Review: Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

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. 

What I thought
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

It has been a little while since I finished this book and I still can not figure out what to say.  The ending was amazing.  We all know how Romeo and Juliet end, but the twist that Chloe Gong puts on it was incredible.  I won’t lie I grew so attached to the characters I really wanted a happily ever after for them however, this ending was just so perfect.  

This book focuses more on politics than the first one did, that is due to the political climate of 1927 Shanghai which is on the verge of a major revolution and the gangs are being used as playing chips by all sides.  I enjoyed the change in focus to be more on the political atmosphere of the time, I think that is mostly due to enjoying reading historical fiction, and the fact that I am a character-focused reader.  Don’t let this stop you from reading the book, just know that there is a change in the plot focus, and this book is so worth it. 

I would love to see more books written during this time about the other characters.  Even the side characters were so well written that you can’t help but feel for them all.  I just need to make sure that they are all okay without Roma and Juliette.  

Chloe Gong is such an amazing author and I can not wait to see what she writes next. 

My Rating: /5

Have you read this book? If so what did you think? Tell me in the comments below.