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.
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.
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.
Spoiler
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Classism, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Confinement, Grief, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Suicide, Abandonment, Homophobia, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexism
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings, Colonisation, Gore, Medical content, Murder, War, Genocide, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and Homophobia
Moderate: Confinement, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Kidnapping
Minor: Police brutality
mpbookreviews's review
dark
emotional
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Gore, War, Violence, Torture, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Vomit, Murder, and Grief
valeria_balzan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
Chloe Gong has not missed on delivering a thrilling, fantasy and romance filled adventurous novel.
All of her hard work and setting in the previous novel was a good foundation for this novel, and I dare to say that it was better than the last one. The prose of the author was just excellent in the telling of their forbidden love story against their feuding families.
It's more negative aspects are the very thing I criticized on the last one and that is that sometimes the prose get's lost on the action and it's hard to know what is happening.
Overall I think it is a very solid book. l loved it.
All of her hard work and setting in the previous novel was a good foundation for this novel, and I dare to say that it was better than the last one. The prose of the author was just excellent in the telling of their forbidden love story against their feuding families.
Spoiler
Roma and Juliette's moments when the world isn't watching them have my whole heart. It's the bittersweet moments when they know what their fate is, and don't know whether they want it or not. Especially the pinky promise scene.It's more negative aspects are the very thing I criticized on the last one and that is that sometimes the prose get's lost on the action and it's hard to know what is happening.
Overall I think it is a very solid book. l loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Torture, Violence, War, Blood, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, and Death
It's a war, what did you expect?nehanaomi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.75
screaming, crying, throwing up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Medical content, War, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Violence
aseel_reads's review
adventurous
dark
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
i really loved the ending and i really enjoyed the writing of this book, definitely good for my slow little brain. but it was definitely slow for 65% of the book and also kind of similar to the first book but different? if i thought too much about it, i didnt like the first half of the book but when i was just vibing, it was fun!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, War, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Kidnapping, Blood, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Violence
sunlit_music's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
This is one of the greatest books I've ever read, and it nearly broke me emotionally.
Chloe Gong writes about colonialism and war so passionately and intelligently, and seeing how civil war was tearing Shanghai and other parts of China apart was just devastating.
The power shifts and politics are well set up, unpredictable and extremely clever. There's nuanced portrayals of racism, sexism and lgbt+ themes. Not a single word is wasted.
The prose is beautiful, brutal, energetic and flowing. Dialogue moves seamlessly and the characters' banter is witty and clever.
I just did not want to walk away from the characters, I love them so much.
All the characters are so layered and nuanced, and change over time like real people, I feel like I know them.
Roma and Juliet's sacrificed so much, I just wanted them to be happy together and alive, but the tragic ending for them made sense, even though it's heartbreaking.
Alisa is so lovable, she lifts my mood. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel about her, but if there is, I'd totally read it.
Benedikt and Marshall are so incredible and love each other so much. They risk their lives for each other and their friends and are so tender and funny with each other. I just can't express how much I love them.
Kathleen is selfless, fierce and unstoppable, and she is fantastic. She is so underrated.
Plotting was phenomenal, with triumph and tragedy stemming from the characters' actions. All believable, all heartbreaking.
Descriptions of Shanghai are so raw, heartfelt and sincere. Also loved the contrast the rural town of Kunlon presented, it sounded like such a beautiful and peaceful place.
The ending is devastating, but also hopeful in a way. All is not lost, and Roma and Juliette really did save many lives.
I love how tenderly and sensitively this book portrays grief and loss, and how Roma and Juliette are determined to end their families' toxic blood feud.
The ending totally wrecked me, but it was worth it. This book is a fitting conclusion to the 'These Violent Delights' duology and a worthy retelling of Romeo and Juliet.
Chloe Gong writes about colonialism and war so passionately and intelligently, and seeing how civil war was tearing Shanghai and other parts of China apart was just devastating.
The power shifts and politics are well set up, unpredictable and extremely clever. There's nuanced portrayals of racism, sexism and lgbt+ themes. Not a single word is wasted.
The prose is beautiful, brutal, energetic and flowing. Dialogue moves seamlessly and the characters' banter is witty and clever.
I just did not want to walk away from the characters, I love them so much.
All the characters are so layered and nuanced, and change over time like real people, I feel like I know them.
Roma and Juliet's sacrificed so much, I just wanted them to be happy together and alive, but the tragic ending for them made sense, even though it's heartbreaking.
Alisa is so lovable, she lifts my mood. I don't know if there's going to be a sequel about her, but if there is, I'd totally read it.
Benedikt and Marshall are so incredible and love each other so much. They risk their lives for each other and their friends and are so tender and funny with each other. I just can't express how much I love them.
Kathleen is selfless, fierce and unstoppable, and she is fantastic. She is so underrated.
Plotting was phenomenal, with triumph and tragedy stemming from the characters' actions. All believable, all heartbreaking.
Descriptions of Shanghai are so raw, heartfelt and sincere. Also loved the contrast the rural town of Kunlon presented, it sounded like such a beautiful and peaceful place.
The ending is devastating, but also hopeful in a way. All is not lost, and Roma and Juliette really did save many lives.
I love how tenderly and sensitively this book portrays grief and loss, and how Roma and Juliette are determined to end their families' toxic blood feud.
The ending totally wrecked me, but it was worth it. This book is a fitting conclusion to the 'These Violent Delights' duology and a worthy retelling of Romeo and Juliet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, Colonisation, Medical content, and Suicide
Minor: Child death
packedjam's review
adventurous
dark
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
😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫😵💫
it’s better than the first book.
it’s better than the first book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Torture, Genocide, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Gore, and War
Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Sexism, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
caidyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.75
What a fantastic damn conclusion to this duology. I couldn't put it down once I started it. So much tension and growth, all while staying true to the source and history. And now I can't wait for her next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Gun violence, Medical content, and Death
kindra_demi's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
You want to know what I hate? I go into this book KNOWING it is a Romeo and Juliet retelling (I literally started the series when I was in the mood only for Romeo and Juliet retellings), BUT I STILL HOPE THEY END UP ALIVE AND TOGETHER AT THE END… AND ESPCIALLY WITH HOW BEAUTIFUL CHLOE GONG’S WRITING IS. I didn’t write a review for These Violent Delights (which shame on me), but the way Chloe Gong writes this duology is one of my favorite parts of the book. It reads like a play where there are times you’ll have the perspectives of the certain characters and other times it’s a narrator point of view. And it’s not set up so that it’s one chapter in totality is one person’s pov, but it’s not confusing when the pov jumps around.
The way the characters are written also makes it so easy to get sucked into the entire storyline. You love characters. You hate characters. You will hate that you still love characters.
As mentioned earlier, I went into the series last year already wanting to read a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Then book one felt like it was good. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely an above average book. Our Violent Ends will definitely be a favorite of mine though and I cannot wait to see where Chloe takes her writing skills from here!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Medical content
Moderate: Alcohol