our violent ends has officially cemented this duology as in the top five of my favourite adaptations of anything ever---and this is coming from someone who has taken a shakespeare adaptation course in uni and was obsessed with the lizzie bennett diaries in 2016.

there are a lot of things i like about this, but what stands out about both books to me is the (genius) way that chloe gong weaves history, shakespeare and issues which are still present today and manages to keep things fun(ny), thrilling and intriguing. beyond the titular love story, gong explores the violent horrors of colonialism not only through a literal monster, but through the parties who behave as though shanghai is a thing to take and divide, rather than a breathing place full of existing people and cultures. as someone from a country that has been colonized twice, it really struck me to read the passages wrought with pent up human anxiety and the damning promise of monstrous blood. throughout the book, juliette and roma (but mostly juliette imo) fight to control their beloved city and keep the terror away for as long as they can. even at their best, it felt like watching water slip through their palms--yet the refusal to relinquish the right to a fight was as glorious as it was tragic.

imo the pacing for this was excellent; in many ways, it felt to me sharper and twistier than the first, perhaps because we were already familiar with the world and characters. the beginning was a little slower, but either way, i finished these 500ish pages in three days (!) and that's got to count for something.

juliette cai, once again, was an amazing lead and one of the best morally ambiguous characters in ya. roma was still not my fave, but he def grew on me, and the tender scene before everything goes down (redacted) made up for me not strongly shipping them in the first one. something about enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies just hits different idk. celia/kathleen continues to be the best (i'm so excited for her spinoff!), ben and (redacted) were absolute gold. also, idk if this is an unpopular opinion or not, but i felt for rosalind and i def sympathized for and understood her choices, even if they weren't always the cleverest. tyler, who i loathed in the first one, also made me feel some things, so kudos to gong for making me care.

there was definitely a lot going on, but i felt that the plot threads were mostly handled well. some parts did feel a little rushed near the end, probably because there was so much to resolve, but overall i thought it was an immensely satisfying conclusion.

basically: read this! it is worth it!

baz luhrmann would be proud. :)

Our Violent Ends is the sequel to These Violent Delights, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. The Montagues and Capulets are reimagined as rival gangs, the star-crossed lovers as their heirs. With witty banter and incredible angst (not to mention vivid worldbuilding and nuanced, updated secondary characters), it's no wonder that These Violent Delights has been on every enemies-to-lovers recommendation list in the last year.

If you've read These Violent Delights, you know how rich Chloe Gong's depiction of Shanghai is, how effectively she weaves the plot of Shakespeare's original tale with her own, how heart-wrenching Roma and Juliette's interactions can be. Though the book was strong (especially for a debut!), Gong's writing has greatly improved in Our Violent Ends. I personally struggled with the pacing at the beginning of the first book (as I know a couple of other people did), but Our Violent Ends had an incredible breakneck speed, making it impossible to put down. The complicated dynamic between the gangs was also further explored and I am very happy to say that all-new levels of angst were reached!

The chapters are frequently split into multiple POVs, a technique that I'm not usually a fan of but truly enriched the reading experience in this case. Since the novel has such a wide cast of complex secondary characters, the constant shifts allow us to keep tabs on everyone without getting bogged down by longer chapters focusing on less interesting characters. Because some of the shifts are so quick, they also build tension. Readers will be glued to the pages, desperate to find out what happens next.

I don't want to say anything regarding plot because of spoilers, but Our Violent Ends *will* be an immensely satisfying yet extremely emotional roller coaster. You will laugh, you will cry, and Gong’s tale will shock you. Given how much her writing improved from These Violent Delights, I can’t wait to see what the Foul Lady Fortune, her next book, will bring!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of this book!

I don’t want to say anything that may be an accidental spoiler so I’ll just tell you how this book make me feel. What a roller coaster, Chloe Gong did not give us one second to breath in this book, it was one twist after another. All loose ends were definitely tied up in this book, this book left me spinning. Even when you think you know the story of Romeo and Juliet Chloe’s spin on the story feels so innovative and new. Even knowing the ending or R&J, she is still able to add her own twist to it.
The characters were so amazing, each so fleshed out and individual. I loved every single character.
This book is beautiful and heartbreaking and really shows the tragedy that is Romeo and Juliette, I would argue better then the original play does tragedy.

This is the second installment of the "These Violent Delights" Duology by Chloe Gong. It was a great follow up to her debut novel. It's a retelling/reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. I am not Chinese or Russian, but based on what I could tell it was well researched. Some of the plot points were very predictable, but that was made up for in loveable characters.

