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A review by xangemtheelibrarian
Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
Did not finish book. Stopped at 53%.
A quote of issues I listed out to my friend that I have with this book that caused me to dnf it:
"It's giving... idk. This poor girl. He's stalking her. And this guy. He's like. "Good" in the sense that he goes around murdering sex traffickers and pedos. He always talks about how he hates watching women get hurt. And then he turns around and NONCONSENSUALLY sexually assaults this girl. And the girl has a strong fear kink, and she low key loves having this stalker's attention. And he makes her feel so good. But her guilt and shame are warring with her desire to see him again and have him scare/touch her again. And like, he also punished her by FUCKING HER WITH THE BARREL OF A LOADED GUN.
"So like. Am I eating up these spice scenes that really are not okay? Yes. Am I confused as to whether I want them to actually get together? Also yes.
"I honestly will probably not get book 2, but I am also just honestly shocked at how many booktokers have been obsessed with this. Like, they have to be just thinking of the spice. And I am honestly more concerned with these contradictory ideals of the stalker and the conflicting ideas in the main character's head. It's like... excusing rape specifically in her case just because she came from it?
"And the conflicting interests of our main girl. She is literally doing everything to egg the stalker on. But this isn't BDSM. They have not established consent for nonconsensual scenes or even a safeword. Stalker dude is just like 'She won't give me consent yet. But she will. And then she'll fall in love with me. And we'll get married. And then she'll carry my children.'
"And like. The book was better honestly before he started assaulting her. The tension was great. You could tell she was interested. But that gun scene man."
"It's giving... idk. This poor girl. He's stalking her. And this guy. He's like. "Good" in the sense that he goes around murdering sex traffickers and pedos. He always talks about how he hates watching women get hurt. And then he turns around and NONCONSENSUALLY sexually assaults this girl. And the girl has a strong fear kink, and she low key loves having this stalker's attention. And he makes her feel so good. But her guilt and shame are warring with her desire to see him again and have him scare/touch her again. And like, he also punished her by FUCKING HER WITH THE BARREL OF A LOADED GUN.
"So like. Am I eating up these spice scenes that really are not okay? Yes. Am I confused as to whether I want them to actually get together? Also yes.
"I honestly will probably not get book 2, but I am also just honestly shocked at how many booktokers have been obsessed with this. Like, they have to be just thinking of the spice. And I am honestly more concerned with these contradictory ideals of the stalker and the conflicting ideas in the main character's head. It's like... excusing rape specifically in her case just because she came from it?
"And the conflicting interests of our main girl. She is literally doing everything to egg the stalker on. But this isn't BDSM. They have not established consent for nonconsensual scenes or even a safeword. Stalker dude is just like 'She won't give me consent yet. But she will. And then she'll fall in love with me. And we'll get married. And then she'll carry my children.'
"And like. The book was better honestly before he started assaulting her. The tension was great. You could tell she was interested. But that gun scene man."