Adam

Jocelyn Eastman · Post by **Jocelyn Eastman** » 03 Feb 2020, 15:20

I am about a quarter of the way through the book where it seems that Adam is breaking his Oedipal feelings with Jo. I find the character to be super creepy and definitely close to not redeemable. His feelings toward Carly are close to ownership, imo. But as he changed his feelings towards Jo, maybe he will change more. However, he seems like a creepy psychopath now.

Crazycutie · Post by **Crazycutie** » 03 Feb 2020, 15:22

I agree he was very dark. I only got through the first 3 chapters because it was so dark I actually felt sick reading it and it made me feel his anger. Which i guess says good things for the book if it can make a person feel that way, but it was not the kind of emotions i need in my life.

Julie Petitbon · Post by **Julie Petitbon** » 03 Feb 2020, 15:35

Kanda_theGreat wrote: ↑03 Feb 2020, 09:25 From the impression I have of Adam, I see him as a character that needs love and care. Carly may have realised this and that explains why she tolerated him.
Besides, Adam's teenage age presents him as a mere child who needs love and care, as he keeps trying to re-discover himself.

You make a really good point about Carly. I thought the same - that she sees Adam for what he is and what he needs. You also make a good point about Adam's age, immaturity, and attempts to re-discover himself. Though I didn't like his character, especially in the beginning, I think there is still more to him than meets the eye.

DragonLight877 · Post by **DragonLight877** » 03 Feb 2020, 20:52

thaservices1 wrote: ↑03 Feb 2020, 14:22
DragonLight877 wrote: ↑03 Feb 2020, 10:51
Howlan wrote: ↑03 Feb 2020, 04:43

Yeah, his character was quite conventional. It was a break from the stereotypical heroes we are generally used and that was cool.
I really liked the way he was able to get all that darkness off his shoulders. Really all he needed was Dauma to tell him he was ok. I think a lot of people his age are afraid that they are monsters, and even with what Adam was feeling, it turned out ok.
Darkness, dark thoughts, ok. But this character, from the beginning, acted on that darkness. It just doesn't compute for me. As much as those that have violated life yearn for redemption, the bill always comes due. Yes, the book is a fantasy, but what bothers me is that it is geared towards young and impressionable minds. Is it a thought you want to lodge in a young person's mind that they can violate and murder another person and it will all be ok if someone tells them they are a good person?

Oh no I had forgotten about that. He definitely should have seen some sort of punishment or something for that. I do believe if some honestly chooses to be better, no one should tell them they don't deserve to be better. But no, I had forgotten he had actually done some terrible things, and should be reprimanded for those.

vermontelf · Post by **vermontelf** » 04 Feb 2020, 08:05

It would be a truly unique story to have the main character as the villain all the way through. Realistically that was what kept me reading in the beginning because I certainly did not like Adam. Then the story line changes to a more "normal" sci/fi fantasy and I was back in my comfort zone. It would have been interesting to keep Adam as a negative character.

Howlan · Post by **Howlan** » 04 Feb 2020, 08:31

vermontelf wrote: ↑04 Feb 2020, 08:05 It would be a truly unique story to have the main character as the villain all the way through. Realistically that was what kept me reading in the beginning because I certainly did not like Adam. Then the story line changes to a more "normal" sci/fi fantasy and I was back in my comfort zone. It would have been interesting to keep Adam as a negative character.

Yes, It would have been really interesting!!

Beatus · Post by **Beatus** » 04 Feb 2020, 08:38

I would think it is a unique angle which the author executed perfectly. This is revealed in the fact that you got the impression you got which was not according to the story, the reality. So I would give a 4/4 to the author on that one.

Hi_low · Post by **Hi_low** » 04 Feb 2020, 08:47

Adam thinks everyone around him is faking there personality and hiding who they really are and he despises everyone for it. Ironically this hatred of conformity leads him to try and blend in as well.