This book is one of the best books I have ever read. Chloe Gong is an amazing writer. Our Violent Ends is a well done, beautifully written wrap up to Our Violent Delights. I'm sad to see the series end but I promise you, this book will have you laughing, crying and wishing she could continue this series forever. I love this book, I love the characters and I love the author.

A must-read YA fantasy filled with love and war!

THIS BOOK!!! First, a MASSIVE thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me this arc of one of my most anticipated reads of the years! Boy did this book not disappoint!

Set in 1920s Shangai, the highly anticipated sequel to our violent delights really was, dare I say, delightful! The action-filled plot is beautifully constructed around themes such as colonialism, rivalry, family, and love. Chloe Gong also does a magnificent job at mixing facts and fiction, giving readers a taste of monsters, both real and not, through her depiction of the Chinese civil war.

Chloe's writing is also so beautiful and there are so many quotes that I can't wait to share with the world in all their poetic glory! The characters are so well written and their relationships towards one another are well woven with the plot of the book! Personally, Marshall has my whole heart because he's Marshall and he deserves the world! And Roma also holds a special place in my heart for "biggest simp Russian gangster ever"!

Overall, since I can't spoil anything, I'd say this book was almost everything I expected although a little more closure would have been nice! Maybe in Foul Lady Fortune? Coming Fall 2022!

5/5

My burning (and vaguely terrified) question going into this book was: What would Chloe Gong do with perhaps the most infamous plot point of Romeo & Juliet? I have my answer now, and while I won't spoil it for anyone, I will say that by GOD, did this book ever keep me on my toes.

So I won't delay here: my favourite thing about this duology has been the romance. I haven't read such good YA fantasy romance in a long time. There were times where I was giggling and swooning and times that I was Settling Down Rubbing my Hands Together in anticipation for what I knew was going to be a Juicy(TM) scene. Most of all, I was really just trying to relish the feeling of reading this for the first time. Gong knows exactly how to write those burning, pining, romantic dialogues and actions that we love, combined with the angst of these doomed lovers. What was done really well in this book in particular was showing just HOW tragic these two were, how the blood feud between their families truly was a real barrier to them ever being together. I've read R&J retellings where that didn't feel like the case—where the stakes didn't feel real, just made up—but this book made it brutally and violently clear what Roma and Juliette would have to do to be together.

As for the other characters, some of them really DID surprise me. I enjoyed the side characters in general much more in this book than I had in the last. Plenty of things surprised me. This book was truly a roller coaster, I have to say.

I also want to comment on the worldbuilding—Gong's work in this regard is admirable. The atmosphere of 1920's Shanghai are so well set I had no trouble at all imagining the smoky and chaotic aesthetic. The amount of research must've been nuts.

So, overall? 5/5. A thrilling, romantic, explosive ride, and definitely one of my best reads of the year. Slightly overtakes my experience of TVD in terms of sheer enjoyment. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Gong's next books.

Our Violent Ends once again sees Juliette and Roma teaming up to track down information. The monsters from the first book are still a threat, and this time the two are hunting down a blackmailer that will provide them with answers and hopefully help them stop the threat of the monsters once again. However, tensions run high between Juliette and Roma, and they are forced to work together by their families this time despite the bad blood between them.

I have to say I loved this take on Romeo and Juliet. The fact that it takes place in Shanghai AND involves two feuding gangs had me sold on reading these books immediately. From the first book I loved how strong Juliette is. She can take care of herself and frankly, she can be quite ruthless, which is actually something I really love in her character. This second book continued to prove what a strong person she is and I was not disappointed seeing how far she has come. And I can’t forget about Roma. Of the two of them, he is the one that tends to be more hesitant as far as the violent nature of their lives requires from them, but we also see him take on more of a ruthless role as he deals with the betrayal he was faced with from Juliette in the previous book. I also loved that this made him take a bit of a harsher turn because it made the dynamic between the two characters more tense and it keeps the reader on the edge of their seat wanting to know how things will turn out between the two.

There were moment that I found moved a little slower but the end of the book made up for it with the sheer intensity. I also thought the ending was perfectly bittersweet and a very fitting ending for these books.

If you thought book one was good, you are in for the best news ever: BOOK TWO IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! I'm obviously going to keep this spoiler free because this book isn't out yet, but ooooh if you haven't read These Violent Delights yet, read it right away, or closer to the release of Our Violent Ends so you don't have to wait.

Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.

Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.

Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

CW: violence, death, murder

To start on characters, let's chat about our Scarlet queen, Juliette. Juliette's character trajectory is stunning. Every action she takes is one that makes sense with what we know of her. She's such a strong, badass character, and I truly loved reading from her perspective, and watching how her mind works. She's a very well rounded character, violent and ready to stab at any given second, but cares for her family and those around her fiercely. Seeing her growth from the start of book one, through the end of book two was incredible. I would lay my life on the life for Juliette Cai, not that she would ask me to.

Roma is such a good take on Romeo, its really so fun to see a well known character remixed, and my god do I love Roma Montagov. Much like Juliette, his character just makes sense. His motivations make sense, and it was really compelling to see him grow as a character. Roma is also a badass, but much like Juliette we also see his caring side with his love for his family. His re

Roma and Juliette's relationship had me on edge this entire book, heck this entire duoLOGY. Enemies to lovers to enemies to LOVERS AGAIN? Has that been done before? Who even cares, because Chloe Gong did that here. Knowing that this series is inspired by Romeo and Juliet had me worried about our main characters dying throughout this entire duology, and that tension was there in this book. 10/10 would die for Roma and Juliette.

The plot of this one picks up stunningly from the rude cliffhanger at the end of book one, and just takes off from there. With Shanghai on the edge of a revolution, the political tension in this book is unparalleled. We already knew and loved the tension between the gangs, and watching that grow and eventually reach its peak in this book was incredible. Everything in this book is absolutely on point, it was also so well done.

The writing of this book was so good. Chloe Gong recently tweeted about feeling herself improve with every book, and you can so see that in this book. These Violent Delights was an impeccable read in my opinion, really and truly an iconic debut. But Our Violent Ends? Somehow better, equally iconic, and we're all just out here watching Chloe Gong becoming more and more impressive with each book.

This book will keep you on your toes, and the ending was absolutely everything. I don't want to spoil it but it is a very well done ending. This is such a strong duology, and one I totally think everyone should read. The Romeo and Juliet vibes and references within were so beautifully done, and the story itself was unique and lovely. If you haven't read These Violent Delights yet, do so instantly, this series is one you do not want to miss!

I recommend this for fans of retellings with strong female leads like Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh, and Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. For fantasy lovers who've enjoyed Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, and Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa.

chloe gong has truly outdone herself with “our violent ends,” which was not just a stunning sequel but an excellent exploration of “romeo and juliet” set against the backdrop of shanghai in political turmoil. i throughly enjoyed “these violent delights,” but i absolutely loved “our violent ends.” the pacing and plotting were much tighter than its predecessor, and i think that the characters drove the story forward even more in this installment.

gong’s writing is incredibly atmospheric—at times i felt like i was in the alleys of shanghai along with the leading cast of characters. i loved that we were able to see more of the side characters, including benedikt, marshall, alisa and kathleen. each character had their own moment to shine, which just further enriched the already packed storyline.

of course, i can’t write a review for a romeo and juliet retelling without mentioning the main couple themselves. i am such a sucker for the star-crossed lovers trope, and “our violent ends” certainly delivered. my heart ached for roma and juliette—every moment between them was electric and it was devastating every time i remembered what “our violent ends” is a retelling of.

as i made my way through the book, i was impressed by the way that gong weaved the classic elements of “romeo and juliet” together with the rising tension between the communists and the nationalists in 1920s shanghai. i think that both halves of the plot were interesting enough to be fully fleshed out, but never overshadow each other. as well, i think that the foreshadowing and references to the original text were so well done. even as someone who hasn’t actually sat down and read through “romeo and juliet,” i was able to recognize the iconic scenes and lines that were perfectly integrated within the story.

i also just have to add that chloe gong managed to make me gasp (out loud!) at a reveal that has been public domain for over 500 years… that’s talent folks!

thank you to simon and schuster canada for providing me with an ARC for an honest review!

…Don’t really know what to say but this was very underwhelming. The first half was pretty good but I lost interest so fast from there on. I just wanted to feel/care more while reading this but I didn’t even blink at that ending, I just felt very disconnected from the story and the characters. The plot also felt all over the place, the added political intrigue felt unnecessary. I wish the feud between the two gangs was more flushed out and explained, the fact that we never actually find out what started the feud felt lousy

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Our Violent Ends in exchange for an honest review.

Since Our Violent Ends is able to skip right past world building and into the action, a lot of the pacing issues in These Violent Delights are quickly resolved resulting in a gripping, fast-paced story. I loved the way all the characters and side characters developed and it definitely made sense in their arcs and I think Chloe Gong dealt with the R&J retelling ending thing in the best way possible (do with that what you will).

This book!!!! I tried not to get my hopes up too much because I often find sequels disappointing, no matter how much I loved the first one (and I absolutely adored These Violent Delights) - but there is no way I could have anticipated how much I was going to love this book. It was the perfect conclusion to the duology, with just the right balance of angst, action, suspense, and heartbreak. I'm honestly still in awe that I was even allowed to read it early. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Chloe Gong, and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC!

