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A review by agoraphobic_crawfish
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
TW/CW: stalking, murder, blood, violence, mentions of sacrifices, cults, SA, human trafficking, kidnapping, dub-con, mentions of p+do rings, mentions of secret government society's/cults/clubs, knife play, gun play, torture,
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Stalking, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, and Violence