Gathoni1991 · Post by **Gathoni1991** » 04 Feb 2020, 11:13

Howlan wrote: ↑01 Feb 2020, 01:46 I felt that at the beginning of the story Adam was quite shady, and had a lot of bad business going on though some of them were explained. Still, at the beginning I felt that the story is of an anti-hero in the making and that is Adam himself. I feel that Adam as a anti-hero hero would really have some interesting character-developments.
But of course, the story went the way most young Adult stories go leaving me a tiny bit disappointed.
Any thoughts about how wrong I am or do you in the tiniest corner of your heart believe Adam being the villain would have been worth it?

Being a young person, there is room for improvement and growth for the character. Maybe in the sequel (if there will be any), a softer side of him will be revealed.

aacodreanu · Post by **aacodreanu** » 04 Feb 2020, 12:17

Howlan wrote: ↑01 Feb 2020, 01:46 I felt that at the beginning of the story Adam was quite shady, and had a lot of bad business going on though some of them were explained. Still, at the beginning I felt that the story is of an anti-hero in the making and that is Adam himself. I feel that Adam as a anti-hero hero would really have some interesting character-developments.
But of course, the story went the way most young Adult stories go leaving me a tiny bit disappointed.
Any thoughts about how wrong I am or do you in the tiniest corner of your heart believe Adam being the villain would have been worth it?

The way you are putting it, the author seems to have missed the intention of increasing Adam's value as a positive character by opposing his "good behavior" at the end of the book to the villain aspect in the beginning. I can understand the author's favoring the positive aspects, as making a hero out of a villain could be setting a bad example to the very young and impressionable.

redrockwolf · Post by **redrockwolf** » 04 Feb 2020, 13:02

I like the fact that his possibility of being the story's villain changed. It went a different route than expected. I love the twist of the one with the darkness becoming one of the heroes.

Erin Dydek · Post by **Erin Dydek** » 04 Feb 2020, 13:42

Rayasaurus wrote: ↑01 Feb 2020, 12:57 I really liked his character development for the most part. I did feel like it could have been made more realistic (by making it more slow-going instead of as fast as it was), but I generally do like sort-of redemption arcs. The one thing I was not super fond of was Carly's acceptance of his past behavior without even really talking to him about it. That seemed strange to me because it felt like she was purposefully just "helping" him and that was the basis for their romantic relationship. It's not a trope I'm fond of.

I thought the developments seemed a bit quick as well. He was pretty angry and not ready to forgive but as soon as he saw Carly, he was okay again. There was a lot of talk about healing but I didn't get the sense that his past behaviors were fully addressed. He did mention to his mom that he was going to counseling (with Carly's mom), but in real life, I would have been concerned about Carly remaining in the relationship because Adam was so unstable.

Erin Dydek · Post by **Erin Dydek** » 04 Feb 2020, 13:47

SirLaddie wrote: ↑02 Feb 2020, 12:12 I was not fond of the main character, Adam. In fact, I was so turned off by his psychotic personality I almost put the book down. I understand the author's desire to portray him as a psychopath but it was too overly psychotic and didn't need to be that severe. It was a major turn off for me, especially it being young-adult fiction.

I had a really hard time with Adam's character in the beginning too. I probably would not have read the book if it had not been book of the month because he did seem very dark for a YA book.

sevencrows · Post by **sevencrows** » 04 Feb 2020, 23:14

You don't often see villains as main characters in YA books, so it would be interesting to see how the author would handle that. However, I really believe that writing a redemption arc for him would develop his character more.

Samantha Shinn · Post by **Samantha Shinn** » 05 Feb 2020, 00:38

KDJ wrote: ↑01 Feb 2020, 11:17 I think there is the possibility of Adam being an anti hero in the next installment. He is still just a seventeen year old kid, so he could still go either way. If anything happens to Carly or JoAnna, he could go dark. Without Carly as a guiding light, he could easily leave many Terrys in his wake. Adam as an anti hero would make a great story.

I agree; it definitely would have been interesting. I though a couple of times, the author could have gone the other way with it. For example, when he found out he was adopted. He got extremely upset and could have turned to evil. Also, when Carly almost died in the end, he could have done the same. I'm intrigued because the way Dauma is, it makes it seem that both sides are anti-heroes and wants death.