I was in love with the first book and am even more in love with the second. It did hurt a little but it was worth it because Chloe Gong's writing is to die for.

Initially I was a bit skeptical of this retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, but I gotta say that Chloe Gong easily won me over. I had read These Violent Delights from my local library to see if I would like it before buying it and I loved it so when the opportunity came to read its sequel Our Violent Ends as an ARC I nearly nearly cried when it got accepted. My sincerest thank you to NetGalley, Chloe Gong and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy of this book, you all made my heart super happy!

As previously mentioned, I loved These Violent Delights and I can honestly say that I love Our Violent Ends equally as much if not slightly more. As this is a sequel, it does take place a few months after These Violent Delights. Shanghai is on the brink of revolution and you feel the escalating tensions in every chapter. There was certain parts where I'm pretty sure I was holding my breath and where the plot twists left me absolutely shook. I'm pretty sure I stopped breathing for the last 20 or so chapters and was just on the edge of my seat the entire time because I was so enraptured and I wanted to know how it ended.

Chloe is an excellent writer, she really knows how to tug on your heartstrings and keep you captivated. I also love all the Romeo and Juliet easter eggs she placed in both stories and I loved all the nods to Shakespeare but I also really love how she made it so original and unique. The plot twists were amazing, the pacing was excellent and the character development between both books and especially this one was just spot on. The secondary characters really evolved in this book and it was really beautiful to see what their motivations were and how a blood feud also affects them. I also really enjoy and love a book that features some LGBTQ representation and tackles racism and colonialism really honestly and this has all of that without being preachy but honest and it's all just tackled so well. I feel like I'm gushing over it a lot but I honestly loved the entire thing from start to finish. I want to hug the hardcovers and brag about it to everyone I know.

Shakespeare is clapping and bowing from the grave, I can honestly say. I may have been given ARCs and free versions of these books but I fully intend to buy the entire thing at my earliest convenience because it was just that great. I

I received an e-arc of Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
These Violent Delights was one of my most anticipated reads of last year, and its sequel did not disappoint. The atmosphere of Shanghai in the 1920s, the politics of the times, the beautiful writing and characters, all come together to create a perfect Romeo and Juliet retelling.
This series is one of my favourites, and Chloe Gong is definitely an auto-buy/auto-read author for me. I need more Roma + Juliette content <3, I anticipate many rereads.
How could I not give my most anticipated 2021 release 5 stars, even if it broke me? (I'm still in shock that I even got approved for this one, wowie)

I genuinely cannot believe Chloe was able to make the second book better than the first purely based on how much I loved the first book. This book does not allow you to stop reading and keep you hooked from the very first page. I usually don't love re-tellings but I have never been happier to take a chance on a book. Chloe is able to make this book so funny, interesting, sad, happy, and fun.

Wow, I quite literally just finished this book so I am still feeling many, MANY emotions but I just have to say that I am so impressed by Chloe Gong. I very much enjoyed her debut "These Violent Delights," however "Our Violent Ends" was truly phenomenal. The beginning of the novel was enticing and I was able to get into it very quickly. Although the tale of Romeo and Juliet is not foreign to many people (including myself) I found myself genuinely surprised by many of the twists that were added to the plot. Throughout the book, I felt that I was able to grow more attached to characters than I was in the first book and I was genuinely able to despise others (I have many scenes in my notes tagged under my "big ouchie to the heart T.T" category. I'm sure you've heard this before but this is genuinely a unique re-telling of Romeo and Juliet that most certainly does not disappoint. I cannot wait to see what else Chloe comes up with and Our Violent Ends made me even more excited to see what is to come next.

I will be reading every book Chloe Gong writes from here to eternity! This book was everything I wanted from the sequel of one of my favourite books from last year. It's so beautifully written and I don't think I'll get over that ending any time soon.

Ouch. But also. Wow? Chloe gong is an amazing writer. Her talent is unmatched, in my opinion. She's lyrical, she's poetic, she's concise and organized and she keeps her readers on the edge of their seat the whole time.

Our violent ends is the sequel novel to These violent delights, and it was definitely true to its name. So thanks for that extra dose of heartbreak.
The writing in this novel is consistent and not at all confusing, which is something I find really significant. The novel had representation of more than one kind, which is absolutely important.
The characters are funny and relatable but they're also these strong inspiring figureheads that hold so much power in their words.
This book was absolutely gorgeous and if you choose not to read it (and These Violent Delights) I simply cannot understand that.