Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

465 reviews

crystaldimond_49's review against another edition

dark

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lyn_'s review against another edition

While I really enjoyed Carlton’s writing in a technical sense—she had a well developed and intriguing plot and side-plot to keep readers interested, something refreshing among other books in the genre—I couldn’t ignore the blatant portrayal of sexual assault as something excusable.

Zade, the main love interest who has a hatred for sex trafficking, completely contradicts his own character and justifies his own sexual violence toward Adeline, the female lead. He does this by claiming that her body wanted it and was physically reacting to him. I was waiting for (at the very least) a real moment of apology and forgiveness between the characters for what Zade did to Adeline on several occasions. However, this never occurs, and instead, readers get the author casually using a common myth in rape culture to justify Zade’s actions (that physical arousal means someone actually wants sex). Despite this, Adeline seems to forgive him without question.

While some readers may enjoy this book, I myself cannot enjoy nor support a book that tries to portray a relationship like this as anything close to “romance.” This isn’t dark romance; it’s abuse, and it’s better suited for a reader looking to study the dynamics of a very unhealthy relationship.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder

esdiecinueve's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Slavery, Blood, and Trafficking

Minor: Child death

blissful_barker's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The plot of this book is thorough, complex, and intriguing. There were several side plots that built on one another. The book is heavy and filled with traumatic topics so it's important to read the trigger warnings and take your time. If you do read this book, you're likely going to find yourself questioning your morals when it comes to how Zade and Addie's relationship starts and all of the torture and murder. I can confidently say I was surprised when I was okay with most of it all. I truly was rooting for Zade and Addie despite how fucked up it is. I'm excited and interested to read book two and see where the story lands and how I feel about it as a whole. This first book impressed me with how well H.D. Carlton had us falling for a morally black character.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death and Car accident

thevioletone's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

👀Tropes: Dark Romance (really dark) with stalking, sex with interesting objects, slow(ish) burn set in a dual POV

☠️CW: Just... Copy/Paste from author website - This book ends on a cliffhanger. It is a dark romance that contains graphic violence, dub/non con and stalking between main characters, explicit sexual situations, kinks such as degradation, gun play, and somnophilia, and deals with subject matters such as child trafficking, child deaths, and human sacrifice.

📚Read Method: Physical book, Kindle eBook, Audible

📕Review: Daily. I think about this series daily. First read March of 2023, I don't think there has been a day since that I haven't thought about Zade and Addie. My second read is of Michelle and Teddy reading it to me, and it's even better than I ever thought. The panty dropping spicy scenes has me observing every word, questioning my sanity through every sentence. Repeating over and over, 'Zade is fictional, Zade is fictional'. In real life? No I don't want a stalker that doesn't listen to my wishes of not being touched. In books? You can scare me with any weapon you want and my legs will weep for you. I have explored new things in my personal life because of Zade and Addie, and it opened up a new genre of books for me, which I have enjoyed more and more. 

Now, I love Haunting Adeline, but I think the real growth, the biggest emotions, and the highest high comes from the FUCKING CLIFFHANGER that leads into the second book [book:Hunting Adeline|59050133]. I will never ever forgive [author:H.D. Carlton|18239774] for this heartbreak turned pridefulness and delight at Zade and Addie's relationship and story. (Trying to stay spoiler free)

💖Quotes:
"I'm going to make her fall in love with every single fucked up part of me. I want this girl to see me at my most depraved. I want her to experience the true darkness residing in my soul. When you make someone fall in love with the darkest parts of you, there's nothing you can do that will scare them away. They will be yours forever because they already love all the fucked up bits and pieces of you."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

bambiisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

valeadriana's review against another edition

Uffff just don't pick this up please, don't give it any more clout, it's racist, antisemitic and every rapist's fanasty. Urgh
Booktok made me pick up this novel, and boy, do I regret not reading up on this more before starting it.

The FMC is raped by her stalker, who conveniently hunts down rapists and human traffickers for a living, but then does the EXACT SAME THING to her???
 
This is so so so bad and I just want to factory reset my brain to never ever have touched upon this bullshit novel

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

clairemarie_'s review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

elkfr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lokeylez's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

it’s really well written but also traumatized me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment