Parents need to know that Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton is a graphic rape- and murder-filled novel only suitable for adults. Adeline moves into her dead grandmother's house, only to be stalked by a strange man who has no intention of leaving her alone. Violence includes frequent rape scenes described in excruciating detail, including being raped with a gun, forced to give oral sex while being choked with a belt, and forced to masturbate while her attacker watches. She's chased, bitten, choked, slapped, and tied up and gagged. The victim claims to be aroused by horror and fear and derives sexual pleasure from the violent sex, creating shame and confusion, further romanticizing the rape and torture. Children are kidnapped, raped, and murdered in rituals that include blood magic and drinking of human blood. Gun and knife violence appear too, including the cold-blooded murder of pedophiles and mobsters. People are tortured and killed in bloody and brutal ways: ripping off body parts, knife through the eye, gutting, and dismemberment. Some of the sex is consensual, and it's described in vivid detail. Crass descriptions of casual sex, including groping, oral, and vaginal sex. There are lots of descriptions of body parts, especially breasts, vaginas, and penises. Characters talk dirty to one another. Plenty of scenes involve characters in underwear or naked. Characters drink heavily and smoke cigarettes and cigars. Language includes extensive, frequent use of "f--k," "f--king," "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "d--k," "p---y," "t-ts," and "c--k," as well as "s--tting," "d--khead," "bitch," "ballsack," "dips--t," "a-- crack," "motherf----r," "bulls--t," "pr--k," "goddamn," "Jesus F. Christ" and "God" (used as exclamations), and "Satan's bible."
Violence & Scariness
a lot
Multiple rape scenes described in excruciating detail, including the main character being violently raped with a gun, forced to give oral sex while being choked with a belt, and forced to masturbate while her attacker watches. She's brutalized during the sex, her body bitten and her clothes torn; she's choked and slapped, tied up and gagged. The victim claims to be aroused by horror and fear, and derives sexual pleasure from the violent sex, creating shame and confusion; this romanticizes rape and torture. Children are kidnapped and murdered in dark rituals that include blood magic and drinking of human blood. Discussion of kids being raped by their parents and kidnappers, of cannibalism, and people paying to watch these dark acts. Women are drugged, then raped and injured. Plenty of gun and knife violence, including the cold-blooded murder of pedophiles and mobsters. People are tortured and killed in bloody and brutal ways, including ripping off body parts, knife through the eye, gutting, and dismemberment. A man's hands are severed and left in the mail as a warning about touching a woman.
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Some of the sex is consensual, and it's described in vivid detail. Crass, unromantic descriptions of casual sex, including groping, oral, and vaginal sex. Lots of descriptions of body parts, especially breasts, vaginas, and penises. Characters talk dirty to one another. Plenty of scenes of characters in underwear or naked. Clothes are frequently torn off or pushed aside in the haste of sexual need.
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Extensive, frequent use of words including "f--k," "f--king," "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "d--k," "p---y," "t-ts," "c--k," "s--tting," "d--khead," "bitch," "ballsack," "dips--t," "a-- crack," "motherf----r," "bulls--t," "pr--k," "goddamn." Exclamatory use of "Jesus F. Christ," "God" "Satan's bible," etc.
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Adult characters drink heavily, using alcohol as a crutch instead of talking about or processing traumatic experiences. They know they drink too much but do it anyway. Mention of cocaine use. Characters smoke cigarettes and cigars.
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Positive Messages
none
Any positive messages about stopping human trafficking are negated by the abusive actions of the main character. Feelings of love are based solely on physical attraction and endorphins. There's no thought of caring for someone for their personality, only their body and their dominant or submissive role in the relationship.
Positive Role Models
none
Both main characters are so contrary that any positive actions they take are wiped out by their other behaviors. Adeline is described as stubborn and independent, but then becomes submissive and weak-minded when approached by her stalker. She feels shame at enjoying being raped, and eventually forgives the violence because the sex is so good. She frequently thinks of herself as not always sane, and that it's her fault she's stalked and brutalized. Zade acts as though following his own moral code is something to be admired, but that code allows him to brutally murder people in cold blood, and stalk and rape an innocent woman because he decides she belongs to him. He finds joy in her terror. The parental figures are cold and verbally abusive. The best friend acts as though she has her friend's safety in mind, but uses drinking alcohol as her primary solution to any problems. One character equates large breasts with having good genes.
Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
Very traditional representation of dominant male, submissive female. The younger characters are all described as gorgeous, with muscles, large breasts, nice hair. Almost all characters are White. One side character is described as a "bombshell" with dark brown skin, pin-straight black hair, sage green eyes, and a gold hoop in her nose. She is described as intelligent, believes in conspiracy theories, and works as a hacker.
HAUNTING ADELINE follows the story of Adeline Reilly, a successful author who moves into her grandmother's eerie, gothic mansion. As she settles in, she begins to uncover dark secrets about her family's past. Then a mysterious stranger begins stalking her, his intent clearly anything but good. Can Adeline find a way to get rid of her stalker, or is she doomed to repeat the mistakes of her ancestors?
Boring, hypocritical, and crass, this book has nothing to recommend it. Haunting Adeline glorifies sexual assault as well as murder. The characters are both one-dimensional and unlikable. Zade's attempts to claim Adeline as his "property" by terrorizing, raping, and threatening her into loving him is the stuff of nightmares. Meanwhile, Adeline's depressingly meager attempts to resist him and his "amazing body" paint her as the poster child for Stockholm syndrome. Neither character has a good excuse for their actions, and the use of fear, pain, and forced consent as romantic and arousing feels like cheap shock value that does little to promote strong female role models or healthy relationships, let alone healthy sex.
The excruciatingly long 600-page book ends on a cliffhanger, but the external plot is boring and serves only as a backdrop for the extensive, graphic sex scenes and descriptions of bloody murder. Though popular on social media sites, this book is little more than rape porn in text format, and is absolutely not appropriate for anyone under the age of 18. It's best saved for adults old enough to have gained a healthy sense of self-worth, or just avoided altogether.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the romanticization of sexual abuse in Haunting Adeline. What aspects of the relationship between Adeline and Zade are romanticized? How do these portrayals compare to healthy, real-life relationships? How do you feel about problematic behavior (e.g., stalking or manipulation) being framed as romantic in fiction?
How is consent portrayed in Haunting Adeline? How does the power dynamic between the characters lead to forced consent? Are you concerned about the portrayal of coerced consent in fiction? Why, or why not?
Zade's professional work freeing people from the "skin trade" and his personal decision to stalk and sexually assault a women he claims to love are at direct odds with each other. Do altruistic actions ever cancel out evil acts? Why, or why not?
What do you think the author's goals were in writing a book that romanticizes rape and condones murder?
How does social media play into the popularity of books like Haunting Adeline? Are readers more likely to read books with intense or extreme content because of social media hype? Why, or why not?
Available on
:
Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
Last updated
:
August 20, 2025
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