Book Review: These Violent Delights

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

YA | Fiction | Fantasy | Romance | Historical Fiction

Disclaimer: In every review I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it, all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can't stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

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My Review

When I first picked up this book, I was afraid that it would not live up to the hype. I am glad to say that it did, though, and it was worth the read! Gong's writing style is beautiful: her words are stunning and poetic. It has been a while since I've read a YA novel that reads well, especially one that follows multiple characters.

"... the words had already been said and birthed into the world, becoming sharp arrows tearing through the rook with no target in mind, only destruction." (pg. 27).

I'm usually the type of person who can predict an ending. Thankfully, this book was an exception! I kept trying to guess what exactly was happening and what might be behind it, but I couldn't seem to pinpoint it.

"This man had pulled at a hint of glitter in the ground expecting a nugget of fold and disturbed a hornet's nest instead" (ph. 26).

My favorite part of this book is the attention to romance in a world of GANGS and RIVALRIES! I have read countless books that shove romance down your throat with absolutely no question to the potential consequences of a gang, which is unrealistic. Being a Romeo and Juliet-inspired book, Gong does a great job of not avoiding the realistic outlook of the main character's relationship. She also doesn't shy away from violence, and I am here for it.

The Good Things

1. The writing is beautiful and poetic.

2. The characters are well-written, and there are no inconsistencies in their personalities and traits. Kathleen and Marshall are my favorite characters, and Gong does an exceptional job at portraying how important it is that although they are different and can be judged for such, they will stop at nothing to ensure no one sees them that way.

3. Gong painted Shanghai in the 1920s beautifully! I am wildly impressed.

4. I think I'm team White-Flower, but only because they are not all expected to be involved due to blood. If you've read the book, What team are you?

The Bad Things

1. To the normal reader -especially being a YA book- the book might be a little bit slow to start. The world-building is wonderful and makes sense, but Gong focuses a LOT on things that didn't necessarily pertain to the story. That being said, I personally enjoy these types of books, so I didn't mind it all that much!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- These Violent Delights. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: The Nightingale

The Nightingale (2015) by Kristin Hannah

Historical Fiction | Fiction | WWII Fiction

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the Novel (From GoodReads):

In love we find out who we want to be.

In war we find out who we are. FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France—a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

"If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.” - The Nightingale

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My Review

Hannah's The Nightingale is an astoundingly good book. I expected it to be good, but the word "good" seems like a complete understatement. This book is beautiful, gutting, and awe-inspiring. Although there is romance, that isn't the main focus of the tale. Instead, Hannah brings her female characters and the terrible things they are all faced with during the Second World War to life. Few authors can tell a vivid tale the way Hannah did with this one, especially historical fiction. When I read it for the first time, I was in a book hangover for nearly a week. She brings her heroine to light in a dramatic way, and I loved it.

The Good Things

1. Fantastic story! I'm talking, seriously, remarkable.

2. The characters are in-depth and relatable.

The Bad Things

1. There are a few, minor inconsistencies concerning the weather and ages of minor characters, but they don't take away from the story.

2. It is a tear-jerker. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I was NOT prepared.

My Final Rating

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

To purchase a copy from Amazon, click here.

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- The Nightingale. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: My Significant Nobody

My Significant Nobody (2020) by Stevie D. Parker

Fiction | Romance

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

This question haunts James, infamous in New York for his bar and his playboy lifestyle. James knows what he wants. That is, until his best bartender, Amber proposes a casual sex relationship. The rules were simple: tell no one, do not get attached, and absolutely do not fall in love. But when James' best friend enters a relationship with Amber, the rules that were originally easy to follow, become an unexpected liability.

In My Significant Nobody, by Stevie D. Parker, friendships are tested, rules are broken, and a simple plan transforms into a whirlwind of emotions, epiphanies, and the ultimate test of loyalty.

Note: I read this book alongside many others for the January 2022 book club: Turning the Page.

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My first impressions

Please keep in mind that this is not my typical choice of book. I think this is important because the author is clearly a skilled writer, and many people who do read this genre enjoy the book. I plan to read Parker's other book -Wounds of Time- soon because I like the writing style. That is why I am giving it four stars instead of three.

I will admit; the book's first half was hard to get through! That being said, at around the 50% mark, it gets much better! I enjoyed James' perspective more than Ambers's perspective.

The Good Things

1. The story is well-written. It is clear that the author is a skilled writer, and that reflects in My Significant Nobody.

2. The characters are unique, especially James.

3. If you love a slow burn - this is your type of book!

4. I love the cover! Very appealing.

The Bad Things

1. Amber and James are both SO stubborn, and it made me grind my teeth!

2. I didn't love the story overall - however, as I mentioned above, this isn't my typical choice of the genre!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆ (Amazon)

☆☆☆ (Blog)

Takeaway: This is a good read. I may not have loved it, but you might! Especially if you love a slow-burn romance with lots of spice.

To purchase a copy of this book, click here!

Please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- My Significant Nobody. I would love to hear your thoughts!