<i>"'I will be free of my name.' Juliette looked up. 'I will take yours.'
'Juliette,' he breathed. 'It is not as though my name is any better. It is not as though there is less blood on mine. You can call a rose something else, but it remains yet a rose.'
Juliette flinched, hearing a shout outside. 'So we are never to change?' she asked. 'We are forever blood-soaked roses?'
Roma took her hand. Pressed a kiss to her knuckles. 'A rose is a rose, even by another name,' he whispered. 'But we choose whether we will offer beauty to the world, or if we will use our thorns to sting.'
They could choose. Love or blood. Hope or hate."</i>

TL;DR: From my review of Book #1:<i> This is a long book -- but after about 10%, I didn't care. I couldn't put it down. It's fast-paced and eloquently written and Gong's prose/storytelling just pulled me in. The allusions to Shakespeare's play definitely added another layer -- but aren't necessary to understand the plot. Definitely can't wait for the sequel.</i>
This was everything -- absolutely everything -- I wanted in this sequel. I feel like the characters were true to themselves (no sudden changes to characters, no changes that don't match their behavior), the story was true to <i>Romeo & Juliet</i>, and the plot was just...you could tell that Chloe Gong had a plan, and she executed it masterfully. There were plot twists that had me gasping out loud, tearing my hair out in suspense (even when I predicted what was going to happen), laughing, crying, the whole gamut.

Vibes: A retelling of Romeo and Juliet in 1920s Shanghai where the feuding families are rival gangs (Capulets = Cais & the Scarlet Gang, Chinese; Montagues = Montagovs & the White Flowers, Russian) and our star-crossed lovers have to hunt and kill a creepy AF monster terrorizing the city. Also, Communists.

Character MVP: Juliette. Again, this is NOT Shakespeare's timid, demure, balcony sighing heroine -- Juliette is fierce and kick-ass (and more than a little cut-throat) but she's a heroine with agency and power in a male-driven world. I wouldn't say Roma isn't, but he does seem to take a bit more of a backseat in this story, and Juliette is very much the agent of the story. She seems to be the one coming up with plans, and it feels like we spend more time in her POV/headspace than in Book #1. (Which is NOT a complaint.)

Verdict: Hot damn, I loved this duology. These books...they reminded me of why I love reading, and I've been fortunate to read several of those books in a row recently. But they're the ones where you get so lost in the story, you forget you're reading a book -- the story just jumps off the page and comes to life in your mind. The types of books where you walk around doing household chores with the book in your hand because you can't put it down and you have to know what happens next.

In a way, this book reminds me of the 19th-century tomes I love so much. (And I'm saying "this book," because even though there's a bit of a chronological gap, the two books could be read back-to-back and the story would seamlessly flow.) Those books -- by George Eliot and Tolstoy and Melville -- always blended the romance/domestic/adventure plot with a backdrop of something larger, whether it was a commentary on 19th century rural life or whaling or Russian revolutionary politics and/or agrarian life. And with the focus on the Communist / Nationalist / gangster struggle, I got a Tolstoy/Victor Hugo with Les Mis vibe.

And I LOVED IT.

﹅ -- I still maintain it might not be the best pandemic read...? The "madness" that plagues Shanghai in the first book is still there, albeit in a more evolved, controlled, sophisticated form (O hai, Delta variant!) and there is talk about vaccines and waning immunity and the like.

﹅ -- Still maintain that Gong does *not* shy away from the darker aspects of gangster blood-feuds and horror-monsters: <i>Speaking of the "madness": Gong's descriptions verge toward the "horror" side of things a bit too much for my comfort. But this is 100% a personal thing because I am an utter wimp when it comes to squishy monsters lurking around in the dark and people tearing their own throats out is just a bit too graphic for me. (People infected with the madness are driven to tear their own throats out and Gong does *not* hold back.)</i>

✔︎ -- I still love the diversity. Kathleen/Celia's transgender identity is still alluded to, especially as she fully embraces Celia at the end. (And, I was worried that we were going to 86 the trans-character, but, spoilers, that thankfully doesn't happen.) And Marshall and Benedikt finally profess their love for each other! I wish there had been more of their romance, but I get that they're not the focus. I will happily take a spin-off novel about their life together in Moscow, plz.

✔︎ -- The ending, oh the ending. I don't want to talk too much about it, because, spoilers.
But I will say that I wasn't sure how everything was going to play out with like 97% of the book done, and I was torn between (1) thinking that Gong was going to stick the Shakespearean tragedy ending and (best case) she maintained the original ending or (worst case) EVERYBODY died, a la Hamlet and (2) thinking that this was finally the chance to rewrite a tragic love story and give those darn star-crossed lovers the happily-ever-after they deserved.
I won't say how Gong ends the story -- and, again, with 2% of the story left, I felt it could have gone either way -- but I will say that, IMHO, it was perfection.

What an absolute gift it was to read this book. It was action packed from start to finish. I was on the edge of my seat and literally sweating, dying to know what would happen next. The tension between the characters, the plot lines, and the potential outcomes were unbelievably palpable. The way that Chloe Gong weaved in Shakespearean themes so seamlessly fit into this fantasy world was immaculate and reimagined in a totally creative way. Knowing the outcome of Romeo and Juliet, even further heightened the suspense of knowing how this books ends. I’m still reeling, and experiencing a massive book hangover. The devastation I felt after reading made me want to rate this a 1 but it would be an insult to the fact that this is absolutely a 5 star novel. It’s going to take awhile to get over this one. I can only hope Chloe decides to give us a third.

ow.

This book is angst city, baby, which is not surprising if you've a) ever heard of Romeo & Juliet and b) read the first book. At times I couldn't figure out how it was going to resolve itself, not because it didn't seem like Gong knew but more because my poor heart couldn't take what I knew was coming. And yes, I read the same ending you all did and I'm choosing to interpret it differently for my own mental health!!! It's fine, everything's fine.

Gong is a fantastic writer -- this book is well-paced and full of gorgeous, gorgeous prose. So much thinking about colonialism and power and labor and healthcare and wow. I can't wait to pick up her new series when it comes out (but also thank god it's not out for a while because I do absolutely need time to recover and mentally prepare.

This book was beautifully written and I enjoyed every second of it. The plot, subplots, pining, enemies-to-lovers was intricately written. You can tell that every fiber of Chloe Gong’s being was put into this book.

Oh my goodness! This book picks up where the other left off, so stop reading if you don't want spoilers for the first book, These Violent Delights.

Juliette and Roma, heirs to rival gangs and lovers, eradicated the city of one monster spreading a violent plague, only to discover that the creator has five more that he ordered unleashed upon his death. The political situation in the city is fragile as well, as the gangs, the Communists and the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek battle for control of the city. Somebody's blackmailing both gangs - Scarlets and White Flowers alike - for money to stop them from unleashing the monsters, and it's unclear what their affiliation and motives are. Roma and Juliette are determined to get to the bottom of it, while fighting their growing feelings for each other.

This book was a page turner, as loyalties are tested as the city falls to pieces, forming unlikely alliances and breaking apart long-standing ties. The reader was never quite sure what's coming next.

I loved all the scenes with Roma and Juliette, as they continue to choose each other, despite the consequences. Their chemistry is electric, and the moments when Juliette allows herself to be vulnerable are swoon-worthy. Their love of the city and the people living in it is admirable as well.

The ending was both surprising and inevitable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️s
THIS BOOK. This book was phenomenal. The chemistry between the characters and the tension of the plot gave this book a fire that left me unwilling to put this book down. I was on the edge of my seat for the vast majority of this book and loved it. I was truly so pleased with the second book in this duology. Chloe Gong does an amazing job at rounding out her characters and making them so real, while connecting their motivations to the plot in ways that make you so sure that these characters chose to do this themselves. I loved this duology so much and would recommend it to anyone who loves enemies to lovers with a fast paced and intense plot. Be prepared for this book for it definitely plays with your emotions.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster publishing for letting me read this ARC!

4.5 out of 5 stars
“I loved him long before we were told to work together in spite of the hate between our families. I will love him long after you tear us apart merely because you pick and choose when it is convenient to partake in the blood feud.”

This is so well done! This duology is Gong’s debut and I couldn’t be more impressed. I was hooked from page one absorbing every little detail. Roma and Juliette are expertly crafted into the characters we know and love as Romeo and Juliet, but with more; more violence, more love, more hope.

“I wish you could see it, they find hope in your union. They wish not to fight anymore.”

