I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS BOOK EXISTS.

[@moultingrook8091]

Weirdobookclub just did a KZbin short on the difference between dark romance and erotic horror and how often they’re mislabeled because dark romance is easier to sell. This sounds like an erotic horror and gives me all kinds of ick. This is why labeling things is so important. If your characters have barebones character and your plot is only held together by the sticky residue of smut, you’re reading an erotica. Thank you so much for going into depth on what the romance genre is and how this is not it.

[@AlbaPoulzen]

My friend's sister got touched by her stepbrother while asleep (not just once) and woke up to it, and in the end, it destroyed her life. They were teens when it happened, and now she’s not on this earth because she couldn't live with it. She was 24 years old when she couldn't handle it anymore-the thought of it. I can't see how this is romantic.

[@ettaetta439]

It's a kink. Explored in the safety of fiction, it can be seen as hot. Much like the sibling category in 🌽 hub. In reality, though, it's more likely to end up like your friend's sister's story. That is the reality of abuse. It's totally normal to not be able to see this as romantic when we see what actually happens in reality.

[@AlbaPoulzen]

@@ettaetta439 I can't understand how writers can fantasize about things like this while writing. Same with pedophile vibes in books. I'm a writer, but not even close to this type of story. 😳

[@DiemmiReads]

I am so so sorry this happened. No one deserves this, and no one should romanticize it. It feels like such a slap in the face to the countless people who face similar situations.

[@AlbaPoulzen]

@@DiemmiReads It truly does. There are many ways to make a book dark without romanticizing things we try to stop from happening in the real world. I can't understand the brains of authors writing about this stuff. Just the thought makes my chest tighten ❤️‍🩹 It's heartbreaking.

[@ettaetta439]

@@AlbaPoulzen Me neither, honestly. As a survivor of CSA, it honestly ends up triggering me far more than it helps. I know other survivors of SA and/or CSA can read it as a way of venting. It's personally not for me and I find the dark romance genre is full of authors who genuinely romanticize and try to justify these horrific acts. I don't think I would mind dark romance as much if so many authors and readers weren't so bad at media literacy. For example, if someone reads a dark romance teacher/student story, I don't automatically think they're a creep. But if they actually try to justify it, then it's creepy. If the author writes stuff about age of consent laws being stupid in the book, it's creepy. Fiction is one thing--actually believing and justifying these things is another.

[@niamhgalloway9784]

I totally agree with what you said about mental health. Throwing in this mental health condition without explaining it or bringing any more awareness to it definitely brings a bad taste to my mouth. Schizophrenia is already a very misunderstood condition and this book just plays into that.

[@auraezahra]

I have never wanted to read and burn a book SIMULTANEOUSLY. Hunting adeline messed me up for 2 months lets see what this does lmao 😂😂😂

[@auraezahra]

Update: what the FUCK did i just read? The amount of bleach i need to clear my brain of this fucking book will cause a global shortage what the fuck did i just subject myself to 😂

[@gluumy.]

I actually feel like I’m on FaceTime with you 😭 I LOVE ur energy in ur videos omg

[@girlie7502]

Some dark “romance” books are just er0tica. They just don’t label it as that because it isn’t as marketable as romance.

[@marocat4749]

When ther is an erotica market, the only thing that does is dark romance the new erotica. Its still just erotica.

[@maerhodes8552]

I had to pause so many times. I had to tell my husband about this. What ON EARTH. This book is a crime. I judged Colleen too harshly, there is someone who hates their mains, themselves, and their audience so much more. HOW WAS THEIR BABY NOT SWALLOWED WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY HAVE KIDS. 💀💀💀

[@DiemmiReads]

the fact that i entered this same rabbit hole of starting with Colleen H**ver and now you're here with me, I am so so sorry.

[@maerhodes8552]

@@DiemmiReads Honestly, it’s just nice to have someone hold my hand through this bc it’s a QUICK fall. 😭💀

[@willowfaye670]

Nah I'm calling the cops, someone put the author on a watchlist because WTF IS THISSSSS?!

[@ettaetta439]

I don't think I can make it through this video since the content warnings very much are my triggers. Full love and support, I'll just rewatch your other videos instead! I do want to give my thoughts on dark romance, however. I believe that dark romance is not entirely unredeemable. I think that even the worst parts of it--the rape, toeing the lines of age of consent, abuse--have a place in fiction. It is extremely unhealthy to repress your sexuality and it is okay for people to want to vent their desires or frustrations through reading something cathartic, if morally dubious. Fiction is not the same thing as real life abuse. With that in mind, the dark romance community still requires critique. We have to talk about the ethics and reality of abusive power dynamics and the harm romanticization can do, regardless of how many trigger warnings we put on the work. We have to discuss media literacy and whether the general market is ready for things like it, or if it should've just stayed a niche. I find this topic fascinating in regards to BDSM. A lot of BDSMers want BDSM to stay niche because they are aware of the harm it could do if put in the hands of the irresponsible public. The way choking is now being treated as a "vanilla" thing because it was put in so much mainstream adult content is indicative of the fact that the general public is too wide a market to safely account for all the damage that can be done. So the fact that dark romance is getting so popular and spilling over into other genres has to be assessed critically. We need spaces for dark romance and taboo desires, but we also need accountability and awareness.

[@DiemmiReads]

Thank you thank you thank you for heeding the triggers and taking care of yourself. I 100% agree with you. It's such a conflicting feeling, to be a dark romance reader, allowing yourself to be open about what you like, that no one is wrong for having those fantasies and that there is a community out there that shares your desires because it really is ALL JUST FICTION. I think it just boggles my mind when it becomes mainstream and glamorized. It almost feels as if it's condoning those dark dark acts as opposed to it being a kink. Which I can't condone. ALSO THEY CALLED ROMANCE IT A ROMANCE. AT LEAST BE ROMANTIC 😭 mans didn't even want to date her...

[@amandabroom9878]

I have zero issues with the smexsual content of this book. Only the thrown in "muteness" as a mental health condition that was extremely lazily researched. I DNF'd because it was BORING AF and TERRIBLY WRITTEN. I genuinely have zero idea why people rave about this book and it got so popular, but I also DNF'd Haunting Adeline (boring AF), almost The Ritual (some of the WORST writing), and That Sik Luv (BORING). I really don't get why people love boring books so much. I'm baffled.

[@sarahr1885]

No bc this was pure entertainment!! i need more of your thoughts while reading books like this. 😭😂

[@nonenone4862]

You are 100% right about the mental illness rep.

[@slowturtle7071]

That it. I AM NEVER EVER READING AGAIN! THIS BOOK IS T R A M A

[@ira__s]

About the point of these books being given a pass easier because they're written by a woman and not a man, I totally agree but for me the difference is the pov of what is happening. Of course a woman can write these things as a way of fantasizing of doing the acts, but for me it more often comes off as fantasizing about things being done to you and not you being the perpetrator. I would be more vary of someone who is fantasizing doing the bad acts. But that's just based on the notion that men are more often the perpetrators, which is not always the case so it might not be the best way of thinking it. My thoughts are probably based a lot on my own feelings, cause I sometimes read non con erotica cause I have a lot of shame about wanting to be sexual, so it's easier to read without feeling that shame. (I'm aware I probably should do something about these feelings.) But I totally understand why others view it as super bad. I have some trauma with men so that might affect it as well. Not sure if this made much sense but that point just got me thinking why I view similar writing differently based on who has written it.

[@DiemmiReads]

@@ira__s wow. THATS A GREAT POINT. I would have to agree bc I have also read & enjoyed non con reads so couldn’t understand why I didn’t like this one. The POV has a lot to do with it

[@sunny_.stars11]

So many dark romance authors should be on a watchlist and the people that genuinely rate it 5 stars should be too

[@viktorian_ghost]

This is horrible omg. The first book started off okay enough that I could kind of get behind it but this one is just straight abuse and completely recontextualizes the entire first book.

[@marocat4749]

using mental illnesses to show people as bad, harmful villinous is one of the worst portrayals. Unless you do careful nuance in that , but doesnt sound its the case here. You can very nuanced careful have it part, but making clear, no it doesnt make evil and higher risk of selfharm usually. Thats just an wful walking horror trope by how it sounds, which yeah, mental disorder, lots of yikes. Ther can be good horror actually expressing stuff there , but also, yikes.

[@tinyponies]

Your videos are so fun to watch! 😂 10/10. What a horrid book.

[@AnhThuNguyen-zs9qh]

“You can be a psycho but if you’re hot? It’s OK~”…i have nothing to say

[@DiemmiReads]

No literally, we can’t keep letting hot people get away with this.

[@ipolanikauanoeanuhea3151]

I’m so glad you finished this book cause I could not I dnfed at the 70% mark and that was my first all year.

[@Gab_rh]

why do I have the odd feeling that this wasn't written by a woman at all...

[@DiemmiReads]

GENUINELY THAT'S WHAT SCARES ME. Like it could be anyone writing this, would we treat it the same way...

[@cloudycloudy5340]

The laughing it over to cope is so me 😭

[@thisisarandomurl2000]

i agree this book felt satirical and like the author was having a silly goofy time making fun of those who like dark romance

[@mrspreminger]

25:23 why am I so disappointed in a dark romance book series I’ve never even read 😭

[@Alexcatchh]

Boy this book s’ucks

[@yanadhd]

Oh girl, you heard about " the wild" by K. Webster?

[@St4r.K3lly]

🎉🎉😊❤❤😂