Reviews with content warning for Violence - Haunting Adeline

I’m not really sure what I expected out of this book but I definitely expected it to be more wrapped around the main characters and their “relationship” and I expected it to evolve more at some point. I had a hard time with the blatant non consent between the two also and many times I caught myself thinking the characters were just idiotic. There was way too much r@pe, assault, child sacrifice involved. I get that it’s the plot around which one of the main characters “works” but this book was just crazy. It did keep me intrigued and wanting to know what happens next. That’s about all it has going for it for me. I already have book 2 and still want to know what happens next so I plan to read it but I’m very conflicted on this rating.

Content Warnings

slswarner's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

1.0

Content Warnings

sammers9774's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

lattelibrarian's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Well, this was something I read! To be honest, I read this due to people I know recommending this to me. I don't normally read this genre, or anything really adjacent to this genre, so I thought it'd be good for me to branch out.

The good: there were some parts of this book that I fully agreed with. YES, Adeline, what Zade is doing to you IS stalking and rape and abuse. And YES Zade, how ARE you going to reckon your actions against your morals of saving innocent boys and girls from pedophile rings?? The bad? So much cognitive dissonance.

The good: Parsons Manor. Oh my god YES we love a creepy old mansion. The bad? Unfortunately, not actually haunted. I genuinely thought that Zade was going to be a ghost; perhaps the same ghost (until I was otherwise proven wrong) that haunted Adeline's great-grandmother. I was like hell yeah, multi-generational ghost-fucking? Let's GO. Nope, just a really creepy dude. Also the bad? Why must this take place in Seattle :( (which also, there's a LOT of woods in the setting for a book that takes place in an extremely urban area...Seattle is green but it ain't THAT green haha)

The good: Daya. Great best friend energy, the conversations with her were SO FUNNY. And she was a great reality check for Adeline. The bad? Y'know, I don't think there is a bad. I REALLY liked Daya. Personally, I imagined her in my head as Vella Lovell.

Okay, now for some general 'bad's:

Zade--oh my goddd he is so cocky and in such a small dick energy kind of way. BUT I liked his coworkers, Jay and Ruby, whenever they were around.

Lots of telling and not showing. Also, some of the comparisons were so out of left field that I was truly wondering about the points of reference for these characters.

It was also so incredibly trope-y. As someone who loves a good trope, I can recognize that sometimes the plot exists just for the sex and the tropes. The chances of being in the same place as your stalker and someone from whom he's trying to protect you? Getting invited to a gala and NEEDING to wear a beautiful dress? Again, I love a good trope, but you do have to have some substance behind it to make it believable in a novel kind of way, and not a fanfiction kind of way.

Also, Sibby. While I enjoyed her plenty in the second book (review to come), this first book posits her and maniacal and deeply unsound. Which, to be fair, she is. But Zade (or the author) is very ableist when discussing her character. Sibby suffers from delusions--many of which I think are constructed to make her 'edgy'--and she kills everyone she thinks is a total creep. But Zade is willing to let her take the fall for him and consistently labels her as crazy.

So, all in all, this was an entertaining read. But was it a good one?

Content Warnings

scarle's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Loved Adeline And Zade Mwah but too Gory and Scary for me tho but loved it anyway I usually Hate SMUT but the Spice in this book was so funny and just interesting which is weird for me

Content Warnings

More...