Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong: 5/5*

“These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder
Which, as they kiss, consume.”

The year is 1927 and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are heirs to rival gangs, both scorned by the love that they have for one another. But when their city is yet again in need of their partnership, they must put aside their differences to defend against the chaos descending on Shanghai.

NB:This is the sequel to These Violent Delights (a book I rated 4 stars).

I am in FULL BODY pain. Saying that, it’s the kind of pain that I’m grateful for, because I have been knocked off my feet by this duology. This was the PERFECT sequel in my opinion and it delivered everything I wanted.

I think that this book did a beautiful job of transporting Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to a place that is accessible to modern audiences. People generally have several chief complaints about R&J. (1) They are young, stupid, teenagers in love, (2) there is a power imbalance in the relationship and (3) I don’t understand it. The ‘These Violent Delights’ duology adresses all of these complaints by (1) ageing up the characters and making it enemies-to-lovers (2) making both characters equally vicious and powerful and (3) writing a story in modern language. This will appeal to lovers of the original and those who are unfamiliar/uninterested.

Here is a selection from my These Violent Delights playlist :)
- Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) // Nancy Sinatra
- Bitter // Fletcher
- Shut Up Kiss Me // Angel Olsen
- Romeo & Juliet // Peter McPoland

“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

I thank Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Rating system for reviews is as follows:
5/5 - I would recommend this book to anyone and I plan to read it again (likely a book I would call my favourite)
4/5 - I would recommend this book to anyone
3/5 - I would recommend this book if it fit the specific genre/trope/style you were looking for
2/5 - I would not recommend this book, but I will not discourage others from trying it
1/5 - I would discourage you from reading this book

Our Violent Ends is a show stopping sequel. I loved These Violent Delights so much and could not ask for a better conclusion to the story. Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the privilege of an eARC!

Every single moment in this book is dazzling and suspenseful. The plot is so carefully crafted to leave readers wanting more at the end of each page. And as someone who doesn't usually love a political plotline, I was a little worried going in; but it's so perfectly written that any reader will be blown away. I cannot wait for you to experience the feelings I had reading some of those plot twists...

In Our Violent Ends we get a closer look into each of the characters' lives and motives. I fell in love with our main cast in the first book and this sequel does such a great job of pulling you in even more. I really can't say anything else in fear of giving some of Juliette and Roma's story away, but you are in for a huge rollercoaster of emotions (!!).

Our Violent Ends is such an enjoyable read. If you haven't yet read These Violent Delights, please do because I need everyone to read this sequel as soon as it comes out November 16th, 2021.

I am officially a Chloe Gong fangirl and will read anything she writes. This was an excellent conclusion to the These Violent Delights duology. It was just as good as the first book, if not better, though there is certainly so much more going on than there was in the first. Romance, politics, gang fights, monster mystery, shifting allegiances, friendship, family, civil war. Excellent writing that weaves multiple storylines together seamlessly, and strong character development, seem to be Chloe Gong's writing trademarks.

This book starts off a few months after the conclusion of These Violent Delights, and if it's been a while since you read book one, this one does a pretty good job of rehashing the most important events of book one in a way that isn't info-dumpy but does help jog the memory. Our characters from the first book are back for more: Roma (who, for a gangster, is a total cinnamon roll), Juliette and her cousins Kathleen and Rosalind, and Marshall and Benedikt (Roma's BFF and cousin, respectively). Like I said, there is so much happening in this novel, but Chloe Gong meshes everything together in a way that fits and flows so smoothly. The pacing was excellent, the characters are all relatable in their own ways, and the story keeps you reading until the very end.

Highly recommend this series. These Violent Delights was one of my favourite reads of 2021, and I'm thrilled to add Our Violent Ends to that list too. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Omg! This is the perfect sequel to These Violent Delights! Prepare yourself. This is a quick read! It has all the elements you would expect from this author! I can’t wait to read more from Chloe Gong.

I LOVED THIS! I was already a fan of These Violent Delights but Our Violent Ends hooked me so quickly and I literally read the whole thing in one day (technically it says two but that's because I wake up at 12 pm so my days are all shifted by like 12 hours okay it's literally like 4:23 am as I write this so). I am so happy with this book and it met every expectation I had!

The Roma X Juliette content that we got is 10/10 angst, amazing, enemies to lovers done well enough that I -- a self-declared friends to lovers stan -- love.

The writing in this book was also so well done! I loved how well everything flowed together. I also really like how while there are multiple perspectives (It's close 3rd person that shifts just like how it was in the first book) it isn't difficult to figure out which character is being focused on.

I have already declared my favourite pages as 16, 124, 234?? (I can't remember exactly LOL but they are in my updates section), just because of the vibes. I've also already recommended this to all of my friends by telling them to pre-order it. I'm literally gonna pre-order it I need a copy to keep on my shelf.

10/10 would read again. Lowkey might actually read it again.

To say this book devastated me would be putting it mildly. I had completely forgotten it was a Romeo and Juliette retelling since this book is so unique in my opinion. Chloe Gong has created a masterpiece with this duology. I find that a lot of sequels tend to disappoint me since they can't live up to the first book but this one exceeded my expectations. It was heartbreakingly beautiful and the story progressed exactly the way it should. Juliette will forever be one of my favorite MC, I love how clever and cunning she was but also at her core she was such a kind and caring individual that just truly loved her city and most of the people in it.

ARC REVIEW

Our Violent Ends is the sequel to Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights, which was one of the best books that came out last year. And after reading this book, I can confidently say that Our Violent Ends is one of the best books of 2021, easily. Picking up where These Violent Delights ended, Our Violent Ends dives further into the blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers as tensions rise and relationships become strained. Our Violent Ends was beautifully written and highlighted both Juliette and Roma wonderfully. The supporting ensemble were a delight as always and their subplots in this book did not distract from the main plot, but rather, enhanced it. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I loved every single second of it. Thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC!

Our Violent Ends continues the story of Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, our tragic star crossed lovers of 1930's Shanghai.

Much like it's precedent book, stakes are higher, the violence increased, and the lies even more deep rooted now that Marshall Seo is presumed dead.

What I really enjoyed about Chloe Gong's writing is the way she sets up the ambiance to explore deeper themes such as colonization and political wars, all while keeping the slightest touch of magic. Each character has a unique voice and we know what they stand for... and if we don't, then the journey to get to the reveal is equally as satisfying.

I can't say I'm entirely surprised by the way the story ended. It is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet after all. However, Our Violent Ends does a fantastic job at spinning the story to feel fresh in a way that you are at the edge of your seat wondering if what you expect will happen will happen, or if you're still a few pages off of what you actually know from its source.

At the end, this story is tragic yet beautiful in showing how powerful love can be. Whether it is familial, non blood related, or even in a way that's tied to culture and the moral dilemma of responsibility.

I can’t say much, but wow. This was even better than the first- 5 ⭐️!!
I literally could not put it down, hence how I finished already after finishing the first book only yesterday afternoon!
The story, the setting, the characters… it’s all amazing. The writing is phenomenal and had me so invested the entire time.
I recommend 1000%, please read this duology!!

First of all, the hugest thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an early review copy of this book.

The plot (spoiler free):

The monsters are back and bad as ever, and Roma and Juliette are forced together again to try and solve the root of the evil goings on. With even more baggage between them than before, it’s a struggle to see past their differences towards their common goal, especially when outside rivals have come into play.

TW: murder, insects, light gore

I don’t even know where to start, I could shed a tear. When I got this book in my inbox I actually SHRIEKED. I absolutely adored the first book and I’ve been desperately waiting for the second and I was not disappointed! The first book was the own voices Romeo and Juliet retelling we all needed but didn’t know it, and this conclusion to the story keeps the ball rolling at such a break neck pace. The book takes off right out the gate and doesn’t lose momentum at all all the way through. I felt the dynamic between Roma and Juliet was even more sizzling in this one than in the first, but I’m always a sucker for an enemies to lovers story and this delivers in spades. If you enjoyed the first book, don’t hesitate to pick this one up! If you haven’t read the first yet, read it!!! It’s so good!

I am so grateful that I was able to receive an arc from NetGalley for this book! When I got the email notifying me that I was approved I literally screamed.
This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. If you liked These Violent Delights, you will absolutely not be disappointed with this sequel. In fact, this is one of the rare occasions that I actually find myself enjoying the sequel more than the first book. Miss Chloe Gong certainly did not disappoint, and her twist on the classic Shakespeare play is fantastic. All of her characters are so well developed, and you just get more of that in this book. I found that even though I loved all the characters in These Violent Delights, this book made me form a deeper connection with each one. The author picks up where the story left off, but this book also added new levels to the original plot, which kept me super interested and engaged. This is definitely one of my favourite books and I cannot wait to buy the hardcover in November. Thank you so much again to NetGalley for this opportunity!