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ghostlyprince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Dysphoria
anna_333's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
creolelitbelle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Murder, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Cursing, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Transphobia
jeyjeyyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I really liked the historical references and it did teach me a lot about society in Shanghai at that time. However, the fantasy plots did not make a lot of sense to me. I also did not particularly care about what was happening. The romance also felt a bit bland, it was really great at the beginning but I found its ‘resolution’ a bit too easy. Kind of felt like the characters lost most of the fun aspects of their personality about halfway through… What I wanted was angst upon angst and enemies and hatred and tensionand a LOT more romance. I did not really get that. This sounds iind of bad but I wnated it to be more… toxic? I mean this is Romeo and Juliet !!
Not to say I didn’t like the book, it was just not my favourite.
Also REALLY loved the side characters, especially Kathleen and Marshall and Ben. Excited to see more of them.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
bergha1998's review against another edition
- 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
Dark Romance, LGBTQIA+ Representation, Friends to Lovers to Enemies
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Trafficking
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and War
ecarpenter06's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
These violent delights have violent ends.
Roma and Juliette: the heirs of rival gangs with a vendetta against each other, forced to work together to save Shanghai. The recipe for a perfect novel.
This is one of the best YA books I’ve ever read. It was thrilling, riveting, and had me fully invested in the characters. The world building was fantastic and believable, the descriptions made the entire city come to life as I read.
The ending made my heart ache, I’m relying on the sequel to give them at least a moment of actual happiness. They deserve it, they deserve each other.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, and Alcohol
hiraeth_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Personally I would've preferred it if there was a little bit more clarity in the different storylines and mysteries, but I guess that is also the appeal of this book. Still, at times it felt a little bit all over the place. I also wished we knew more about Juliette's and Roma's relationship before she left Shanghai. That would've made their story even more interesting and authentic.
Also, for the ppl who want to read it bc it is marketed as a romeo and julia retelling: there are many elements that are similar, but i would say it is a very loose and vague retelling :).
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Colonisation
Minor: Misogyny and Death of parent
viireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Colonisation
Moderate: Physical abuse and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny and Torture