Each POV was well done. I never wondered who it was, I knew each and every character. We hear from both gangs and the battle that rages in secret and on the streets. Both sides perilously strain to maintain the balance of their enemies but also refrain from any feelings. There are cracks in their facade and they’re striving to keep that from being known.

“Sometimes, hatred has no memory to feed off. It has grown strong enough to feed itself, and so long as we do not fight it, it will not bother us. It will not weaken us.”

To take such a well-known story is bold! Gong has done it with poise and passion. Each snippet of Shakespearean lines is cherished, respected and given the reverence it deserves.

I actually didn’t love the monsters. I believe the plague could’ve been done without the monsters. There either needed to be more or less but I didn’t quite feel satisfied with that aspect. The story in between was so well done that I found myself reading over the monster parts quickly, only to get back to the rest of the story.

“The country will fight itself to pieces. It will starve its people, ravage its land, poison its breath. Shanghai will fall and break and cry. But alongside everything, there has to be love—eternal, undying, enduring. Burn through vengeance and terror and warfare. Burn through everything that fuels the human heart and sears it red, burn through everything that covers the outside with hard muscle and tough sinew. Cut down deep and grab what beats beneath, and it is love that will survive after everything else has perished.”

Content Summary: The language is high with no F words but it didn’t feel high while reading. The violence is excessive with multiple killings and gang fighting. Many die and there are some details with blood. Each character wears weapons daily and often uses them. The monsters with the plague may be too much for some sensitive readers. There is an intimate moment once but it remains behind closed doors with very details.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

The book releases November 16, 2021.

Reviews Posted
Goodreads Oct 7, 2021
Stroygraph Oct 7, 2021
TikTok Oct 8, 2021

UMMMM This book broke me into a million pieces. I don’t know how to put it into words how much this books means to me on so many levels. Everything form the characters to the setting connected to me and made me very emotional.

I spent 5 minutes crying at the end of this book, because it was so beautifully written.

I don’t want to say much since this is the second book, but the progression of the plot and the character development was very well done. I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I honestly was invested in every story line.

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong is an absolute masterpiece in every sense of the word. She has crafted a world in Shanghai in the 1920s that is so culturally rich with traditional and fantastical elements that it left me thoroughly submerged into this exciting conclusion to the series. Our beloved characters are faced with the reemergence of a familiar threat from book one, but this time, it’s with a unique twist that made it feel wholly new and refreshing. Not only did she top These Violent Delights, which was utterly addicting, but she was also able to make me feel every single emotion under the sun, and at times, all of those emotions at once. There wasn’t a second where I wasn’t fully engaged and on the edge of my seat, anxious to see how this retelling would turn out. Every character has multiple layers that are slowly unraveled throughout the book, only adding to how well Chloe Gong understands humans and their flaws hidden below the surface. The narrative structure is written so beautifully that I had to stop multiple times to appreciate how it was even possible for storytelling to seem so effortless but intentionally done all the same. Our Violent Ends is an entirely satisfying retelling of Romeo and Juliet, a story about ravaged cities, the power of hatred, and above all else-love. Chloe Gong has truly outdone herself, and my most anticipated read of 2021 did not disappoint. I fear that I will forever be chasing the high that this series has caused me.

A massive thank you to Simon and Schuster Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC of Our Violent Ends in exchange for an honest review!

Our Violent Ends was an amazing sequel to These Violent Delights. With superb pacing and direct nods to Shakespeare’s Sonnets Romeo and Juliet. I would recommend this to students for a multitude of reasons, the first being the diverse take on a classic story. Secondly, Gong does a superb job of weaving Chinese politics and history into her story. Lastly, the romance and fantasy aspect of the plot will be sure to engross readers of various ages and interests.

CONTENT WARNING: murder, gun violence, blood, violence, gore, grief, death of children

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

I read this as a buddy read, and the two of us basically just fangirled for the majority of our discussion. We had both really been looking forward to reading this, and the conclusion to this duology didn’t let us down at all. There were just so many things to love about this book, and nothing I didn’t like, so I’m just going to run through the things that I enjoyed and why.

The characters. While there were a couple that I actually despised and was hoping they’d die, the ones that I fell in love with from These Violent Delights were just as amazing in this book. Juliette is still a feminist badass, but goes through such an immense arc of character growth that I couldn’t help but be astounded. Roma is still the cinnamon roll, but his character arc was a little more back and forth. He’s so emotionally tortured in this book. And don’t even get me started on Benedikt and Marshall, and Kathleen and Rosalind. I loved them all, even as they were struggling with their own individual and group issues.

The geopolitical issues. Gong dealt with the historical issues facing Shanghai in such a fabulous and accessible way. I’m not overly familiar with Chinese history, but she kind of portrayed Shanghai as a pie being fought over by the gangs, imperialist foreigners, the Nationalists, and the Communists, and although the gangs could have worked together to fight the opposing forces, they just weren’t willing or able to set aside their blood feud to work join forces. It also portrayed Shanghai as another character, as a living entity.

The tension. There’s a thick undercurrent of tension running throughout the story that only gets heavier towards the end of the book. The feeling of *something* is going to happen only got stronger as I read on, and I know that Becky felt the same way because we struggled to stop reading at the designated discussion points.

The way Gong stuck to the original play but also made it her own. Although I’m not a huge Shakespeare fan, I had to read Romeo and Juliet in school. It was a long time ago, but I do remember the original structure of the story. The duology has enough echoes of the original story, but Gong has definitely put her own distinctive spin on it. Adding a feminist flair by making Juliette undoubtedly the star of the show, ensuring that diversity has a central place in the story, throwing in the monster as a fantasy element, and bringing the story into the complicated era of the 1920s with the cultural and political changes occurring just breathed fresh life into this tired old story.

The romance. Although this is an enemies to lovers to enemies and back to lovers story, I never got tired of the dynamic between Roma and Juliette. The banter and violence between them only amped it up, and the changed gender roles, with Juliette often playing the aggressor and Roma the cinnamon roll was a fascinating switch that kept me hooked on them. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

The action. With the two main characters being heirs to rival gangs, there’s bound to be action. There were some plot twists that Becky and I had figured out, but there were still so many plot twists that managed to surprise me. And I honestly never felt disappointed when I figured out a twist — I found myself cheering or saying “YES!” when I got to the reveal. The story never lagged or got boring.

If these aren’t enough reasons for you to read this, the writing itself is beautiful. It’s an incredible accomplishment for any author, let alone one who is in college during a pandemic. Chloe Gong has outdone herself with this one, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I really loved this duology!

This is a book two, so there will be spoilers from book one below. Please do not read if you haven't read These Violent Delights yet.

Things are still bad as the book starts. Roma and Juliette haven't been together. Benedict was morning Marshall's death while Juliette was hiding him in a safe house. The violence and unrest just kept growing in the city. There was a spy in the Cai household. They thought that the monster and bugs was at least taken care of, but it was only going to get worse. Tyler still wanted to run the Scarlets and Dimitri was still hoping to take over the White Flowers. There were enemies to Roma and Juliette in their own homes. But neither of them gave up hope that things could change. Roma and Juliette will need to work together again, even when Roma hates and loves Juliette. They need to find a way to save the few good people left that they love and end the madness for good. Even if it means dying for their cause.

The pacing was great and I loved everything about this story. It's just as dark and gory and I kept waiting for everyone I loved to die. It is a tragedy. But I still kept rooting for everyone, hoping that everyone would somehow survive and that the city would be ok.

"These violent delights have violent ends," Juliette whispered to herself.
This line definitely sums up the books well.

I gave this book 5 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for the same types of things as the first book. Blood, talk of suicide/sacrifice, death, cuts, whipping/torture, political issues, etc.

From the start, I was captivated. I thought this book would be a repeat of the first but I was proven wrong. I loved the character development of both the major and minor characters. Roma and Juliettes love story was frustrating but the tension and angst helped move you along until the truths were revealed. The attention to detail in the writing was perfect and helped paint a picture of what Shanghai might have looked like in a 1920s gangster rule. The story was complex, keeping me guessing until everything came together in the end. I never knew who was betraying who and what might happen next. I nearly had a heart attack reading this book and I might have shed a stray tear at one point or another.

The drama of this book has left me screaming. It's exactly the conclusion of the duology I was hoping for, and I was on the edge of my seat from the tension the entire time. I do have to admit I found the beginning of the book a little slow to get going, as we were mostly looking back at what happened in the previous book, but the second half of the book more than made up for it. One "problem" I have as a queer reader is: if you're going to introduce a queer couple in your book, I won't be held responsible if I end up shipping them more than the main couple.

