literal gang rivals and having all odds against them 🥲😞.

Bro, Benedikt and Marshal are SO CUTE. The love confession from Ben at the end had no business being that cute when the stakes were so high:

“I’ll say it however many times you want. I’ll romance you until you get sick of me. I am horrendously, horrendously in love with your dreadful face.” 

I actually don’t know how I’m going to be able to read Foul Lady Fortune KNOWING that Rosalind was the cause of all of this. She better redeem herself.

Juliette and Roma are literally The Great War by Taylor Swift.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime, Suicide, and Colonisation