Our Violent Ends (October 2022) Buddy Read Discussion - Bopeep & Jen, Aliana, Allyson, Leslie

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Welcome to the Our Violent Ends Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on October 22nd and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 10/22
October 22: 1-6
October 23: 7-12

Week of 10/24
October 24: 13-18
October 25: 19-24
October 26: 25-30
October 27: 31-36
October 28: 37-42
October 29: 43-47 + Epilogue
October 30: catch up day

PARTICIPANTS
~ Bopeep
~ Jen
~ Aliana
~ Allyson
~ Leslie

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Must be active in the buddy discussion to count for the points. Minimum of two comments talking about the contents of the book, not only "It's good, I like this/that."

[Bopeep]

Hi buddies!

I'm going to start later (3 books are too many books for me to handle haha).
The ones that wanted to read/reread These violent delights, could you read it? Did you like it~?

[Jen K]

Hey, I was just checking if this one was starting on time. If others are starting, I will make it happen. If not, I will delay a couple of days as well.

[Leslie]

I did start and am keeping on schedule. So far interesting follow through from the prior book. And I just finished These Violent Delights a couple days ago - I did enjoy it. A really interesting take on the Romeo and Juliet story set in the Chinese post-Boxer Rebellion/pre-Revolution events.

(view spoiler)[ I'm wondering how the Marshall situation is going to play out. Will he be reunited with Benedikt or will tragedy befall the two? Will Romo find out what Juliette did in saving Marshall and thus all the rest of them? Rosalind seems to be a wild card in this book whereas in the prior book she seemed barely involved. (hide spoiler)]

[Jen K]

Awesome! I will see if I can convince the reception to give me an extra internet access code to download the book onto my Kindle so I can start too. I have a 17 hour flight on Wednesday so I should be able to catch up by then at least.... Sorry for the delay.

[Aliana]

@Jen K: have a safe flight! 17hrs is super long, I can't even handle an 8hr flight, it drives me insane XD

I have yet to start because I fell a little behind on schedule for These Violent Delights. I've started it, almost 25% through. So far it's been a pretty quick read, hoping I can still squeeze this one in on time.

[Jen K]

Thanks Aliana! The flight is a bit miserable but great for reading. I read 2.5 books on the flight over which was only 13 hours.

Hope you manage. The first was was pretty engaging and I'm excited to see what happens next!

[Bopeep]

@Leslie the setting is awesome! I loved it <3 Well, not just the setting, the plot and characters were lovely too. Can't wait to finally read this.

@Jen have a good trip! 17 hours are a lot of hours. You'll probably finish the book in that flight haha

@aliana Don't worry! I'll probably be slower (I'll try not to, though) but I still have to finish Dracula ^^'

I've started this today, and there's a lot of things I remember vaguely and I just can't grasp them. That's why I wanted to stalk the "These Violent Delights" BR hahaha to remember it all. I'm only on chapter 2 and (view spoiler)[nor Benedikt nor Rosalind have appeared, but I hope to know about them soon because I NEED to know how they're doing, Benedikt specifically (hide spoiler)]

[Bopeep]

Chapter 5
(view spoiler)[AASDDAADSDS Marshall to the rescue? How can I ship this two more than Roma and Juliette? (I like them too) (hide spoiler)]

[Jen K]

Finally have internet on the Kindle, diving deep soon.

[Jen K]

I'm back and I really tried to stop after chapter 36 but I just needed to know what happened. I liked this one more than the first one. All the secrets are a bit annoying but also fun and SO many secrets!

I also like how the side characters come out a bit more and seeing more of the city and surrounding areas. Had so many theories, some happened, others were shocking!

[Leslie]

@JenK - YES! I also have been having a hard time stopping each day at the designated point. I managed to stop at the end of chapter 36 today, but the other days it was so hard. I felt like at whatever chapter we were supposed to end on each day, that one had a bombshell loaded in it and I had to read one more chapter. Even chapter 36, it was all I could do to stop myself going further (I thankfully am reading several other books that need my attention).

(view spoiler)[Okay, so I saw the Rosalind/Dimitri twist coming - I had a feeling he was the one she was having relations with, and I had the nagging feeling he might be behind the attacks though I didn't know how then. But Marshall!!! Holy smokes, I did not see that twist about his father coming. What other shocks will there be? (hide spoiler)]

[Jen K]

Leslie wrote: "@JenK - YES! I also have been having a hard time stopping each day at the designated point. I managed to stop at the end of chapter 36 today, but the other days it was so hard. I felt like at whate..."

YES, especially at the end of Chapter 36! I was just so reluctant to start something new when everything was happening!

(view spoiler)[ Also saw the Rosaline/ Dimiri thing but such a poor choice on her part. He is a schemer unlike Roma. I knew that General Shu would be back in an important way but had no idea it would be in relation to Marshal. So crazy!! It is hard to believe that a small boy would runaway from that life to live on the streets as a gangster, though I guess it did all work out for him. (hide spoiler)]

[Aliana]

A bit slow but I just finished reading These Violent Delights about two days ago, and gosh that cliffhanger was just ILLEGAL. I love Roma and Juliette so much and their interactions/relationship are just everything. The sudden point of view switching got me confused a little bit but it didn't really bother me that much to be honest. I will admit I've never read Shakespeare before (except for a few excerpts from my highschool days which I don't even remember lol) but this makes me wanna read the orignal version of Romeo and Juliet and compare.

Can't wait to get started on the next one!

[Jen K]

Nice, think it will be a great advantage to jump right into the next one! There are lots of direct quotes from the original and I love how she weaves it into her story.

[Bopeep]

I'm glad you both are liking it, @Jen and @Leslie ~ I'm sad I couldn't keep the pace and comment with you at the same time u_u

@aliana Nice! Reading the second one after the first is perfect to remember about the characters~
(view spoiler)[I know Rosalind was a... kind of trator? But I can't remember what she did, and then I didn't find the info again on the first book -_-U (hide spoiler)]

I've read Romeo and Juliet just before jumping to These Violent Delights, and they are quotes and scenes, but I need the author's notes to identify them all hahaha

And now, chapter 19
(view spoiler)[Wow chapter 19 was a ride O.o The blackmailer is way too clever, I liked their move to blame the other gangsters and so they kill the other. They sure are an intelligent villain, but it seems they crave CHAOS.
I like them c:

Also, I'm not sure about it, but I have a vague theory about Tyler and Dimitri being "allies" to cause as much violence as possible.

I hope to see Marshall and Benedikt together soon, because they relationship is so cute <3 (hide spoiler)]

[Bopeep]

It's so hard to stop after finishing when we planned hahah
I've read chapter 31, and I've cried a bit. I hope that Juliette and Roma finally speak...
As for now I'm going to read what happened on that revolution (I have 0 idea of Chinese culture, ugh, shame)

[Jen K]

Marshall and Benedikt are the best!! Was just looking at Gong's new book and it seems to be about Rosaline. Totally intrigued now. Will be interested to see how people enjoy in that BR.

@Bopeep, I read too fast on the plane!! it was so good and engaging! I totally cried too...

[Bopeep]

It seems so! If the next book wasn't about her, I thought he would be dead after THAT chapter.

@Jen Yeah, I understand, when you have little more to do, you read and read, and with a book like this one, you can't stop at all D:

[Bopeep]

Currently on chapter 40~

I'll go little by little because is happening a lot on these last chapters.

(view spoiler)[
I didn't expect the Dimitri/Rosalind if it wasn't because I've read your spoiler (damn the mobile app that doesn't hide the spoiler -sigh-).

And MARSHALL!! I didn't expect that neither O_O They didn't say anything that we could think this would be...

I liked a lot the part where Benedikt goes to Roma and he says: "Juliette is dead" and the nex sentence is "Juliette was not dead". xDD
I would like to them to run away, yes, but they can't left Marshall behind with all that happened with him.

Also I loved Kathleen leaving to warn the communists and join them <3 (hide spoiler)]

[Jen K]

@Bopeep, so sorry the spoiler didn't hide for you! How did you find the ending?

[Bopeep]

Don't worry about that, it was me who kept reading your comments insted of stoping haha

Well, I wasn't surprised because (view spoiler)[being Romeo and Juliet I expected their deaths. (hide spoiler)] But I loooved the epilogue, from Alisa's POV. That was what made me cry instead of the last chapter haha And It wasn't a really closed ending...

What did you think about the ending?