Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

75 reviews

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

Read the trigger warnings before even thinking about reading this book. They are no joke. There are some incredibly intense scenes involving rape (they call it non consentual consent, but let's call it what it is), child abuse, stalking, and trafficking. 

The relationship between Addie and Zade was completely fucked up. She got off on being scared and he got off on scaring her. He is her stalker (he breaks into her house and rapes her/sexually assaulted her) and we are meant to believe that she just accepted it and formed a relationship  with this man (within 3 months). There are some very traumatic scenes near the beginning of their "relationship" where he sexually assaulted her with a gun and then ties her to a bed and sexually assaulted her. It is played off in the book as though it was a non consentual consent situation, but it wasn't. He did not have her consent at that point. Later in the book he did, but not during those scenes. These scenes could be very traumatic for some readers. 

What I cannot understand is that Zade works to eliminate rapists and pedophiles from this world, but he himself is a stalker, rapist, and murderer. We are give no logical reason as to why he became this way. He came from a good home and when he learned about human trafficking he wanted to "do something about it". I feel like this was lazy writing and we needed more of a motive and backstory as to why he does what he does and why he is the way he is. 

I feel like the whole storyline surrounding her great-grandmother was pointless and could have been cut out completely. It didn't add anything to the story. 

I think the writer was really focused on writing for "shock value" and not enough on creating a strong story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Child death, Rape, Confinement, Grief, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gun violence, Stalking, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Torture, and Toxic relationship

abzauthor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Stalking, Gun violence, Grief, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Cursing, Blood, and Death

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

lauritbh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

2.0

ratio

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Trafficking, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Torture, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Drug use, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

zc2's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The ending…. I hate it here. Other than that the book is pretty good. The smut is intense beyond words and the mystery with her great grandmothers death had me on the edge of my seat. I’m reading to read the next one 🤭 CHECK TW!!!!!! 🙂

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Cannibalism, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Torture, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Gun violence, Genocide, Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Grief

erinmd156's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Torture, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking

Moderate: Child death, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Kidnapping, and Vomit

Minor: Infidelity, Cannibalism, Grief, and Physical abuse