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: 27 Feb 2020, 09:52
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:40
gilliansisley wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 12:05

EXACTLY. The same as, "OHHHH you have magical powers you can't understand? That explains why you kidnapped, almost raped and basically killed Terry. That's totally okay!"
We are talking about a serial killer who has sniffed blood here!
I totally blocked out that he sniffed the blood... :o :o
He definitely sniffed blood there!
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 09:53
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:41
gilliansisley wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 12:07

No way, there's no chance that anything he could have done would have redeemed himself. He was a psychopath from the getgo, and that was never going to be "changed by teenage love". Just awful.
There has to be some terrible karma saved up for him.
I hope so!
Fingers crossed!
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 09:57
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:44
Nym182 wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:16

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!
Yes I could see lines of 4 stars in the reviews.
It's got a lot of good reviews on Amazon as well!
Yes, I understand the thrill aspect of the book though.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 09:55
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:42
Kelyn wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 14:16

Hmm...I never thought of the mom as a predator. To me, her revelation was just sickening, pure and simple. Looking at it from that side, though, I think you're right. That certainly shines a new light on "who is the predator' in this book.
Agreed. It was really sickening to read about it.
Right? Jo returning those feelings just took it too far...
Yeah it really felt like an erotica at that point.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:00
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:46
Nym182 wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:30

The first half of the book just consisted of me thinking "are we supposed to be cool with this or what?" :lol2:
I was thinking along the lines of " This is how villains are made"
I mean, I guess I will give the author some credit for thinking outside the box by trying to give Adam the quickest turn around from evil psychopath to an all-around good guy.
I will not though. I relish reading about character developments so such change without any significant character development is unacceptable.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:21
B Creech wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 20:38
Nym182 wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:18

Are you also cursed/blessed with persistent and overwhelming curiosity?^.^
Yes, I am! Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not! :D
I agree! haha I very rarely put down a book even if I hate it :P
I am guilty of putting down some books which I find too monotonous with no grip.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:21
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 22:41
B Creech wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 20:38
Yes, I am! Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not! :D
That's mostly a good thing! Keeps things interesting.
I agree! Although, it does get me in trouble every once in awhile :lol2: :roll:
I can relate to that. Though it is satisfying in the end mostly.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:23
Kelyn wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 23:43
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:02

Yes I recognize that. The hunger of "what happens next!"
I love sci-fi, that's why I started reading the book in the first place. Little did I know what was actually coming. Unfortunately, there have only been a handful of times in my life where I didn't finish reading a book. Just one of my OCD things I guess.
I'm the same way! I wouldn't be able to concentrate on the next book if I put one down prematurely... It would haunt me :shifty:
I am so guilty on this. I stopped reading many books in the middle. Especially stories which I cant invest in.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:26
Kelyn wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 00:00
Howlan wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 15:03

Yes, it would have been really disturbing and the book would have been erotica instead of YA
It shouldn't have been dubbed YA in the first place. Even though I don't think it qualifies as erotica and certainly not porn (there are far more explicit books out there in almost every bookstore's romance section), having his resistance crumble and beginning an actual relationship with his mom would have taken it up (down?) several levels in tone. I agree that it would probably have led to his acting out in other areas/ways as well.
I agree! Honestly, I'm not quite sure WHERE to put this book... I just know it's not going into the YA genre. And you are right, it would have become a slippery slope very quickly had he crossed that line.
This book belongs to the genre "Bad for young adults"
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:27 :ditto:
Howlan wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 01:52
Kelyn wrote: 26 Feb 2020, 23:43

I love sci-fi, that's why I started reading the book in the first place. Little did I know what was actually coming. Unfortunately, there have only been a handful of times in my life where I didn't finish reading a book. Just one of my OCD things I guess.
And I started reading this book because it was a YA and it sounded like an action-thriller. Never thought it would begin with such craziness.
:ditto: I was not ready!
One of the shocks I will remember for a while!
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:28
Orizon wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 03:05 Honestly, Adam's awkward feelings for JoAnn almost make me stop reading the book. However, I understand that the author's build up on Adam's character is to show his dark side.
Agreed, I can see what the author was trying to do, the execution just wasn't done well enough to justify such an extremely dark path Adam was on.
Yes, I am quite sure the author had different plans in the beginning of the book.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:29
Howlan wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 07:48
Orizon wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 03:05 Honestly, Adam's awkward feelings for JoAnn almost make me stop reading the book. However, I understand that the author's build up on Adam's character is to show his dark side.
Yes it was a major turn off.
Agreed! Personally, it probably wasn't worth sticking with it though...
Yeah the author should have started with a random encounter of an Iksha and a Descendant, not with this stuff.
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Post by Howlan »

readerrihana wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:50 I agree that it was not really apporopriate and was not nice reading, but I guess in reality it was trying to show - we find out later on that the attraction was not actually sexual but because of something she had been given and he was attracted to that but was unaware

So perhaps not actual sexual in reality
Still, was so weird reading about it.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:52
readerrihana wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:50 I agree that it was not really apporopriate and was not nice reading, but I guess in reality it was trying to show - we find out later on that the attraction was not actually sexual but because of something she had been given and he was attracted to that but was unaware

So perhaps not actual sexual in reality
I get what you are saying, but for me "the serum excuse" just didn't make it any less creepy.
Yes, I would have preferred any other excuse.
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Post by Howlan »

Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 11:34
readerrihana wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:59
Nym182 wrote: 27 Feb 2020, 10:52

I get what you are saying, but for me "the serum excuse" just didn't make it any less creepy.
True, yes, still creepy
Especially when it turns out that Jo has similar feelings for Adam... yuck!
That was just another twist I was not ready for at that point.
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