Naj's Reviews > Our Violent Ends

5/5

CW: gang violence, gore, murder, civil unrest, imperialism

Includes: Enemies-to-Lovers (but non-toxic), Starcrossed Lovers, Diverse cast, Fleshed out Supporting Characters

Consider me wrecked. I can already feel the depression coming on as it dawns on me that I will never again be able to experience this for the first time. Someone call the hospital for spiraling readers because this ship is going down, I repeat, going down. There were so many things I loved about this book. The representation was fantastic! LGBTQ+, racial, cultural identity, you name it. Every named character had such a distinctive personality, and Chloe really nailed it in her Author's Note: each supporting character could have easily been given their own spinoff story. The angst in the ever-changing dynamics between the characters was so beautifully orchestrated, Chloe really was the master of her own orchestra. I am but the fiddle she plays.

I will forever love the relationship between Roma and Juliette. They understand each other in a way no one else does, and it's this that really sells them as a match made by fate. We once again find them at each other's throats in this second installment, but things are slightly altered. Chloe gives us the classic enemies to lovers trope, but she doesn't make it toxic. Instead, it's seductive and entirely addictive. This was such a beautiful balance that also allowed us to see each character's inner turmoil very clearly. And the main romance wasn't the only relationship we got to see. In a way, there were three relationships juxtaposed against each other, I shan't say what the other two were or how they ended up (because everything was really up in the air until the very end), just know they were done fantastically.

(view spoiler)[I include Rosalind's doomed romance because it acts as a direct foil to that of Roma and Juliette's. She falls in love with the enemy, but rather than leading to a legendary love affair it ends in nothing but heartbreak and ultimately aids in the speedy downfall of the city. (hide spoiler)]

I will say, I was a little disappointed that the monsters took such a backseat in this second book. This is a tale heavily rooted in reality, and it seemed weird at first to have these very fantastique monsters involved. To me, it only felt right to go all in to sell the idea of them, but in the end things ended up okay. This is my own personal taste, but is not an aspect that I believe really affects the quality of the book and story being told.

Compared to the second book, pacing was much better here. There was always something to keep me on my toes, whether it was romantic intrigue, character growth, or political drama I was always telling myself "just one more page." I think Juliette was also done a bit better in this second installment. She was very cold and distant in my memories of the first book, but here we get to see her softer edges. Her hard shell is but a shield to protect the part of her that loves too much. Loves Roma too much and loves the city and its people too much. I loved how Chloe took the tragedy of the Shakespeare original and transformed it into a much bigger statement about love and hate. Throughout the book we watch Juliette and Roma get torn apart by love, but still they continue to fight. And it's not coincidence they fight for the lives of their city, a city divided by senseless hate. A hate that's so easy. A hate that does nothing but take. In this way, while their love is tragic in the pain it causes them, the true tragedy lies in the human temptation to divide and hate, even when we don't know why.

In short, everything about this book was perfect and I am a Chloe Gong stan. If you love angsty enemy to lover romances, a story filled with amazing characters, and a book that offers deep commentary on the human condition and historical politics, then this book is definitely for you.