ARC review, book review, young adult

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (ARC Review)

Title: Our Violent Ends
Author: Chloe Gong
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy,
Urban Fantasy, Romance
Publisher:Margaret K. McElderry Books
Date published: November 16, 2021

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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.

⤖ My Review ⬻

For those of you who read my review of These Violent Delights, it should come as no surprise that I picked up the sequel, Our Violent Ends, as soon as I could! The first book was so intense and so good, plus the ending left me itching to find out what happens next (pun intended) with Juliet and Roma in 1920s Shanghai!

Let’s just pause to look at that setting for a moments. Isn’t that so cool?! I’ve never read anything set in 1920s Shanghai before and was so glad to experience this setting in the first book and then to returning there through Our Violent Ends. Not only was it exciting because I love the 20s but also because I’m assuming a lot of research went into 20s China specifically—all of which was fascinating to learn about.

I continued loving Roma and Juliet in this book, and some of the side characters grew on me a little more as well (making me more excited than I normally would have been for the spinoff series kicking off today, starting with the first book, Foul Lady Fortune! I can’t wait to dive back into this world!)

Our Violent Ends kept the action going from the first book, making it just as exciting a read as These Violent Delights. Seriously, I spent a large part of both books on the literal edge of my seat. I really can’t say much more, however, without giving anything away, so I’ll stop myself here. I highly recommend this book and the series as a whole and can’t wait to share my thoughts on Foul Lady Fortune!

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Chloe Gong is the New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and its sequel Our Violent Ends. She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in New York pretending to be a real adult. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok under @thechloegong.

⤖ Get Your Copy ⬻

⤖ Let's Chat ⬻

Thank you for reading my review! Have you read this book? What did you think? And if you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!

Leave a Comment