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Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 23 Apr 2020, 03:40
by Netvigator72
Nym182 wrote: ↑06 Feb 2020, 15:28
One of the thoughts that kept occurring to me as I read this book was that Opaque would have been much better if it was not a YA book.
I dig gritty and dark books like anything by Bret Easton Elis or Stephen King, so when it turned as dark as it did I had mixed feelings. I enjoyed it but did not think that it fit in a YA book.
Between the darkness of Adam and the sexual undertones, I really think that Leigh-Reign would have made a much better book if she had leaned into the darkness. It would have made the strange sexual parts of the book less strange, especially if they were expanded on. I didn't like the scenes where Adam watches Carly wash or Carly's admittance that she wore socks to prevent stirring up Kane's foot fetish (what high schooler has a foot fetish?) in the context of a story about high schoolers.
Do you think writing it a YA book held the author back? Would you have preferred to read this as a sci-fi thriller?
I completely agree with you!
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 24 Apr 2020, 00:01
by Kishor Rao
I agree that the book would have been better if it was for an adult audience and if it had explained certain things in greater detail. But I also think the author knew what she was doing because she tells in her note at the beginning of the book that her characters have taboo traits that are not usually accepted in society. So Adam's Mom Fantasies and Kane's foot fetish are all allowed.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 11 May 2020, 08:51
by Jajachris
I would categorize this as an adult book and not for young adults. I also agree with you that grouping it as a read for young adults kind of held the author back.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 11 May 2020, 16:26
by BreathofFreshAriel
After reading just a little bit about it on the general forum I thought I could be interested, but knowing about the rape and kidnapping mentions along with all the other strange sexual plots makes me think twice. I'm glad I dug a little deeper before deciding to read because I probably wouldn't have been able to deal. That's what the forums are for though right.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 11 May 2020, 19:42
by M Deedee
Considering that young adults of this century know a lot more than they should, I could put a pass on for the author but I think it is more suited as a book for older adults.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 12 May 2020, 11:24
by ILikeBigBooks
I agree that Opague should not be a young adult novel. Right off the bat, it has such a weird relationship between him and his mother, then as quickly as the second or third chapter he kidnaps a girl with the intention to rape and presumably murder her. I couldn't even finish this book because it became so dark so quickly. I have no issue with a little suspense or eerieness, but this book was just disturbing and evil. No one under the age of 18 should read this book, and it should be categorized as horror.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 13 May 2020, 02:49
by Princepetr
I agree. When there's is much violence in a book. It's best read by adults. Same as when there are sexually or erotic content, it's more suitable for adults. This book has such content. Basically, I enjoy reading YA books because the author gives his innermost passion while writing this type of novels, which makes it unique and interesting to read.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 13 May 2020, 10:04
by edztan15
I agree with you. What turned me off for this book is the superficiality of the characters, and it is a tad bit too teeny-boppy for my taste. Making this an adult fiction might get rid of those aspects that I didn't like.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 13 May 2020, 23:02
by Sumansona1344
Yeah, I thought so too. I wish the author had made them college students and put the story in another genre. It would have been a lot better as an adult book because the author could easily write about sexual perspectives. It seemed to me that there was more to write about these topics. Moreover, it would make the characters more mature.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 15 May 2020, 14:09
by Zoe Luh
I agree, it seemed way too mature for teens. Especially the really messed up relationships would be better for an adult audience
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 17 May 2020, 15:24
by Little Muse
The information in here is too much for YA. It could even end up corrupting their minds and giving them ideas way beyond wise comprehension. This book tells them that it is okay to love questionable people and that it is possible to change them, which is not the case in most occasion. It would be better as an adult novel.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 17 May 2020, 20:40
by booksandmagicshop
I definitely thought some scenes and themes would've been better executed if the book was marketed to adults and not as a YA novel. The sexual content was barely inside of YA bounds (for me personally). My qualms about the book was how everything had a quick and easy solution (i.e. Adam's brooding personality, Terry's death, Adam and JoAnn's relationship). I feel like if this book was written for adults, the author could have been more gritty and explicit with the changes and character growth.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 19 May 2020, 05:45
by HusseinJ
This should have been more of an adult audience. The erotic scenes and themes of violence exhibited therein are not suitable for the young.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 19 May 2020, 12:29
by jdsatosk
gilliansisley wrote: ↑07 Feb 2020, 14:08
AntonelaMaria wrote: ↑07 Feb 2020, 08:30
There is more to the book genre than the character's age. Just because they are what high school age that makes it okay to put this book in the YA category. I agree with you..topics in this book are better suited to be a sci-fi thriller more than anything else.
I couldn't agree more with you on this. The heavy sexual undertones, the themes of kidnapping, rape, murder, and such are wildly inappropriate. And while this may not be a popular opinion, as so many people are raving it's 4-star quality, but I really did not enjoy this book, at all. The best I can give it is a 2.
I think that the relationship between Carly and Adam is anything but healthy. He is an immature child, who attacks and screams at his loved ones, and is both obsessive and possessive of Carly. While his "character develops", I never felt he actually redeemed himself. And when Carly finds out Adam kidnapped, almost raped and facilitated the death of a young girl and it's like, "Yeah, okay, whatever. But we're in high school and in LOVE and I'm going to fix you and that's all that matters!" I wanted to chuck my eReader out the door and into the freezing rain, it was so cringy.
I imagine my young daughter reading this book thinking this kind of relationship is normal, and it truly disturbs me. A lot. I've been in an emotionally abusive relationship before, and have been sexually assaulted, and to me, Adam is not a hero-- he's a garbage human being, and I just could not get past what he did to Terry.
In no universe is this a YA fiction novel. Sexually explicit thoughts of f*cking his mom? What he did to Terry? Nope. Nopers. So incredibly wrong.
My impression at the end of the book is that it drew me in when I didn’t expect it to. However you hit on most of the things that bothered me about this book. I feel horrified by the idea of a 14 year old girl reading this. An older teen that is closer to adulthood ... bothers me less. I think that marketing this as an adult book and not young adult genre would be better based on the content.
Re: Better as an adult book
Posted: 29 May 2020, 20:48
by Fi Zoraa
SirLaddie wrote: ↑07 Feb 2020, 09:33
Too much darkness and violent thoughts at the beginning. This is more of an adult book than young adult.
The book was definitely very dark at the beginning. I think it could've been so much more as an adult book. However, things that could be forgiven in a YA book, such as the instant relationship and attachment of Carly and Adam, are more obvious in an adult novel.