I recommend this one. It's a good book and everyone should read. Of course I would love to have this book in my bookstore.

The most satisfying ending to a duology that I’ve ever read, with characters I will be in love with until the end of time!

This Romeo and Juliet retelling is equal parts familiar and subversive and all my issues with the first book got resolved with the way the story was told. I originally cited that not enough of the Shakespearean influence was available to make this a true retelling, and I was proved entirely wrong with this installment.

The love that Juliette and Roma have for each other bleeds through the pages. They are overcome with loyalty for each other, but never blinded. They take care of each other’s desires and protect each other’s loved ones with a ferocity that transcends gang lines. Several of their interactions left me squealing because I loved them so much.

I loved the development of an unquestioned entrance of LGBTQ+ lovers. I won’t say who, to avoid spoilers, but it is equally as delightful as the main love interests.

Lots of characters find their place in other sects, outside of their home gangs. I loved Alina and Celia’s developments specifically. They both felt like such well-rounded and complicated characters this time around, where in the first book they both felt more like plot devices. I think this is due to a development in Gong’s writing as much as it is development in the story.

This was beautifully written overall, stealing little pieces from Shakespeare’s original and adapting them to fit this modern landscape. The themes of violence to obtain power, civil unrest, communist vs nationalist, and pandemic-like viruses all bring this fantasy tale into a modern lens, leaving the characters and their motivations utterly relatable to the reader in 2022.

Chloe Gong, I will read anything you write now. You and your characters have my heart.

i don’t know what to say. like genuinely how do i process reading one of the best books i’ve ever read? Chloe’s prose has me BY THE THROAT and i ate this up faster than anything i’ve read this year tbh. this duology is right up there with the Six of Crows duology for me and Chloe has become an auto buy author for me. this was everything i wanted in more in a Romeo and Juliet retelling. devastatingly beautiful

I loved the first book, but somehow this one blew it out of the water. Chloe's writing is so beautiful and she is wise beyond her years. This duology is my favorite Romeo and Juliet retelling because of the incredible characters, the unique setting, and gorgeous writing. I will read anything Chloe Gong writes forever and ever. I cried a lot while reading but I would still highly recommend picking this book up.

This book changed my life. Undoubtedly. I have never felt connected to characters like I have with Chloe Gong's. She managed to take Shakespeare's story and make it her own. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I found myself hoping it wouldn't. Congratulations, Chloe Gong.

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. While Our Violent Ends wasn't as engrossing for me as These Violent Delights, I did enjoy the wrap-up to the duology. Chloe Gong has done something really special with the story of Romeo and Juliet, and I can't wait to put these books into the hands of my skeptical R&J readers. .

5000000 ★

i actually finished this last night- and then promptly cried myself to sleep...

bc of how my heart completely shattered at the ending and when it sank in that this brilliant duology was now finished.

im not gonna write an actual review on this bc it would just be too long and i would ramble on forever.

so conclusion:

our violent ends is an absolute masterpiece. its so so so good i cant even put it into words. just everything was so beautiful i was so invested with the plot and the characters omg the CHARACTERS i had so much fun i cried i laughed i swooned i screamed

i love this book so much.

this is now one of my favorite books ever.

Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

It has been a little while since I finished this book and I still can not figure out what to say. The ending was amazing. We all know how Romeo and Juliet end but the twist that Chloe Gong puts on it was amazing. I won’t lie I grew so attached to the characters I really wanted a happily ever after for them however, this ending was just so perfect.

This book focuses more on politics than the first one did, that is due to the political climate of 1927 Shanghai which is on the verge of a major revolution and the gangs are being used as playing chips by all sides. I enjoyed the change in focus to be more on the political atmosphere of the time, I think that is mostly due to enjoying reading historical fiction, and the fact that I am a character-focused reader. Don’t let this stop you from reading the book, just know that there is a change in the plot focus, and this book is so worth it.

I would love to see more books written during this time about the other characters. Even the side characters were so well written that you can’t help but feel for them all. I just need to make sure that they are all okay without Roma and Juliette.

Chloe Gong is such an amazing author and I can not wait to see what she writes next.

I'm not a fan of Romeo and Juliet retellings for the most part... But this one was actually really good. It definitely had some of the typical tropes, but that's just standard of the retelling genre. Definitely go into this knowing that there are some gorey things and it's definitely high YA, but I can say I was honestly impressed with this

5/5 stars

This book made me cry, laugh, and feel for every single one of the characters. The sequel to These Violent Delights takes place only a few months after the events from the first book. Going into this book not knowing what to expect is the best way to enjoy it. I spent a few weeks reading this book because I wanted to make sure I took in every bit of information and I was nervous for how it would end.

Chloe Gong does a great job of giving each character their own voice and I loved seeing how the different relationships interacted and what the characters were thinking. The writing is very addicting and though there is no shortage of twists and problems, I was immersed in the world and story from page one.

The tension, the angst, the drama! It all comes together. Roma and Juliette have my whole heart along with Benedikt, Marshall, Alisa and Kathleen. I was glad to read more about them in this book. I am excited to see what else Chloe Gong has in store to write.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

Our Violent Ends is a brilliant follow-up to These Violent Delights. I read both books recently and I enjoyed the story very much.

The story took place all over Shanghai. That was one of the reasons I fell in love with this book. The other reason was the writing style. The author could make me “feel” that I was living inside the story, not that I was reading a book. I found myself many times at the edge of my seat or feeling sad or happy according to the scenes.

