nothing much to see here

It wasn't an easy thing to read, and considering its many difficult topics it feels kind of wrong to say that it was "good", but it was very well-written and compelling to read. And eerily, brutally realistic in some places. I'm also not sure I'd call what Helena and Kaine have a romance - it's certainly not healthy, but the hopelessness and despair of it all, and still it's the one thing they cling to when all else fails? Damn, I felt that.

Me, reading the sequel: ...again, the necromancy caught me unawares

...why do I have to sit on that cliffhanger for so long? TT_TT

I'm still processing the book but what I can say is that I'm really not sure whose team I'm on love triangle wise. Sky? Lei? Both are good but she'd work out fantastic without any man by her side at all.

...also part of me is crackshipping Meilin and Winter. Winter had far too little screen time. He might also be gay idk xD

For the record, I may sound calm but that's a lie xD these books made me do pterodactyl screeches and wail in despair, cackle like a madwoman, and arghhhh I'm not good at expressing it but I just had all the feels ok. All of them. I picked up These Violent Delights last September and expected to not like it for some reason - the last thing I expected was falling madly in love.

So thank you, Chloe - for writing something that made me remember what it's like to be obsessed with something in all the best ways, even though the intensity of my enthusiasm for your work might have scared all of my friends away from it (I'M SORRYYYY I just wish they'd read it I why has nobody I know read it I need to talk about itttt). TVD was one of the books that got me into reading again and I'm better for it.

Also, I will probably never get over Juliette slamming her hands down on her dad's car and going "Father, I crave violence!", or Orion being like "how do we know these people??????" and Rosalind going "omg that's beside the POINT those to are literally backstory!!" Peak humour

Though I did like The Shadows Between Us a lot more than The Darkness Within Us. I rolled my eyes at Alessandra a lot, but she had agency and a likeable love interest for the entire story. Chrysantha? I know I as a female reader was supposed to react like this, but I was so upset about the way she was treated. This overwhelming and bitter feeling of powerlessness, ugh. The first third of the book was no fun to read at all, and I hated Eryx from the depths of my heart. I did get better, yes. But I while I would read Shadows again, I don't think I could stomach Darkness a second time - the book simply makes me way too mad (because it hits too close to home).

"Why are we eating in a library?"

Very good question!

"My father had this old people hobby called reading and I liked my father but I don't care for books lol"

"Hey I know you just had the worst day of your entire life and you just witnessed some really gruesome, traumatizing things like a couple of hours ago but actually everything is fine, so let's go party!!"