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A review by sydneyluxford
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
When he rapes her multiple times but it’s ‘justified’ because he kills pedophiles and sex traffickers for a living???
IDK why I read this when I know I don’t like dark romance, so this is entirely on me. This is romanticised abuse. Nothing about this relationship was romantic in the slightest. This is literally a prime example of Stockholm syndrome. I AM SO SCARED OF MEN, IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE.
I don't like to publicly write mean reviews about books I don't like, but this one deserves it. This book is just so incredibly harmful and perpetuates dangerous ideas. I truly cannot fathom how someone can genuinely enjoy this book and then recommend it on TikTok where so many of its users are underage. Like, my 14-year-old sister's friend got ahold of this book and read it??? That's not okay. This book literally perpetuates the idea that abuse and rape is normal and that a guy can love and care for you even if he does those horrible things to you. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? That is SO harmful and is a recipe for disaster. Don't even get me started on the themes of consensual-non-consensual sex in this book. If it was truly that, it would be discussed prior to the actual act of sex, rather than him saying stupid shit like "I'm only doing this because I know you want it" after she REPEATEDLY told him no. This is so fucking harmful to rape victims and belittles what they went through as it implies that if you even felt a little bit of pleasure whilst being raped that it wasn't actually rape. I GENUINELY WANT TO GET VIOLENT RN. I know this is fiction, but (1) stuff like this happens in real life, and (2) it is so harmful and has the ability to shape people's ways of thinking.
I, wholeheartedly, do not understand how anybody can find this book romantic. The fact that I've seen people on TikTok say that Zade is their top book BF genuinely concerns me and isn't something I want to think too much about 😭. I was also attacked on TikTok for saying Zade's behaviour was scary, specifically the moment where she says she has an IUD and he says he didn't notice because she sleeps so heavily. Someone said he was just joking??? Nothing about violating someone in their sleep is funny to me TBH. I would be petrified if someone said that to me.
IDK why I read this when I know I don’t like dark romance, so this is entirely on me. This is romanticised abuse. Nothing about this relationship was romantic in the slightest. This is literally a prime example of Stockholm syndrome. I AM SO SCARED OF MEN, IT ISN'T EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE.
I don't like to publicly write mean reviews about books I don't like, but this one deserves it. This book is just so incredibly harmful and perpetuates dangerous ideas. I truly cannot fathom how someone can genuinely enjoy this book and then recommend it on TikTok where so many of its users are underage. Like, my 14-year-old sister's friend got ahold of this book and read it??? That's not okay. This book literally perpetuates the idea that abuse and rape is normal and that a guy can love and care for you even if he does those horrible things to you. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? That is SO harmful and is a recipe for disaster. Don't even get me started on the themes of consensual-non-consensual sex in this book. If it was truly that, it would be discussed prior to the actual act of sex, rather than him saying stupid shit like "I'm only doing this because I know you want it" after she REPEATEDLY told him no. This is so fucking harmful to rape victims and belittles what they went through as it implies that if you even felt a little bit of pleasure whilst being raped that it wasn't actually rape. I GENUINELY WANT TO GET VIOLENT RN. I know this is fiction, but (1) stuff like this happens in real life, and (2) it is so harmful and has the ability to shape people's ways of thinking.
I, wholeheartedly, do not understand how anybody can find this book romantic. The fact that I've seen people on TikTok say that Zade is their top book BF genuinely concerns me and isn't something I want to think too much about 😭. I was also attacked on TikTok for saying Zade's behaviour was scary, specifically the moment where she says she has an IUD and he says he didn't notice because she sleeps so heavily. Someone said he was just joking??? Nothing about violating someone in their sleep is funny to me TBH. I would be petrified if someone said that to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Mental illness, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Rape, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship