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deanobeano 's review for:
Hunting Adeline
by H.D. Carlton
TW
total annotations: 1256
okay so for starters, there's a shit ton of trigger warnings that you need to read. before u even consider this book just know that there's explicit rape scenes, ptsd scenes, knife play (both consensual and not), human trafficking, graphic murders, depression, etc etc. it's a lot. it takes time. i took a break at one point.
all that mentioned stuff? it lasts u until 296. that is a LOT of content where it's zade trying to find her and her going through unmentionable trauma.
the writing is once again, incredible. it's beautifully done and the metaphors once again are just so unique.
i just fully disagree with books that use rape and sexual assault as a plot point and as something necessary for the storyline. she could have just been kidnapped, abused, whatever. we didn't need to sexually assault and harm her like that.
also, as much as i love the fucked up and very morally (DARK) grey zade, his behavior in this book was a lot. in the first half he was great. even up to about 70% thru i was still okay with it. but when he (spoiler) recut her wounds to claim them as his? when he tricked her in the woods? idk. i just. i know he manipulated her from day one but something abt the way he did it this time was just so much worse and harmful.
i also feel there were a couple parts that just completely lost me. like the whole plot line of molly? basically irrelevant, caused me stress for NOTHING omg. there were times that i felt like we were supposed to already know things that we just didn't know. or i didn't. im willing to acknowledge that i could just be ignorant. but there were times that istg i was so fucking lost. usually when zade and addie were having ✨special time✨ id get a little lost. i also feel that sometimes we would leave things unresolved. like we would he reading abt something and then the chapter would end and then the next would start with something completely different. like we would just jump around to completely different shit.
overall, even though it was beautifully written, i can't imagine bringing myself to reading this ever again. it's one of those that u read so u have closure, and leave it like that. there were times that i was in legitimate tears, not just from the abuse addie went thru, but from her reactions and things zade thought/did. there were some scenes where the way addie talked about her trauma, how she felt, and what she wanted to do just hit really close to home. parts of it were empowering tho, watching her grow and overcome it to the point of being incredibly strong and getting her revenge.
this book is fucked up. the first one obviously wasn't okay themes/morals, but this one is just a different level.
i have to give this a lower rating because 1. ill never reread this. i just don't think i can put myself thru that again, and 2. i strongly strongly disagree with using rape/sexual assault and really any kind of abuse as a plot point. i think it would have had a similar impact on readers if we got only zade's pov + addies letters for the first part until they are reunited. this way you wouldn't have the explicit mentions, the using/benefiting off trauma, etc. creating mainstream content that includes rape and abuse is not spreading awareness, it's desensitizing and not allowing survivors to escape it. so for those reasons, regardless of the inspiration, the beautiful words, etc, i have to rate this 3 stars.
if the author reads this, or any authors do:
stop. using. rape. and. abuse. as. plot. points. and. part. of. the. story. line.
total annotations: 1256
okay so for starters, there's a shit ton of trigger warnings that you need to read. before u even consider this book just know that there's explicit rape scenes, ptsd scenes, knife play (both consensual and not), human trafficking, graphic murders, depression, etc etc. it's a lot. it takes time. i took a break at one point.
all that mentioned stuff? it lasts u until 296. that is a LOT of content where it's zade trying to find her and her going through unmentionable trauma.
the writing is once again, incredible. it's beautifully done and the metaphors once again are just so unique.
i just fully disagree with books that use rape and sexual assault as a plot point and as something necessary for the storyline. she could have just been kidnapped, abused, whatever. we didn't need to sexually assault and harm her like that.
also, as much as i love the fucked up and very morally (DARK) grey zade, his behavior in this book was a lot. in the first half he was great. even up to about 70% thru i was still okay with it. but when he (spoiler) recut her wounds to claim them as his? when he tricked her in the woods? idk. i just. i know he manipulated her from day one but something abt the way he did it this time was just so much worse and harmful.
i also feel there were a couple parts that just completely lost me. like the whole plot line of molly? basically irrelevant, caused me stress for NOTHING omg. there were times that i felt like we were supposed to already know things that we just didn't know. or i didn't. im willing to acknowledge that i could just be ignorant. but there were times that istg i was so fucking lost. usually when zade and addie were having ✨special time✨ id get a little lost. i also feel that sometimes we would leave things unresolved. like we would he reading abt something and then the chapter would end and then the next would start with something completely different. like we would just jump around to completely different shit.
overall, even though it was beautifully written, i can't imagine bringing myself to reading this ever again. it's one of those that u read so u have closure, and leave it like that. there were times that i was in legitimate tears, not just from the abuse addie went thru, but from her reactions and things zade thought/did. there were some scenes where the way addie talked about her trauma, how she felt, and what she wanted to do just hit really close to home. parts of it were empowering tho, watching her grow and overcome it to the point of being incredibly strong and getting her revenge.
this book is fucked up. the first one obviously wasn't okay themes/morals, but this one is just a different level.
i have to give this a lower rating because 1. ill never reread this. i just don't think i can put myself thru that again, and 2. i strongly strongly disagree with using rape/sexual assault and really any kind of abuse as a plot point. i think it would have had a similar impact on readers if we got only zade's pov + addies letters for the first part until they are reunited. this way you wouldn't have the explicit mentions, the using/benefiting off trauma, etc. creating mainstream content that includes rape and abuse is not spreading awareness, it's desensitizing and not allowing survivors to escape it. so for those reasons, regardless of the inspiration, the beautiful words, etc, i have to rate this 3 stars.
if the author reads this, or any authors do:
stop. using. rape. and. abuse. as. plot. points. and. part. of. the. story. line.