Absolutely haunting and a spectacular sequel to The Violent Delights. It built upon the foundation of the first book in a way that I did not expect but ultimately loved. The ending….. is memorable. To say the very least. Blown away!

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I just read the first book in June so I didn't reread before starting this, and I'm happy that it was still easy to follow and I wasn't confused. The events from the last book flowed perfectly into this one.

My favorite thing about these books is that Chloe Gong writes the push and pull of enemies to lovers to well!!! And this is one of the only books where I actually LIKE each character and am interested in their arc.

I guessed the ending with 100 pages left to read but I still enjoyed the characters' journeys and I think the duology was wrapped up pretty nicely. My only issue was that I think it's longer than necessary, the middle dragged on a bit.

I am not yet done with OVE because I want to make it last and I don't want to leave Juliette and Roma. I already know this book will be five stars for me because I love Juliette Cai. She's unlike any YA character ever and inspires me to take control of my own life.

The romance and tension is so evocative and woven so naturally into the political world of OVE, and Chloe Gong truly changed the landscape of YA with TVD. This is not a sequel to miss.

Welp. I’m done. It’s over. Chloe Gong has succeeded in ruining my life. I hope you’re happy now, Chloe!!!!!

I’m not going to include any spoilers for either this book or These Violent Delights, so nobody needs to worry about having this duology ruined for them accidentally. But that probably means that it will be a little shorter, a little more vague than my usual reviews. So bear with me here as I try to unpack all the ~feelings~ I’ve been floating around in for the past few days since I’ve finished Our Violent Ends.

The biggest different between the first book and the sequel for me has been the focus of the plot. There’s a lot more attention on the politics of Shanghai in this time period, eventually leading up to the Shanghai Purge of April 12, 1927 (you can google if you wish). While These Violent Delights had a supernatural monster terrorizing the city, the monsters of Our Violent Ends are the men pulling the strings. They’re the ones starting conflicts they won’t have to join the frontlines for, and who will do anything to grasp on to power for as long as possible. In that way, they’re even scarier to consider because they aren’t simply a figure of the author’s imagination, but fictionalized versions of real kinds of people.

The pacing of this book also felt a lot more even, possibly because there wasn’t as much background that the author had to introduce in a sequel. We get more time with the supporting characters and get to understand their motivations outside of ‘how do we support Roma and Juliette in whatever schemes they’ve cooked up?’ And in my limited Shakespeare experience, the influence of Romeo and Juliet was much more pronounced in this novel as well. I noticed more parallels and direct references than I did with book one, though I still think both books are their own stories.

If you’ve been following Chloe Gong on social media (highly recommend fwiw), you may have seen references to her next book Foul Lady Fortune and how the main character of it is someone we already know. Happy to report that when you finish Our Violent Ends you will know who this character is (probably). I’m hesitant to say much more about the ending other than it’s bittersweet, explosive and mostly definitive. After reading both of these books almost back-to-back, you can see how Chloe Gong has progressed as a writer, and I can’t wait to pick up with this imaginative world and character(s) in the future. That said, I’m fully satisfied with how this duology has progressed and am actually dying to talk about it with someone.

So I will preface this and say that I was approved for this ARC before I even read These Violent Delights, but I bumped them both to the top of my TBR once I was approved. I read These Violent Delights, and honestly it wasn’t my cup of tea, so I rated it a 3/5. But I lost all motivation to read the sequel, Our Violent Ends. It just doesn’t seem like something I will enjoy, and I’d hate to rate it badly because of that. I think Chloe Gong’s writing quality is phenomenal and poetic, and the plot seemed interesting, I just… personally could not get into it. I will still buy the second book and give it another shot eventually. I got about 10% of the way through and had to stop, so my rating reflects her quality of writing!

Thank you NetGalley for sending this arc for an honest review!

I honestly feel like the dumbest human in the world. Me thinking this was book 1. I read it and was so lost BUT THEN I FREAKN LOVED IT WITHOUT MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL I KNEW WAS I WAS OBSESSED WITH ROMA AND JULIETTE AND NOW ITS TIME FOR ME TO READ BOOK 1.

This book is a Romero Juliette retelling, with diversity, and Asian rep. It was absolutely breathtaking.