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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Whoops. This is sooooo not my genre yet somehow I bought it. And then I couldn't stop reading. Described to me as a "psychological thriller" without the word "erotic" threw me for a loop and now I'm all ??? about reviewing it. First, the romance genre isn't my scene, so I have to admit that this book shocked me. I was freaked, appalled, sad, angry, confused, mad... and I can't quite wrap my mind around what I read. I'm not a prude so hey - bring it on but rape is well, rape and what Livvie endured was horrible. It's like that condition where people fall for their attackers? Can't remember the name. Stockholm syndrome? That's what bumped it to 2 stars from one is that I was fascinated by that. Fine, that I will believe and found somewhat intriguing. I find the whole fall-in-love-with-rapist-guy so wrong and demeaning but I suppose that's the whole juxtaposition that messes with your mind. I was absolutely horrified by what he did to her but intrigued by the psychological attachment Livvie felt. However, that question jumped the shark when she realizes her predicament and still continues to have willing sex and thus the eye rolling began and my stomach turned. The only redemption was the ending and the hope that somehow she toughens up and kills this ahole, but something tells me that won't happen. clearly the book kept my attention as I read it in 2 days...it was riveting in places. But then it was also sickening, which kept me intrigued and reading more. So now I have to see my therapist because I'm all kinds of messed up after reading this.
This book is written by a woman. And it is scary how Women are the ones who are propagating these kind of sick ideas.
How did this book even get published.
I dont know why I did not DNF this book.
Maybe because hope against hope I was praying for the Female lead to get her redemption! I think I am a fool to have thought this book could be redeemed.
To all the people who Love this book:
What kind of sick twisted mind do you have?!(No offense).
Romanticizing a relationship between a Human trash Man (who kidnaps women, abuses her physically and mentally, and treats her like garbage).
And the women who goes through all this.
Is the biggest tragedy of this book.
Stockholm syndrome is real and I understand how there could be attachment between the abuser and the abused.
BUT! Phrasing the abuse to seem erotic almost romantic. That's what gets on my nerves.
Abuse is ABUSE nothing less nothing more and if you put it as ABUSE I can understand where it is coming from and it's okay to talk about abuse in books because it is Real.
But dont show abuse as something the abused person Enjoys and comes to love.
NO! The abused is always going to hate it. And have trauma.
Dont phrase something so Disgustingly horrifying as Something Romantic, Please.
This book was just one episode of abuse after other and I felt torn between throwing this book at the wall and screaming my head off.
And I hope publishers pay attention to what is going through them.
How did this book even get published.
I dont know why I did not DNF this book.
Maybe because hope against hope I was praying for the Female lead to get her redemption! I think I am a fool to have thought this book could be redeemed.
To all the people who Love this book:
What kind of sick twisted mind do you have?!(No offense).
Romanticizing a relationship between a Human trash Man (who kidnaps women, abuses her physically and mentally, and treats her like garbage).
And the women who goes through all this.
Is the biggest tragedy of this book.
Stockholm syndrome is real and I understand how there could be attachment between the abuser and the abused.
BUT! Phrasing the abuse to seem erotic almost romantic. That's what gets on my nerves.
Abuse is ABUSE nothing less nothing more and if you put it as ABUSE I can understand where it is coming from and it's okay to talk about abuse in books because it is Real.
But dont show abuse as something the abused person Enjoys and comes to love.
NO! The abused is always going to hate it. And have trauma.
Dont phrase something so Disgustingly horrifying as Something Romantic, Please.
This book was just one episode of abuse after other and I felt torn between throwing this book at the wall and screaming my head off.
And I hope publishers pay attention to what is going through them.
Method: ebook
Rating: 5/5 stars
H rating: 4/5 - Caleb
h rating: 4/5 - Olivia
Drama: 3/5
Thoughts: Read this forever ago, really enjoyed this!!
The tricky thing about abusive relationships is that even the people in them don’t always realize that they are abusive. It is common for the participants (both abuser and victim) to have been victimized in the past, be it through neglect or active physical, sexual or psychological abuse. So often the dysfunction and abuse in their current relationship doesn’t seem bad or is more acceptable, because it isn’t “as bad” in comparison to what they’ve experienced in the past. The most complicated thing about these kinds of relationships is that sometimes these two very broken and dysfunctional people honestly do love each other, in so much they are capable of love.
All of this is true of both the characters in this romanticized abusive relationship.
Captive in the Dark is a fantastic example of why abusive relationships are so common, by utilizing two very powerful stereotypes about men and women, that are also very popular archetypes in books, movies and various forms media. Men are violent and domineering, while women are naive and weak. Therefore a man loves through force, and a woman loves through surrender.
In this story the reader is taken on an thrilling and emotional journey of learning how to love an abuser, while disempowering and blaming a victim for her abuse. It’s a pretty simple formula utilized by a lot a similar abuse/abuser fantasies. It is a very popular theme that can be found in almost every genre of romance from Fifty Shades of Grey to Beautiful Disaster, as well as many popular titles aimed at young adults.
It seeks to forgive the abuser for his many sins by giving him a sympathetic back story and a very earnest belief that he loves (or cares deeply) for his victim. Conversely, it casts the victim in the decidedly unsympathetic light, even when she is doing heroic or very understandable things, like resisting the abuser or attempting to leave the abusive situation.
What is the purpose of casting a victim in a negative light? Easy. It diminishes the many very real and horrible things the hero does to the victim, because “it could be worse” or “it wouldn’t be as bad if she wouldn’t fight him.” Suddenly all of the victims choices, that in the real world would be applauded as heroic, are cast in a negative light in the story. She is seen as being unreasonable, idiotic and even cruel/hurtful to the abuser’s feelings. After all, he loves and needs her. /sarcasm
The story begins when Caleb, a criminal in the sex trafficking industry, kidnaps the heroine with the intention of forcing her into training as a sex slave so that he may sell her to his enemy in an elaborate (aka convoluted) revenge plan. Based on the the set up alone this book screams dark, thriller or horror, not the erotica romance.
However, I don’t blame those who do see it as erotic and romantic, because the entire story is framed and presented as just that. Where a abusive, kidnapper is a reluctant hero and his unwilling victim is his lucky lady love.
Caleb is the protagonist of this story. It is HIS story of redemption and poor little Livvie isn’t even the antagonist. She’s merely the conduit through which he is finds forgiveness and love. Her resistance and reluctance to love her abuser is the obstacle that must be overcome.
If only she would give up her sense of self worth, and freedom to give him that love he so richly deserves. /sarcasm
Captive in the Dark is a actually very well constructed, though the writing isn’t that stellar (epic ellipse abuse, more telling than showing and an overwrought narrative style that made Caleb sound more like the aristocratic poet of a gothic novel opposed to a gritty streetwise criminal). The story pulls the reader in with the taboo titillation of seeing through the eyes of a predator, but it is littered with cut-away flashbacks and carefully worded internal thoughts that attempt to justify his actions and induce the reader to forgive Caleb’s loathsome behavior.
Judging by the glowing reviews and vocal fans of the series, it works. That alone shows that this book/series is worthy of recognition. Though, I withhold my praise, and respect when all of this work is being put forth to paint an abuser as hero, at the expense of his young, female victim.
I’m not going to judge people who like this book, because honestly I’ve loved a ton of books with questionable content. Rather I’m hoping that people who enjoyed this book, and feel affection for Caleb stop the next time they hear a story about a victim of domestic, sexual or any other kind of abuse.
When they wonder “why did she stay,” I want them to consider that maybe that victim loved their abuser as much as Livvie (and the readers) loves Caleb.
PS Sometimes it bothers me how when we turn the very real horrors of others (like victims of sex trafficking) into a titillating plot device for our entertainment and how that can diminish the true horrors experienced by the real victims. It is the privilege of the safe and empowered to play at being victims, while real victims suffer and die in obscurity. That issue makes me ponder the ethics of books and entertainment like this, not because it portrays this dark reality, but because it does so at the expense of realism and contributes to a misogynist narrative in our society. /end rant
All of this is true of both the characters in this romanticized abusive relationship.
Captive in the Dark is a fantastic example of why abusive relationships are so common, by utilizing two very powerful stereotypes about men and women, that are also very popular archetypes in books, movies and various forms media. Men are violent and domineering, while women are naive and weak. Therefore a man loves through force, and a woman loves through surrender.
In this story the reader is taken on an thrilling and emotional journey of learning how to love an abuser, while disempowering and blaming a victim for her abuse. It’s a pretty simple formula utilized by a lot a similar abuse/abuser fantasies. It is a very popular theme that can be found in almost every genre of romance from Fifty Shades of Grey to Beautiful Disaster, as well as many popular titles aimed at young adults.
It seeks to forgive the abuser for his many sins by giving him a sympathetic back story and a very earnest belief that he loves (or cares deeply) for his victim. Conversely, it casts the victim in the decidedly unsympathetic light, even when she is doing heroic or very understandable things, like resisting the abuser or attempting to leave the abusive situation.
What is the purpose of casting a victim in a negative light? Easy. It diminishes the many very real and horrible things the hero does to the victim, because “it could be worse” or “it wouldn’t be as bad if she wouldn’t fight him.” Suddenly all of the victims choices, that in the real world would be applauded as heroic, are cast in a negative light in the story. She is seen as being unreasonable, idiotic and even cruel/hurtful to the abuser’s feelings. After all, he loves and needs her. /sarcasm
The story begins when Caleb, a criminal in the sex trafficking industry, kidnaps the heroine with the intention of forcing her into training as a sex slave so that he may sell her to his enemy in an elaborate (aka convoluted) revenge plan. Based on the the set up alone this book screams dark, thriller or horror, not the erotica romance.
However, I don’t blame those who do see it as erotic and romantic, because the entire story is framed and presented as just that. Where a abusive, kidnapper is a reluctant hero and his unwilling victim is his lucky lady love.
Caleb is the protagonist of this story. It is HIS story of redemption and poor little Livvie isn’t even the antagonist. She’s merely the conduit through which he is finds forgiveness and love. Her resistance and reluctance to love her abuser is the obstacle that must be overcome.
If only she would give up her sense of self worth, and freedom to give him that love he so richly deserves. /sarcasm
Captive in the Dark is a actually very well constructed, though the writing isn’t that stellar (epic ellipse abuse, more telling than showing and an overwrought narrative style that made Caleb sound more like the aristocratic poet of a gothic novel opposed to a gritty streetwise criminal). The story pulls the reader in with the taboo titillation of seeing through the eyes of a predator, but it is littered with cut-away flashbacks and carefully worded internal thoughts that attempt to justify his actions and induce the reader to forgive Caleb’s loathsome behavior.
Judging by the glowing reviews and vocal fans of the series, it works. That alone shows that this book/series is worthy of recognition. Though, I withhold my praise, and respect when all of this work is being put forth to paint an abuser as hero, at the expense of his young, female victim.
I’m not going to judge people who like this book, because honestly I’ve loved a ton of books with questionable content. Rather I’m hoping that people who enjoyed this book, and feel affection for Caleb stop the next time they hear a story about a victim of domestic, sexual or any other kind of abuse.
When they wonder “why did she stay,” I want them to consider that maybe that victim loved their abuser as much as Livvie (and the readers) loves Caleb.
PS Sometimes it bothers me how when we turn the very real horrors of others (like victims of sex trafficking) into a titillating plot device for our entertainment and how that can diminish the true horrors experienced by the real victims. It is the privilege of the safe and empowered to play at being victims, while real victims suffer and die in obscurity. That issue makes me ponder the ethics of books and entertainment like this, not because it portrays this dark reality, but because it does so at the expense of realism and contributes to a misogynist narrative in our society. /end rant
“People often believed they were safer in the light, thinking monsters only came out at night. But safety – like light – is a façade.”
Wow, this book was one totally crazy ride!!! It is definitely not for everyone, and for me it was quite disturbing at times. But I decided to keep going, and so glad I did. This book was so well written and she drew you so far into these characters that had both been through so much. I just kept imagining how I would have handled everything if I had been in Livvie's situation. I don't think I would have been that strong. Makes you totally see how Stockholm Syndrome is possible, anything the mind can do to survive an awful situation. It definitely sucks you in, keeping you wondering what all has happened in the past and what in the heck will happen next. I totally can't wait to jump into the next one to see!!!!!
Hmmm not too sure how I feel about this one. Very dark and all that, but I still felt some parts dragged despite how short it was and I'm not sure I could totally connect with the characters, Livvie kinda annoyed me at points (soz hun). That said though, that ending felt very abrupt so naturally I read the book 2 teaser and BAM, I'm hooked. Book 1 felt like a filler for the real story, book 2! So here we are...
This book was so well written, and the story so compelling that I didn't find myself becoming angry like I normally would have been at a plot like this. In this story, a young woman is kidnapped and held captive by a man who intends to sell her as a pleasure slave. He is the person who begins her training, and intends to make her a submissive for a man who he's been trying to kill for 12 years. Even though Caleb is technically the bad guy, because he is technically raping Livvie of her free will, I found myself liking him. I wasn't disturbed or surprised when Livvie began to develop her own feelings for him, and I do give her credit for attempting to fight those feelings. But given her circumstances, surrounded by dangerous men, he seemed to be the only one who saw her as valuable (regardless of what that value was) so it seemed only natural that she would cling to him.
If you are expecting a damsel in distres/hero comes in to save the day type of love story- this ain 't it. This will NEVER be a Disney movie. And I think that's what I found so tantalizing. Love, acceptance, intimacy- those things aren't always bred in environments that are safe, warm, and blissful. You can find those things in ugliness. In violence. In darkness. And I feel this book shows that. I'm looking forward to reading the continuation of this story in the sequel.
If you are expecting a damsel in distres/hero comes in to save the day type of love story- this ain 't it. This will NEVER be a Disney movie. And I think that's what I found so tantalizing. Love, acceptance, intimacy- those things aren't always bred in environments that are safe, warm, and blissful. You can find those things in ugliness. In violence. In darkness. And I feel this book shows that. I'm looking forward to reading the continuation of this story in the sequel.
Talk about DARK .
This book is all that and more. I rarely give five star ratings to erotica/BDSM books, but this one's just so good. Full of emotion, this book is a definite page-turner.
This is the story of Caleb and Livvie. Caleb abducts Livvie from the world that she would want to run away from, but keeps her in the dark. In that dark room, Livvie discovers things about herself that she never knew before--or didn't she?
Caleb awakens the masochistic side of Livvie--whom he calls Kitten. If you think you've read all the BDSM books, you're wrong, because this one will still surprise you, haunt you, and yes, even make you feel...in love.
It's deep, it's dark, and not for the faint of heart.
Two thumbs up!
This book is all that and more. I rarely give five star ratings to erotica/BDSM books, but this one's just so good. Full of emotion, this book is a definite page-turner.
This is the story of Caleb and Livvie. Caleb abducts Livvie from the world that she would want to run away from, but keeps her in the dark. In that dark room, Livvie discovers things about herself that she never knew before--or didn't she?
Caleb awakens the masochistic side of Livvie--whom he calls Kitten. If you think you've read all the BDSM books, you're wrong, because this one will still surprise you, haunt you, and yes, even make you feel...in love.
It's deep, it's dark, and not for the faint of heart.
Two thumbs up!
Tetszett is, meg nem is, olyan kicsit felemás volt számomra. Minél több idő telt el, annál inkább kedveltem a történetet, habár mikor olvastam néha túl unalmasnak tűnt. Azt hiszem egyedül vagyok azzal a gondolattal, hogy én ennél egy sokkal durvább történetre számítottam abból amit hallottam a könyvről. Nekem egyáltalán nem feszegette a határaimat, sőt. Tetszett viszont Caleb karaktere, hogy nemcsak egy kegyetlen emberrabló, hanem neki is megvan a maga keresztje. Alig várom, hogy őt is jobban megismerhessük. Livvie egy olyan lány, aki annyira ki volt éhezve a szeretetre, - és persze mindig olyanok bántották a legjobban, akiket igazán kedvelt -, hogy még az elrablóját is helyesnek vélte. Kissé elcsépelt Stockholm-szindróma. De ugyanakkor megértem, hogy miért az ő karjaiban keresett vigaszt és hogy ezt is a túlélésért tette ebben a borzalmas körülmények közepette is.
Örülnék ha a könyvtáramban lehetne egy kötet, habár ez a hiányát elnézve magas elvárás :/
Örülnék ha a könyvtáramban lehetne egy kötet, habár ez a hiányát elnézve magas elvárás :/