Series: These Violent Delights Book 2
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Length: 512 pages
First Published: 2021
View in Goodreads
Buy on Amazon
Rachael’s Review
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
In the sequel to last year’s must-read YA fantasy, These Violent Delights, Shanghai is on the brink of revolution. To prevent her cousin from usurping her position, Juliette knows the best way to protect Roma is to make him hate her. Thinking that Juliette murdered his cousin, Roma is on the warpath as a new monstrous danger emerges in the city just as the conflict between the Nationalists and the Communists comes to a head.
In the sequel, Gong steps back from the monster aspect of the first story to almost exclusively focus on the will-or-won’t-they aspect of Roma and Juliette. Then once the two inevitably get together, the plot rushes through the ending, attempting to tie up all loose ends quickly. In all, Our Violent Ends was your typical YA sequel, delivering more of the same story, which will keep fans happy, but failing to add any more depth to the narrative.
Publisher’s Description
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.
About Chloe Gong
Chloe Gong is the author of These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends, Immortal Longings, and the Foul Lady Fortune series. She is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. She was born in Shanghai, raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and currently lives in Philadelphia. Visit the author’s website →