What I liked, too, was that this book was a mix of fantasy, romance, gang wars, political intrigue, and a Romeo and Juliet retelling in a good way.

Overall I strongly recommend this book!

A satisfying sequel to the 2nd book. A retelling of Romeo and Juliette, but the book predominantly features the author's skillful use of setting and character development.

This Duolingo as a whole was somewhat lacking in excitement. The plot was both convoluted and predictable. The rivalry between the two gangs was interesting, but not compelling enough to hold my interest for long. The relationship between the main characters lacked in chemistry. As a retelling, it worked well - the extra factors did make it unique, but overall it missed the mark as an intriguing story.

This was such a great finish to this duology. I love both Juliette and Roma. The stakes were even higher, the battles were epic, and the betrayal gave me whiplash.

I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending was *chef’s kiss*.

A brilliant follow up to These Violent Delights. With elements of the classic Romeo and Juliette that give you enough to keep you guessing and give you hope. This historical fantasy brings 1920s Shanghai to life and has you invested in the well being of every character, White Flower and Scarlet alike. Building off of the first book, the world building is thoughtful weaving the history of the Nationalist and Communist take over of China. Perfect for readers who want to expand their knowledge of the East and enjoy star crossed lovers, blood feuds, and the tension of gang turf wars.

The end of this wonderful duology is something I did not want to finish. I wanted to stay with Roma and Juliette forever, but sadly I knew that as a Romeo and Juliet retelling there were many things that could get in the way of that. Gong’s ability to perfectly close out this story with action, emotion, and finality is not something a lot of people can accomplish. The pacing of this second book was well-matched with the first and I was very satisfied with the acts of the story that Gong gave us.

We see so much growth from Juliette and Roma both during the duration of their story and their closing thoughts and actions really made the journey worth it. The love that they have for each other could not be replicated anywhere else than on the pages of this book. They blossomed into fully fleshed characters as I read and the depth of their character development will for sure make anyone emotional.

This explosive and heart-wrenching end to this duology did not disappoint and could honestly be one of my favorite books this year.

I have to admit that I was a little hesitant going into this after not being a huge fan of These Violent Delights. I wound up enjoying the second installment much more than the first! Maybe I was in a different headspace to accept that a man was controlling little bugs that could make people rip their own throats out 🤷🏻‍♀️ or maybe the storyline was just a little bit better! I don’t know. But I liked it!

I also really enjoyed the gang aspects and the wars that were taking place all over Shanghai. Juliette and Roma (mostly Juliette) showed extreme strength to go against their families to stand up for what they felt was right, and a better future for their city. Who wouldn't want to pull for them? I also enjoyed the characters who brought inclusivity and acceptance into the book.

I think I’ve discovered that I want more Romeo and Juliet based novels in my life after falling in love with Roma and Juliette as well. Give me all the stories of two star crossed lovers! 😍

If you are a fantasy lover, or Romeo and Juliet fan, I would recommend picking up this duo!

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I liked Our Violent Ends 100x more than These Violent Delights. I almost didn’t continue with the series because I found the first book so boring, but I’m glad that I pushed myself through so as to read this one. Roma and Juliette are was more enjoyable and tolerable in this book, whereas I found them insufferable in the first and was wondering how they even fell in love in the first place. Ben and Marshal are my favorites, and I’m so glad that we got to see deeper into their pining and relationship. I still wish they had done more with the monsters, as that felt like an afterthought in this series and didn’t make much sense to me (focusing on the blood feud and impeding civil war makes more sense since those stories were fleshed out). All in all though, a way better read than These Violent Delights, and a pretty decent ending.

Our Violent Ends really has a little of everything—political intrigue, romance, growth, gang wars, fantasy. I really enjoyed the first and couldn’t wait to see where the story goes. I think it’s one of the most unique adaptation ideas I think I’ve ever seen and it really didn’t disappoint. I felt the fantasy elements in this with the monsters weren’t as necessary since the rest of the story really was the focus, but it was a great method to keep things moving along. The language is elegant, and the characters were so wonderful. Their motives and emotions are so beautifully depicted. And the enemies to lovers of Juliet and Roma was just so satisfying. There were times Juliet felt a little inconsistent character wise, but she also goes through so much, I think it fits her. All of the characters are people who you want to root for and they’re so enjoyable! This is such a wonderful adventure of a book and just an original and captivating story! Such a great conclusion to this series!

I was lucky enough to be on the blog tour for the first book last year, and it ended up being one of my favorite book of the year, so I was eagerly anticipating this book! I even reread the first book twice in preparation for this sequel because I could not wait until I got my hands on a copy.

Our Violent Ends did not disappoint at all. In fact, I think I liked it even more than book one, which is saying a lot. The characters that were already fleshed out well in the first book felt even more real and complex in this book. Roma and Juliette were the star of the show (of course), but I adored many of the side characters as well. he angst and romance between characters is one that delivered exactly what it was supposed to and it was heartbreaking, show-stopping, and so wondrously amazing. I want the world for them, and it hurt when I read the emotional scenes.

Another aspect that really surprised me was the writing. I;m not sure how I felt about the writing in the first book, but when I tell you this book blew me away in terms of the writing style and atmosphere/world-building, I can’t even put into words how much I loved reading this. The entire book had me in so many tears and bouts of laughter and I took hours to process everything because each event was so overwhelming and shocking.The author’s growth as a writer is palpable, and she’s become an instant favorite author after this book. I will buy anything she writes from now on, no question.