However, these topics are addressed through the extensive thoughts of the two protagonists (and I do mean extensive – I would estimate that almost 90 percent of this novel is dedicated to character development and interiority), but spending several hundred pages deep in the thoughts and nuances of two angsty teenagers is not only a little exhausting, but when their angst leads to extreme and inexplicable violence without sufficiently changing them, it’s upsetting. And certainly these themes are addressed in the book, as well as the complex, dangerous nature of controlling relationships. Themes that, I would argue, are very important and worth addressing. In an afterward of the book, Nemerever acknowledges the influence of the Columbine shooting on this narrative, as well as the ensuing hysteria around teenage angst, disconnect, and desensitization to violence. But I really struggled with the specific kind of violence in These Violent Delights, in which two young lovers decide to tie their fates together by committing a pre-meditated, violent crime.
And in fact, there are many books that deal with extensive physical/sexual abuse, neglect, and violence that I cherish deeply ( Kindred Educated Pillars of the Earth the list could go on endlessly).
I don’t usually struggle with violence (gore, yes) – and I’ve read books a LOT more violent than Micah Nemerever’s These Violent Delights.
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