Perversion or relationship?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2020 Book of the month, "Opaque" by Calix Leigh-Reign
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Howlan
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Re: Perversion or relationship?

Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 12:46
Howlan wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 08:39
ciecheesemeister wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 18:26 I would like to think that he wouldn't have acted on his feelings for his adoptive mother. However, when she later confessed to sharing those feelings it caused some serious cringing on my part. This sounds like a plot for the erotica section on Amazon, not a young adult book!
Yeah, it was unnecessary to know that the serum had opposite effects as well.
yeah, Leigh-Reign is switching up the rules on us haha...
Yes creepy over creepy. Just keeps on coming.
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Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 12:53
B Creech wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 19:10
Njkinny wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 11:55 Adam’s fascination with JoAnn made me uncomfortable and had me thinking that this book should have been categorised in the Adult category, not YA. Please someone tell me if he improves further down the book because I am still undecided if I should continue reading it.
He falls hard for Carly and soon his step-mom is just his mom. I was weirded out about it too.
You do find out later that she shared some of those same feelings for Adam! Which is also weird... He does fall for Carly and that seems to relieve some of the pressure from the Adam/Jo thing but for me, it still kinda lingered in the back of my mind whenever they conversed.
Yeah it was really like some porn!
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Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 13:03
B Creech wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 19:25 When I first started reading I thought perversion for sure! I'm glad Adam fell for Carly because I was freaked out enough I almost stopped reading! :reading-7:
Right? Like... if this is where the author is starting us off, who knows what's coming up! (frankly, I'm still a little nervous haha... probably why I am most likely not gonna read the next one.. maybe)
Yes I do not want to guess. Adam was a worse human that it really was a turn-off on the book itself.
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B Creech wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 19:35
Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 13:03
B Creech wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 19:25 When I first started reading I thought perversion for sure! I'm glad Adam fell for Carly because I was freaked out enough I almost stopped reading! :reading-7:
Right? Like... if this is where the author is starting us off, who knows what's coming up! (frankly, I'm still a little nervous haha... probably why I am most likely not gonna read the next one.. maybe)
I know. Part of me says not to bother reading the next one, but another part wants to find out where it all goes next!
And I don't even care for sci-fi!! :shifty:
Yes I recognize that. The hunger of "what happens next!"
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rbrochhausen wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 21:55 If Carly hadn't come into the scene I think Adam would've kept spiraling out of control. His feelings towards his mother were not normal and he didn't know how to handle himself. I think his emotions would have got the better of him and he would keep acting out in worse and worse ways.
Yes, it would have been really disturbing and the book would have been erotica instead of YA
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 24 Feb 2020, 16:22
Howlan wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 08:37
Nym182 wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 16:28

Yeah, there are some really weird and uncomfortable details in this book... most of it is pretty YA but then there are sentences that are just outrageous to have in a YA book.

