Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

1302 reviews

mssophie_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

It’s a lot to process 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Death of parent

leximainville's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Stalking

jinx3djules's review against another edition

this book was everything i expected it to be. poorly written, shallow and fucking disgusting. this is a direct quote from the main love interest: “sounds to me like you don’t understand a woman’s body well enough to know it sings for you, even when her mouth tries to resist.” this is the type of shit that RAPISTS say. the fact that this is written by a woman makes me so disgusted and disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

kastpoot's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Sexual harassment

lia_3's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

lrs377320's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Kept me in suspense the whole time I was reading can not wait to get book 2 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, and Alcohol

zdelira's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book was hot, but of course how can you not love a man that takes down pedophiles? That’s the only way to make a stalker likable lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder

kiwijaja's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

Minor: Cursing, Death, and Violence

amh219298's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child death

donnajah's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

1.0

Upon initially picking up "Haunting Adeline", I made a somewhat impulsive decision to expand my collection of adult-oriented fiction. However, I am utterly disappointed with this work. Disappointed that it exists at all.

In full disclosure, the fault lies partially with me for not thoroughly investigating the book's content warnings. Even so, there are certain lines that simply should not be crossed. Romanticizing stalking, rape, and abuse is one of them. The excuse that it's "only fiction" does not hold water for me.

I found myself unable to finish this book, not because of the disturbing realities it presents, but because the main characters and the abusive dynamic between them was so horrendously sexualized. The sheer audacity of the author to attempt any kind of meaningful statement about the "horrifying underbelly of the trafficking world" strikes me as tone-deaf, disrespectful, and insincere given the nature of the narrative.

I can only imagine how actual victims of these crimes must feel about the existence of something like this. I tried my best to engage with the work, but ultimately decided it is not worth my time or any deep thought, as it struck me as shallow and "edgy for the sake of it."

The hypocrisy running rampant through this story is, in my opinion, simply poor writing if the author's goal was to create characters that the reader could like or feel attached to. Everyone in this book is, quite frankly, thoroughly unlikeable.

Now I am left with the dilemma of trying to figure out how to return this book and wipe off the gross feeling of having touched it at all. While I acknowledge the subjective nature of literary criticism, my impassioned response underscores the high stakes involved when authors choose to engage with such delicate subject matter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment