Our Violent Ends: ★★★★★
Chloe Gong
YA Fantasy
Book 2 in the These Violent Delights Duology
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You can find my review of These Violent Delights here
Our Violent Ends Non-Spoiler Book Review
As far as Shakespeare retellings go, this duology is my favourite. Our Violent Ends is the sequel to These Violent Delights and picks up a few months after the events of the first book. Set in 1927 Shanghai, Juliette and Roma are more divided than ever, and their city is on the brink of civil war.
I love Chloe Gong’s writing style. I love when she draws us to the city at large and then returns to the main character’s POV. It almost feels like a movie, when you soar across the city before getting a front seat to look at the action. It creates an atmosphere, heightens the anticipation and really gives you a sense of how high the stakes are.
The way Chloe Gong subverts the original tale of Romeo and Juliette is amazing – she includes all the main plot points and tropes and twists them. I loved drawing parallels between the two, and she deserves so much praise for how she still manages to surprise us while including a lot of very important themes and stellar characterisation.
Roma, Juliette, Marshall and Benedict are incredible characters. The way their emotions are held in check during the action before busting free at the illest opportune moments creates amazing angst and tension, this book is a superior example of the enemies to lovers trope.
Overall, Our Violent Ends is an intense finale, full of catastrophe, betrayal, love and determination. I loved every page.
Have you read Our Violent Ends? Let me know in the comments below!
Thank you for reading,
Nicole / HalfWildBooks
HalfWildBooks 