P.S I love your profile pic!
Yes the weird sexual overtones were really unnessesary.
Adam watching Carly shower and her just pretending he wasn't there is still one of the weirdest scenes I've ever read in any book, let alone a YA novel...
Yeah it was definitely weird.
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Anthony__ wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 02:10
John Owen wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 05:40 What's your view, if Carly hadn't come into the scene, cocidering Adams hate for people which made it difficult for him to fall into a romantic relationship with anyone, could Adam fall for his Step mom, JoAnn?
I think Adam would fall foe Joann. He is already developing feeling for his step mum uncontrollablly.
I really dont want to see such a scenario coming true!
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Nym182 wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 11:51
Anthony__ wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 02:10
John Owen wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 05:40 What's your view, if Carly hadn't come into the scene, cocidering Adams hate for people which made it difficult for him to fall into a romantic relationship with anyone, could Adam fall for his Step mom, JoAnn?
I think Adam would fall foe Joann. He is already developing feeling for his step mum uncontrollablly.
Joann is not his step mom.. she adopted him and he grew up thinking she was his real mom.
Yeah and that makes it more disturbing!
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Catreeves16 wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 13:01
Noosh wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 11:41 That is actually what’s making me not want to continue with the book. It’s just too weird for me... the whole thing with the mum (stepmom)... should I keep on reading then? I thought we were dealing with incest
I was a little put off by that relationship as well, but a little further in the book that attraction is explained. It doesn't make it completely okay, but it is a bit more tolerable.
Yes a bad way to explain but it still calms many creep alerts.
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gilliansisley wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 15:13 Without Carly around, he already kidnapped and almost raped and facilitated the murder of Terry. I think if the time continued on, he would have sexually assaulted his own mother, and possibly killed his dad. He's a psychopath, and I still don't consider him as having redeemed himself, even after Carly. I hated Adam's character!
Yeah and that is what we call a serial killer in the making.
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gilliansisley wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 15:15
Njkinny wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 11:55 Adam’s fascination with JoAnn made me uncomfortable and had me thinking that this book should have been categorised in the Adult category, not YA. Please someone tell me if he improves further down the book because I am still undecided if I should continue reading it.
He DOES NOT improve. He gets creepier. It gets so, so much worse and I was HORRIFIED throughout the whole book imagining this thing in the hands of young, impressionable readers. It is dangerous and irresponsible to call this YA.
Yes Adam goes bad and if he does not kidnap random girls anymore his relationship with Carly is unreadable.
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Post by Howlan »

gilliansisley wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 15:16
Nym182 wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 16:30
Njkinny wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 11:55 Adam’s fascination with JoAnn made me uncomfortable and had me thinking that this book should have been categorised in the Adult category, not YA. Please someone tell me if he improves further down the book because I am still undecided if I should continue reading it.
They DO kinda explain why Adam has those thoughts, but it was a pretty weak explanation in my opinion. For the most part, it's just kinda cringy... but there are some weird sexual details that don't really serve a purpose to the story. They definitely made me pause and :gaah:
It was an extremely weak explanation, and really the whole "sexual attraction to his mom" thing was very much unnecessary. It did not contribute any value to the plot.
The case of the serum in the first story was really weak and unnecessary. There needs to be more on this in the next book!
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Post by Howlan »

gilliansisley wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 15:17
ciecheesemeister wrote: 21 Feb 2020, 18:26 I would like to think that he wouldn't have acted on his feelings for his adoptive mother. However, when she later confessed to sharing those feelings it caused some serious cringing on my part. This sounds like a plot for the erotica section on Amazon, not a young adult book!
Hell yeah! Even with the weak explanation of why Adam had these feelings, that didn't explain her RETURNING those feelings! It's wrong! These people have issues, this is not normal and it shouldn't be normalized to young people as YA entertainment.
Yes very creepy indeed! Not necessary at all.
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Post by Howlan »

gilliansisley wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 16:22
Howlan wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 08:40
nanglada wrote: 22 Feb 2020, 03:24

I completely agree. It is just plain weird and it is making me want to quit this book. I don't know what to do!
Yeah, I understand your pain. Been at the same crossroads myself!
I didn't quit the book, and I really, really, really wish I had. I will never get those hours back.
Yeah, the synopsis and cover really did not prepare us for this!
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Post by Nym182 »

Noosh wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 11:56
Nym182 wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 11:42
Noosh wrote: 25 Feb 2020, 22:39

I actually took your advice. I’m not going to go back to this book.
I mean, there are so many books out there, why spend time on sth I know I won’t enjoy.
Good call! You aren't missing much, I promise!
:D
In The overall rating for the book discussion, many ppl say they love the book. At first I thought I was the only one who didn’t like it, but this discussion proved me wrong.
I honestly was in shock at how many good reviews this book got... For a while, I thought maybe I had read a different book!

I also had that feeling though, I'm also glad I am not the only one!
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” HST
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