Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

77 reviews

_froggy_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

1.25

This was a wild ride for sure. Not what I normally read and Hella dark, but honestly not horrible. The writing was good, though I did see some of the plottwists coming. 


It's not my type of book, considering it's mainly about a "relationship " built from stalking and then multiple sexual assaults as well as rape. 
If that is what you like to read, you go for it. It was really well written, I can't deny that. If I would have to rate it while just considering the thought outness of it and how well written it is, I'd give it 4/5 ⭐️. 
However my actual  rating with how much I liked it is 1.5 ⭐️ at most

To be completely honest I do not know what to write about this book, I'm still shocked I even read that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Trafficking, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Alcohol

iseefirede's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Definitely more focused on the "erotica" than a story. So don't pick it up expecting a good story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Blood

jodi_xo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

This is a really good book, although not for everyone as mayn’t aspects of this book are intense. It covers a lot of dark topics. Many trigger and content warnings attached to this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kaileyhanrath's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Please read the content warnings before starting this book. “Dark” is an understatement. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

bashsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

0.25

I've read 137 books this year, and this one stands out as the worst. It's not due to the sex, which is desperately trying to be edgy but is actually quite boring, nor is it due to the darker themes - I start my review by saying this because undoubtedly this author and fans of this work likely think that criticisms of it come from that angle.

My biggest issues with Haunting Adeline are as follows:

1) Its writing style is bad. This author cannot write for shit. This book is extremely vague and noncommittal in its descriptions, frustratingly unwilling to give much specific information about the world, and unbelievably cringe-worthy in its dialogue. 

2) It promotes a pretty fucked up view of gender - the world of Haunting Adeline implies that even the best of men are predators and even the most strong-willed of women are victims/prey. I could go on about this point with a few dozen examples, but I will boil it down to the most galling one: at one point, there are two victims of human trafficking being discussed - one an adult woman described as a "twenty-four year old girl" and one a child, a little boy. And there is more time and focus put on how this poor "girl" than the actual child. It goes without saying that it's normal to feel for any victims of trafficking, but I find it suspicious that in a book that pulls out pedophilia and child abuse as an excuse for every other crime committed, more focus is given to the female victim, who is an adult, than the literal child - and of course, she's infantilized.

3) Putting a warning that says "this isn't antisemitic" at the beginning of a book is not sufficient. You have to actually not perpetuate antisemitic propaganda in the book. Saying "oh I just like conspiracy theories and it's just my twisted mind" and then vomitting the contents of right-wing Facebook memes onto the page is an act of both idiocy and hubris. God, the ego on this Carlton.

There is a lot more I could gripe about - like how the male lead Z justifies his murders in the most annoying and unconvincing ways or how the titular Adeline just takes him at his word about everything despite him stalking and raping her or the super pervasive ableism or the absolutely weaksauce attempt at class analysis or how this is absolutely catnip for white women who believe they're going to be kidnapped at Target - but I'll just save us both some time and sanity and tell you not to bother with this dumpster fire of a book. If you're looking for a dark bit of smut, just pull up AO3. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Racism and Torture

Minor: Death of parent

louiepotterbook's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

0.5

Just because you put trigger warnings doesn’t magically make what’s in it okay. And it’s poorly written to top it off. Please don’t read this I only finished it out of spite

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

massive trigger warning he rapes her multiple times once with a gun but the author has the characters be like it’s not a big deal because she “enjoyed it” half way through. Also said she deserved it because she antagonized him.

dani_darko's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

xmurbef's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Truly stunned the word “creamy” is allowed to be used in a sexual context in The Year of Our Lord 2023. JAIL.

I went into this with incredibly low expectations, and maybe that’s why I sort of enjoyed it? I didn’t expect there to be a substantial plot, and I actually found myself struggling to put it down so I could find out what happens next. Thank god I have access to the sequel because ending in a cliffhanger like this also deserves jail. J A I L.

Plot aside, it should also be noted that this isn’t *just* a smutty romance novel. The list of trigger warnings I’d attach to this book are nearly as long as the book itself. Definitely not for everyone (or most, tbh). I’ll list a few here: 

TW: sexual assault, human trafficking, sex trafficking, r*pe, murder, general violence, and generally non-consensual /dub consensual encounters of a wide variety

*To the author’s credit, these trigger warnings are all outlined on the first page of the book. So the reader is properly warned. 

The mental gymnastics it requires to even remotely attempt to understand the thoughts and actions of the male main character is beyond my capabilities. And frankly, some of the shit is just corny. To be expected where smut is involved, I suppose. *sigh*  I’ve heard book two is a million times more graphic, so I’m really not even sure I want to read it. We’ll see how it goes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

thebookaddict's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Jeetje wat een boek. Ten eerste als je hieraan wilt beginnen zou ik de trigger warnings lezen! Ik vond zelf dat het wel mee viel met hoe erg het beschreven was (wel is het onderwerp natuurlijk heel erg intens). Het boek heeft een donker thema en er is veel seks zonder wederzijdse toestemming. Dit kan als schokkend ervaren worden. Voor de rest vond ik het een top boek. Het houdt de spanning erin en er is genoeg spice. Wel vond ik hem erg lang duren, het had korter gekund en gemogen. Het einde was ook echt een hele erge cliffhanger. Ik ga zoiezo deel twee lezen, want ik kan deze dark romance wel waarderen. (Uitgebreidere recensie vind je op mijn instagram @thebook.addictx)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use and Death of parent