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To paraphrase Tyra Banks “It’s so bad I want to give you a zero. But that’s not possible, so I give you a 0.25.”
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, Vomit
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Blood
Minor: Toxic relationship
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Ableism
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Rape, Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent
I dnf'd this book twice so this is my third attempt reading it and was it worth it? Yes and No
Why did I dnf it?
I dnf'd this book because despite all the trigger warning I still did not find it in me to be okay with the inconsensual shit and the stalking. I think overall I just felt kinda disgusted and like not okay with it one bit. And I still feel the same about the stalking. It is and will always be unacceptable regardless of the fact that Zade Meadows is this dark super cool superhero that's saving children from traficking. So, because of the fact that I was soo not okay with what was going on I dnf'd it; TWICE!!
What made me pick it up again?
I ain't one bit proud of this but Tik tok made me do it. It is all over frickin book tok and everyone else just seems to love it. So that was the major reason I picked it up again but the other one is that I'm practiclly incapable of leaving a book unfinished. It continuously bugs me and even f I don't like it one bit I'm stll spending all my mental energy wondering what exactly the plot might've been.
So curiousity + booktok = Terrible life choices
My final thoughts about the book:
Well am I suddenly okay with all the shit Zade did? NO. But was the book all bad, NO. One of the things that made this book enjoyable was the parallel plotline of Gigi's murder. I absolutely loved the phsycological impact it had on Addie cuz it helped establish an inner conflict about this stalker [whom she firmly believed to be her great grand mother] and what it could mean for her to live in the same house and watch history repeat itself.
Another hing I liked or rather I thoght brought a meaning to the plotline was the whole human traficking and child abuse aspect. Personally speaking I don't read romance because I find it lacking and find myself getting bored with just two charecters trying to figure out their lives. But, this book had so much mystery to it and kept us on our toes while unraveling the dirty secrets of the underground and the governments involvement. Overall, I think it just brought to light a very underdiscussed and taboo topic which is such a huge scary part pf this world.
Coming to the charecters, Addie was an okay charecter. She reacted like any normal prerson and though most people would probably find her excitement for fear to be kinda phsycotic, I relate to, maybe not to that great of an extent but haunted houses and horror films have always been a favourite. Zade was a charecter I have veryyyy conflicting feelings about and I think thats what he was from the very start. Yes he was messed up on so many levels but unlike Colleen Hoover's books it was acknowledged, and accepted as wrong. He is man of morals and though when it comes to Addie he pisses me off he comes close to swoon- worthy a couple of times.
Overall, though plot and mystery was a plus to this book it would've made for a much more pleasent experience if the romance was handled differently. But it is what it is and thats a reason I'll never be able to like Zade Meadows completely.
Nidhi <3
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Trafficking
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Cannibalism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ABOUT:
Adeline inherits her family home and moves in despite her mother hating the idea. It is the house her great-grandmother was murdered in. She discovers her great-grandmothers journals, uncovering a hidden affair between her and a nameless stalker. And history is repeating itself with Adeline. She has her own stalker. And she can't seem to get rid of him. Or the ghost of her great-grandmother that haunts the halls of the house she once lived in. Battling her stalker and the mystery of the murder Adeline is thrown into a dangerous game of Cat and Mouse.
THOUGHTS:
Whew, where the hell do I begin? Originally, I was avoiding this book as I had no interest in the plot when I first heard of it. However, my sister loves toxic/dark-romances and suggested it. So here I am. In the beginning I wasn't tuned in nor liking the book. Adeline seemed like a bitchy character at first but her personality paired well with Zade. He's not indecisive. He's obsessive. His character is put on a high-pedestal and Zade certainly thinks of himself as a God. Which was kind of cringe in some moments. He's a murderer but he doesn't kill innocent people. He does good things for others, but that doesn't make him a hero, which he is aware of.
Zade and Adeline's relationship is obviously not healthy or normal. Their love surely isn't love. There's really not an explanation on why he "loves" Addie. Feels more like obsessive lust.
The writing isn't terrible. It's good. In some areas the wording doesn't flow well, and I was stuck on the same page until I forced myself to continue on. In the end I did get into it though. Haunting Adeline isn't for everyone, and while I may not like it 100% it is an okay read.
It also ends on a cliffhanger, so I need to know what happens next lmao.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail