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A review by talesandtitillations
Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*Possible spoiler warning*
Going into this book I had wondered how the content could possibly be more difficult to stomach than some of the scenes in Haunting Adeline. Without context of what would be happening in the book, I hadn’t considered is how emotionally challenging it would be reading about such painful and real topics such as were the key plot points in this book.
As a woman, reading about all the abuse, rape, psychological torture and trauma, etc. was harrowing to say the least. I ended up having to regroup a few times in order to be able to continue reading such dark subject matter.
Admittedly, I usually read fantasy or romance as a form of escapism and this book does not provide any escapism as it shines a cold, harsh light on the plight of the women who find themselves in these circumstances. That being said, this book is incredibly well written, which is clear from the fact that it has such a profound impact on the reader.
It doesn’t shy away from the darkness or pretend that surviving such harrowing conditions are by any means easily doable. The author doesn’t sugarcoat anything or imply that recovery from the acute psychological trauma of the experiences Adeline has to fight to live through is simple or achievable in the sense of returning to who you once were and being able to overcome the darkness that sinks into your deepest crevices.
The book is, in my opinion, as realistic a portrayal of the consequences of survival and trauma from these types of experiences as we can hope to achieve through fiction. And to achieve that without losing momentum in character development, plot, pacing and reader’s interest is a feat in itself.
There were whole paragraphs, pages, chapters where I had to refrain from annotating or it would’ve just been me colouring the pages red for all the red flags and dark content. But there is not a moment where I felt that how messed up everything happening was was glossed over or romanticized.
Adeline’s relationship was just that, a relationship that, although incredibly questionable and oftentimes disturbing, was a choice they made and kept making to the end. There was no illusion that the characters themselves didn’t see how messed up and toxic such relationships are and that they aren’t a healthy thing to choose to engage in. However messed up things between them are and how vehemently we as readers would be against this type of relationship in real life, the book allows for understanding of a broader spectrum of relationship dynamics and why people choose relationships such as the one between Zade and Addie.
In terms of how realistic the plot is, it is fiction which, whilst it’s set in a world that is familiar to us and consisting of real places and things, it isn’t really feasible to imagine human beings equivalent to Zade really exist. His almost god-like abilities, while explained in the context of the story, can be considered unattainable or far-fetched from what is known to us in the world we exist in. Not impossible, but not very realistic or common if it does exist. However, he isn’t real so placing realistic limitations on him isn’t necessary in my opinion. And I think the author does a good job of portraying that he isn’t as god-like as others, and even he himself, like to fool themselves into believing when Addie is kidnapped.
I would caution people who read this from glossing over and romanticizing the circumstances, relationships, character development and traumas in the book, and to carefully read trigger warnings before reading. Every moment of this book should be observed and analyzed critically and the emotions brought up should be given the same treatment.
This book shook me to my foundations and had me questioning every thought and feeling and the causes behind why I experienced them, which was incredibly enlightening and therapeutic in a sense. And that’s what dark subject matter should do—show us those dark parts within ourselves that we can’t expose to the world for fear of rejection. If done as expertly as H.D. Carlton has done here, it allows one to start becoming aware and accepting ourselves with those dark parts and all.
Going into this book I had wondered how the content could possibly be more difficult to stomach than some of the scenes in Haunting Adeline. Without context of what would be happening in the book, I hadn’t considered is how emotionally challenging it would be reading about such painful and real topics such as were the key plot points in this book.
As a woman, reading about all the abuse, rape, psychological torture and trauma, etc. was harrowing to say the least. I ended up having to regroup a few times in order to be able to continue reading such dark subject matter.
Admittedly, I usually read fantasy or romance as a form of escapism and this book does not provide any escapism as it shines a cold, harsh light on the plight of the women who find themselves in these circumstances. That being said, this book is incredibly well written, which is clear from the fact that it has such a profound impact on the reader.
It doesn’t shy away from the darkness or pretend that surviving such harrowing conditions are by any means easily doable. The author doesn’t sugarcoat anything or imply that recovery from the acute psychological trauma of the experiences Adeline has to fight to live through is simple or achievable in the sense of returning to who you once were and being able to overcome the darkness that sinks into your deepest crevices.
The book is, in my opinion, as realistic a portrayal of the consequences of survival and trauma from these types of experiences as we can hope to achieve through fiction. And to achieve that without losing momentum in character development, plot, pacing and reader’s interest is a feat in itself.
There were whole paragraphs, pages, chapters where I had to refrain from annotating or it would’ve just been me colouring the pages red for all the red flags and dark content. But there is not a moment where I felt that how messed up everything happening was was glossed over or romanticized.
Adeline’s relationship was just that, a relationship that, although incredibly questionable and oftentimes disturbing, was a choice they made and kept making to the end. There was no illusion that the characters themselves didn’t see how messed up and toxic such relationships are and that they aren’t a healthy thing to choose to engage in. However messed up things between them are and how vehemently we as readers would be against this type of relationship in real life, the book allows for understanding of a broader spectrum of relationship dynamics and why people choose relationships such as the one between Zade and Addie.
In terms of how realistic the plot is, it is fiction which, whilst it’s set in a world that is familiar to us and consisting of real places and things, it isn’t really feasible to imagine human beings equivalent to Zade really exist. His almost god-like abilities, while explained in the context of the story, can be considered unattainable or far-fetched from what is known to us in the world we exist in. Not impossible, but not very realistic or common if it does exist. However, he isn’t real so placing realistic limitations on him isn’t necessary in my opinion. And I think the author does a good job of portraying that he isn’t as god-like as others, and even he himself, like to fool themselves into believing when Addie is kidnapped.
I would caution people who read this from glossing over and romanticizing the circumstances, relationships, character development and traumas in the book, and to carefully read trigger warnings before reading. Every moment of this book should be observed and analyzed critically and the emotions brought up should be given the same treatment.
This book shook me to my foundations and had me questioning every thought and feeling and the causes behind why I experienced them, which was incredibly enlightening and therapeutic in a sense. And that’s what dark subject matter should do—show us those dark parts within ourselves that we can’t expose to the world for fear of rejection. If done as expertly as H.D. Carlton has done here, it allows one to start becoming aware and accepting ourselves with those dark parts and all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Confinement, Dysphoria, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, and Drug use