Our Violent Ends: #1 New York Times Bestseller! (These Violent Delights)

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In some ways, Roma’s feelings towards Juliette mirrored her feelings towards him from the first book. It was interesting to see how differently that played out in him though, as a generally softer character. She’s also much clearer on her feelings about Roma, which made for one of the crucial changes to the romance dynamic. Once again, I think the pacing of the romance was great and felt completely believable for the characters. Definitely a highlight of this book. There are still a lot of other characters in the cast Relax,” Juliette whispered. “What you’re about to watch came directly from its premiere in Manhattan. Quality entertainment.”

Juliette and Roma frequently refer to “the city” personified as if the place is what causes violence and not people’s actions. What do you think about this? Choose a chapter and rewrite it from the city’s perspective. But despite the heaviness of the plot, the characters still manage to shine through. Juliette and Roma’s star-crossed romance gets thrust even more into the spotlight in this one. Yes, even more so than in These Violent Delights! But we get to see them as more than lovers. Each of their individual chapters has a very strong voice, such that you can immediately tell who is narrating which chapter. We also get to know more about side characters: Marshall, Ben, Alisa, and of course Juliette’s formidable cousins Kathleen and Rosalind. Everything that makes a character good and relatable is so palpably present in this book.All except for Roma, who immediately swiveled around and looked up, eyes searching for the source of the gunshot. While Roma thinks he’s determined to kill Juliette, he still struggles when he actually gets an opportunity. The habits of loving her turn out to be hard to break, even as he hates himself for it. The love story remains central, of course Kathleen and Benedikt were great, and I loved getting to spend some more time with them. Benedikt’s mourning for Marshall in particular was beautifully illustrated. It was also interesting to see a little more of Juliette’s main rival for the position of heir to the Scarlet gang. Juliette did not move. She must have hesitated for a fraction too long, because Roma’s expression morphed into a sneer. In my opinion, that is the greatest lesson of this duology. To directly quote the book, “It is love that will survive after everything else has perished.” I think we as a society don’t give the trope of ‘love conquers all’ enough credit. When you love someone that deeply -whether romantic or otherwise – you can do almost anything, bear almost anything. And Roma and Juliette prove that. Our Violent Ends is such an apt title

This is Scarlet territory.” Her words were even, but it took everything in her to keep them that way. “You forget yourself.” Choose an overlapping theme from Shakespeare’s play and Gong’s books. Write an essay that explores how Gong’s retelling supports the theme through character, plot, setting, and style. Better to speak none of it. Better to pretend and pretend until maybe, just maybe, there came some chance to salvage the fractured state this city had fallen into. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on a mission. 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.These Violent Delights ended on what felt like a big reveal. Although the immediate enemy was defeated, they had only unleashed a greater horror. The impression we were left with was that this new threat was immediately making itself known, so when Our Violent Ends started without reference to this, I was a little bemused. For those who have read or seen Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, characters and specific scenes from Gong’s adaptation will seem familiar. Choose a character, whether they exist in the original play or not, and create a character map that shows their character development and personality. If they’re a character that appears in the play, consider the differences and similarities. What catalysts propel their story across both books? What are the points of no return? You can create your map as a time line, an aesthetic board or video, a series of tweets, diary entries, or something else. Be prepared to present your map to the class, including a rationale on why you chose to represent it the way you did. Compare strife and tragedy across social classes. Would a laborer working in a factory for sixteen hours a day have time to duel like Roma and Tyler? How would the story change if the main characters were poor? The lights went dark. Kathleen glanced over her shoulder, fingers twisting into the loose sleeves of her coat. Additionally, there’s a traitor in the Scarlet Gang. This was touched on in the first book, of course. At one point it looked like the hunt for this spy was going to be made more central, but then it got largely forgotten. At least until it could tie into another plot thread.

Don’t be a fool, Juliette scolded herself. She had tipped herself into this situation at full speed. She would not regret it. It was what had needed to be done. Roma, on the other hand, has been hardened by the events of book one. He still thinks Juliette killed Marshall, and his rage and guilt are overwhelming. Benedikt, almost as furious with Roma as he is with Juliette, isn’t speaking to his cousin, and the schism is hurting both of them.

Consider the main couples and their race, gender, and sexuality. What obstacles might they face (outside of a blood feud) to be together? Have you or anyone you know dated someone family or society did not approve of? What role should family and/or society play in the person you choose to be in a relationship with? Juliette wanted to scream, seeing what he had been made into. She could hardly catch her breath, and she would be lying if she said it was only because of her current physical exertion. You were three paces away from the merchant,” she said. She was surprised her voice remained level. Ta ma de. There was one knife strapped to her leg, but in the time it would take to reach for it, she would be giving Roma plenty of time to shoot. “You left him just to find me? I’m flattered—” Who in the world doesn’t know how Romeo & Juliet ends? And if you do, then the ending – Roma and Juliette’s final decision – comes as no surprise. Do you hear yourself?” Roma interrupted. In three strides, he was close enough to point his gun right in Juliette’s face. She could feel the heat of the barrel, hot steel an inch away from her skin. “You killed Marshall. You killed him, and it’s been months, and I haven’t heard a word of explanation from you—”

What could possibly be more important than this?” Kathleen asked. They took their seats: the front-most row by the second-level railing, a perfect view of both the screen and all the people beneath. “Staring angrily at your bedroom wall, as you have been doing these few months?” Juliette swiveled around, narrowing her eyes at her cousin. Kathleen Lang was trailing close, her mouth set in a grimace while the people around them searched for their seats before the picture started. 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 into 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. Divide the class into two sides (Scarlets and White Flowers), and debate whether revolution is possible without violence. Consider alternative methods to create social change. Use moments in history and current events as examples. In this scenario, pretend the two sides are willing to set aside the blood feud. It’s safer for Juliette to let Roma hate her, even if it hurts. She knows she needs to let him think the worst of her to protect him from the blood feud that consumes both their families.

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In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet cannot freely marry, not only because of the blood feud between the Montagues and the Capulets, but also because of patriarchal society in medieval Italy. How does this compare to the experiences of the female characters in 1920s Shanghai? How about in contemporary society? I killed him because he needed to die,” Juliette said. Her arm whipped up. She twisted Roma’s gun away, letting it clatter at their feet. “Just as I will kill you. Just as I will not stop until you kill me—” 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. One of the greatest strengths of Our Violent Ends is the way it balances a heavier, meatier plot with character development. Although I did enjoy the plot of These Violent Delights, the story arc really becomes stronger and gains momentum in Our Violent Delights. If you’re familiar with Chinese history, you can more or less figure out what are the major events featured. I really appreciated how the author interweaves the the events of leading up to the Chinese Civil War with the mystery of the Shanghai monster. I was so absorbed and immersed into this world! This city holds itself upright by the power of information, and its messengers work frantically, whisper passing whisper until it reaches the ears of its rival darlings.” This quote acts as foreshadowing. What examples from the text describe instances of miscommunication? Imagine the internet and electronic devices did not exist. What scenarios would be disastrous if you could not communicate instantly? Share a time a text message was misunderstood or not delivered. What problem(s) arose from the situation?