These Violent Delights

i wanted to love this book due to the super intriguing premise, but could not find myself drawn into the world. i did not find juliette a likable character, i didn't like how rosalind faded into the background (but understand that this was already a chonky book so some things needed to be cut), how useless all the “adults” around juliette/roma were, how it seemed like this was one of those YA books that makes its hard ass edge lord young protags young in age only, when really they should probably at the very least be in their early 20s or something. you know. the kind of trope you normally find in content geared towards a younger crowd, because why would you want to read these books if these kids actually acted their age.

i had a hard time following what was going on with the factions in the city, and it really bugged me (lol) that there...wasn't really an explanation for how qi ren became the monster? like...how did that even happen?? for all of the political gang related shenanigans going on the city, this unexplained scifi element seemed kind of lazily shoehorned in, when i was hoping for some kind of explanation.

or maybe it's just me, and i finished the book late and am writing this review late, and the explanation went right over my head lol.

all that said, i'm probably going to pick up the sequel.