It's been weeks since I finished reading Our Violent Ends (compliments to Simon and Schuster and Turn the Page Tours for the ARC), yet I am still unable to emotionally recover and mentally recollect myself to write a proper review for this brilliantly written sequel.
Our Violent Ends picks up two months after the events in These Violent Delights and throws you straight into action, hooking the reader from its first page until the very last. The prose, along with its pacing, grips and compels you with unexpected twists that will leave you at the edge of your seat. Chloe Gong did not hold back with her writing as she boldly depicts the harsh and brutal realities of class disparity, power, and civil war. She expertly maintained the tension and intensity of the plot, while flawlessly weaving multiple character POVs to deliver an explosive and satisfying conclusion.
At the heart of it all, her morally-grey characters and their dynamic, complex motivations take center stage in this sequel, where they individually and collectively contest against powerful forces that shape their choices and actions. There are moments from the book that will leave you stressed and terrified because of the weight and gravity of the situation that they're in. It makes you question yourself, "Can things get any worse for them?", and I'm telling you as early as now, that yes, they will.
Our Violent Ends is darker and weighs emotionally heavier than its predecessor --- as it should be, given how the plot explores and depicts itself; yet at the center of it all, it's a story between two characters born in rival families, with predetermined roles that shaped and influenced them to go against each other because they should, however love dares them to fight and hope against all odds, to do otherwise than expected of them. The romance between the characters is incredible (hands-down). It's not the kind of love that rides them off into the sunset, but rather it's a love that burns fierce --- a love that's brave in the face of adversity.
Often conclusions are hard to pull off for duologies or trilogies because it's a challenge to tie all loose ends and deliver an ending that the story deserves while satisfying the readers. However, I can confidently say that Our Violent Ends concluded in the way the story should: a carefully written plot with excellent storytelling that builds to the climax and finishes off with an explosive ending. I was absolutely blown away. I bawled my eyes out and reread the last chapter and epilogue over and over again just to relive the experience. Despite the tears, was I satisfied? YES. Was it the perfect ending? I'll leave that for you to decide.
FIVE STARS to Chloe Gong and this brilliant and incredible duology that will no doubt cement itself as one of the modern greats, and probably shape the future of YA books. Cheers to one of the most emotional and unforgettable reading experiences I've ever had.
Thank you so much to Turn the Page Tours for selecting me as one of the hosts for the blog tour! Be sure to click on this to see all the other stops for Our Violent Ends!
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Up for grabs, we are giving away ONE (1) finished copy of These Violent Delights and ONE (1) finished copy of Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong. This giveaway will run from November 1st through 20th at 11:59 PM CST and will be open to U.S. residents ONLY. One winner will be chosen. To enter, click here!
BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE: Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights, #2)
AUTHOR: Chloe Gong PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books RELEASE DATE: November 16th, 2021
GENRES: YOUNG ADULT FICTION---Historical, Fantasy, Romance BUY LINK: https://bookshop.org/a/11727/9781534457720
SYNOPSIS:
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.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Chloe Gong is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, studying English and International Relations. During her breaks, she’s either at home in New Zealand or visiting her many relatives in Shanghai. Chloe has been known to mysteriously appear by chanting “Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s best plays and doesn’t deserve its slander in pop culture” into a mirror three times. You can find her on Twitter @thechloegong, check out her website at thechloegong.com or email her at chloegongwrites@gmail.com.