Krysten’s Review

I have mixed feelings about this book, so I put off posting a review for a while. That’s always a bit of a gamble. Although I needed some time to process the story, my feelings have faded a bit, and the plot and characters aren’t as fresh in my mind. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing.

Before I go any further, I just want to put out there, as my own kind of disclaimer, that I am fully aware that this is a dark romance. I get there are going to be things that offend people, that this kind of book isn’t for everyone. I’m not offended by the crass language (though it did make me cringe, because WHO TALKS LIKE THAT—out loud or in their head?!) or the plethora of very explicit sex scenes (I swear, at least 25% of the book, and every time it was incredible for everyone involved) or the abundance of repeated phrases (literally every character referred to Adeline’s hair as “cinnamon” and every character suffered from headaches that “bloomed” behind their eyes).

What did bother me is the way the book both demonizes and normalizes sexual violence against women, while also setting porn-like standards that sex is always mind blowing (spoiler: it’s not) and that women are immediately and visibly turned on when in the presence of a man (another spoiler: we’re not), particularly a hot and/or well-endowed one.

There is something very, very wrong with Zade. Before you call me Captain Obvious, hear me out. I can accept the fact that he’s a vigilante and a murderer, because what he does is for the greater good. He’s helping victims of human trafficking. I can get on board with that. And I can get on board with the whole “love at first sight” trope, though I think in real life that’s a crock (but more on this later). I can even get on board with Adeline’s eventual fascination with him, and her shame and self-hatred at feeling something more for her stalker, who she knows early on is also a murderer. I may not understand how she could possibly love this guy, but I can accept it. I even appreciate that the author didn’t shy away from that complicated emotional mess.

What I can’t get on board with is the fact that Zade is the worst kind of hypocrite. He has dedicated his life to freeing women and girls from sexual slavery. Meanwhile, he’s subjecting someone he loves* to the exact same kind of physical, emotional, and mental torture. Everything he does to Adeline is aimed at breaking her, forcing her to do what he wants, bending her to his will. It doesn’t matter what she wants or how she feels. He takes away her safety and peace of mind, her ability to choose, to say no. When she resists, she is punished in the most degrading, humiliating, and terrifying ways. And in that sense, he is just as sadistic and wrong and downright evil as the people he hunts.

*Now, it’s debatable whether he, a sociopath, can feel love. What he feels is an obsession. A very intense, hella scary obsession, but an obsession all the same. His “feelings” are based purely on what he saw… “Love” at first sight, right? But let’s say for the sake of argument that he can feel love. And to take it a step further, let’s say he truly does love Adeline.

Yeah, maybe Adeline eventually participates willingly. Maybe her perspective on him shifts and she starts to care about him. But how does she know that what she feels is real? How does she know it’s not Stockholm syndrome? I mean, let’s face it. For most women, sex comes with a crap-ton of emotions. All the hormones and endorphins and adrenaline Adeline’s being flooded with are more than enough to mindfuck any normal, sane-ish person. Further complicating her feelings is the common belief—among both men and women—that physical arousal equates to consent, which is a hugely dangerous misconception, especially in a book like this. How can she ever know if what she feels is real, and not just a side effect of repeated trauma, hormones, and societal beliefs?

Run, girl. Change your name, trade faces with someone a la Face Off, and move to the opposite side of the solar system. Get the hell outta there before it’s too late. But of course, as we know, it’s too late.

Having read a handful of reviews of the sequel, I understand that Zade undergoes a total 180º change and becomes, like, an actual human being. However, I also hear that the second book is even harder to read because it’s even darker than this one. And I’m just not sure if I’m up for it.