Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

253 reviews

nasya_4567's review against another edition

2.0

dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Consent did not exist in this book. 😃

It was not for me, it’s very graphic, too graphic for me.

I feel like the love interest (if you can call it that), Zade could’ve had so much potential, if Addie met him as the nice guy and then found out he was a bit obsessed, that would made him more bearable. But he was just bad-boy the whole time, and because of that I feel as though there was no character development ☹️

The only thing I enjoyed was the lil POVs from The Grandma and how her experience with the stalker paralleled to her Granddaughters… yeah.

Be careful, just be aware of what you are getting into 😭😭

I personally wouldn’t recommend it 😀. You have to have a strong, strong stomach.

Content Warnings

jkupps's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

georat0420's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was such an entertaining read. And very dark - there were parts that definitely had me cringing at how violent it was. I loved Zade and Addie and their relationship even though I really shouldn't due to the complete lack of consent!! I did like how long it took Adeline to come round to the idea of Zade as it felt more realistic. I'm excited to read the second book as I think we will get to see them actually together and in love as opposed to him just stalking her and her being terrified at all times. Also, we get to see Sibby again!

Content Warnings

abundance_of_fiction's review against another edition

2.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was *NOT* it.

I went into this duology seeing it all of insta and booktok as a gritty spicy read butttt, just no. I did finish because I was semi-invested and I can’t find it in myself to DNF a story. The plot was all over, the romance was nonexistent (really it was just lust and obsession), and the gritty elements were basically just there for gore galore; none of this added to the actual story. The writing wasn’t bad, and the atmosphere in the beginning was genuinely good. I was intrigued with the haunting, stalking, and great grandmother mystery, but then it all falls apart.

New conflicts every 2 chapters, check. No resolution to prior conflicts, check. Complete happenstance regarding 90% of the conflicts, check. And NO REAL ROMANCE! There is no reason Zade should “love” and be obsessive about Addie. Like he saw a cute girl with a smoky voice at her book signing... now he is k*lling people for her?!?

This one just aint it. If you want sm*t without a decent plot then here you go, but if you want a mix run

Content Warnings

adelesbooks's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Haunting Adeline - H. D. Carlton ⭐⭐⭐

Before I say anything, I have to URGE you to READ the trigger warnings. I don't have a problem with darker themes in books, but some things in this story made me pause.

With that said, starting this book in the evening was probably the worst idea I have ever had! I was freaked out from the first chapter, but oddly enough, I couldn't stop reading. As sometimes happens, I pulled an all-nighter and finished it by nine a.m. the next day.

I had mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand, I couldn't put it down till I got through the whole book in one sitting. On the other hand, it was a bit much in certain parts. That alone speaks volumes since there isn't much that disturbs me in books.

I can't outright say I didn't like the characters because I was intrigued. But it is the same as the story. Some of their traits were unsettling.

One thing I found hard to follow was the subplots. Maybe it was just me, but there was so much going on all the time.

To summarize all this, I would say it was quite the experience. I don't know how else to put it. I gave Haunting Adeline three stars. Objectively it's a well-written story with an impressive idea.

AGAIN, CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING!!! Also, be aware there is a big cliffhanger at the end of the book, so read at your own risk.

Content Warnings