But like…….. She totally should have cause these books make one question what type of people live on this earth🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That last book 🤣🤣🤣🤣 ????????????????? WHY! Just why!?
I'm autistic and can't understand sarcasm for the life of me, it seemed impossible, but the way she was clarifying that she was serious had me so confused lol
well... some teachers are hot. Not that I approve the teacher/student relationships. But I disapprove them only on the teacher's side. Having crush on somebody older and wiser when you're a teenager is so easy and, quite honestly, normal, it's weird to shame students for it.
@@armenianrussian this! its perfectly normal for teenagers to have crushes on people older than them. it only becomes a problem when the older person returns their affection
The way her name is Ivory and she plays the piano.... it's giving Lily Bloom Blossom the florist 💀 I feel like this video is the meme of the soldier blocking all the weapons hitting the person in bed: we are the person in bed, you are the soldier, and the weapons are taboo romances 🏆
@@sarawithoutanH It doesn't. that's why I'm self-publishing my work lol. Not that it's THIS kind of nonsense, but it's queer and quirky so it might be hard to be picked up by a publisher lol.
@@sarawithoutanH dude! ...the 3rd one... no. So much NO. ... None of them actually. You didn't HAVE to read this sh*t. This is entirely voluntary self-brain-victimization!
Considering that he apparently stopped being mute when the girl (don't remember her name and I'm not rewatching to find out) told him to speak to her or she was gonna leave him, this book/author has no problem with being ableist.
I'm not promoting it, but censoring these stories prevents the masses from having the actual wisdom that these things are done, and one should be aware.. Incest is the last taboo. rape is still fascinating to many; one, the people who do it and the turn on it is for them; two, the people who eventually grow attracted to the person who hurt them. Remember just because you don't like something doesn't mean others don't like it, stop being so naïve. Also many of these stories while they may not be based on known actual real life cases. Just see if you can go through some police files about the horrors people do to each other.
@@addhoardingprocrastinator 'kay but it's being romanticized????? thats the problem??? it doesn't matter if its bringing awareness if it's very obviously a fetish what the fuck are you talking abt. yes rape victims get attached to their rapist. no one is saying they don't and no one is blaming them for that, but it isn't something that should be talked about like it's. okay?????
Because fantasies are healthy and not based on reality as any mental health professional will tell you. These books are fetish material, many of the readers and authors are SA victims themselves and these stories help them cope.
As a survivor of incest myself, it curdles my blood when people write incest and make it out to be a taboo romance, something that's hot and sexy and not at all severely traumatizing. I understand wanting to write about it to work through your own trauma, I've done that with some of my other traumas, but those were NEVER treated as something that should be seen as attractive or alluring in any way. It's SO uncomfortable seeing people profit off of trauma like mine by putting it in a "taboo romance" light instead of treating it like the horror it is. I'd bet money that none of these "taboo romance authors" that write about this kind of thing have never actually talked to anyone affected by it.
LITERALLY honestly some of these stories sound more like the fantasies i have during a [trauma induced] hypersexual phase or whatever where i look back when im not like that and im like "wow maybe therapy is useful for me....."
First of all I hope you are in a better place. Second I agree these horrible acts are romanticized (literally) and played in a positive light for profit it’s literally the reason I wrote my book to be a person trying to heal from a traumatic event and get (legal) revenge. Because these topic (incest,s-assault,ect) are bad we (society) should write them as bad not as sexy.
I always wonder if the people writing about inc3st have siblings. I have 2 siblings and if they wrote stuff like these books I would be incredibly creeped out and uncomfortable in their presence.
Using Cassandra Clare and AO3 writers as reference, I think most of these sibling love stories are written by authors who DON'T have siblings, thank the gods (poor choice of curse now that I think about it. The Greek gods were getting it on with their relatives constantly). They like the idea of a relationship that has a deep connection, but also has that forbidden aspect. And of course, platonic connection can never exist. It's also why most are step-siblings so they're "technically legal". I have four siblings and I can confirm I would rather commit self-cannibalism than get into a relationship with any of them.
Not an actually insightful reply to your comment, I just had to say this. My screen reader pronounced your censoring of incest as, “Incorporated third,” and I got so fucking confused lmao-
@@sacrilegioussasquatch THANK YOU. The framing is key. If you read Lolita (READ it, not watch it, not SparkNotes it, not read someone's hot take on it), it's *very clear* who the villain is. Humbert does a very poor job endearing himself to the reader. You keep reading because it's both interesting and horrifying, not because it's any kind of romantic.
What worries me the most is that someone wrote these and went “yeah that’s good, time to publish to the masses” instead of “I’m keeping this to myself”
It's already not normalised bro, there's a reason they're illegal (no matter how much the system fucks up). Majority of people do not think that stuff is ok. Have a little faith in humanity man.
@@theab3957I might be understanding it wrong but can’t forbidden love be made using taboo that exists in that world only? I thought the excitement comes from them watching people facing hardship in their life over that love, not themselves struggling with their fantasy of love that’s forbidden irl. Like with tropes where the lovers are on different sides, or if a race in that world is forbidden to be with another kind of race, and queer love is still usable even if our world fully accepts them (look at omegaverse where alphas can’t be with alphas or some other combination like that, that stuff never even existed irl)
The way these tAbOoO books portray bdsm makes me so mad too because, you have the chance to write nuanced stories and explore a dynamic where one """abuses""" the other in a regulated, completely consensual and discussed manner but noooooo they gotta misrepresent it grossly and bring it back to your average mysoginist manipulator
Exactly! I don't think I mentioned it but there's actually a part where the guy thinks to himself how annoying he thinks aftercare is and I was like ?????? He essentially on page says he likes BDSM because he just wants to control people and there's not a single point where he thinks of women as actual people
@@sarawithoutanH Goodness so it's even worse??? Petition for these authors to include footnotes highlighting the wrongness of something they write irl, I just KNOW someone has come out of that book being like "oh that's how it works"
no need to write """abuse""" though it still is very much abuse, most women who consent to that do so because it's an unhealthy coping mechanism akin to self-harm that usually stems from sexual trauma and can in many cases be retraumatizing. and anyone who gets off to seriously hurting their partner, degrading them, making them cry, 'roleplaying' sexually assaulting them and so on is dangerous. like if a man is into cnc and does it with his gf, even if he does it 'properly' by bdsm standards, do you think when he fantasizes about what they do together he includes the part where she consents before and he takes care of her after? they don't, and i'm saying all this as someone who's been through it. abuse is abuse even when it's consensual and it being a sexual turn on makes it worse, 'subspace' is dissociation it's your brain trying to protect you from the mental anguish you would otherwise feel, aftercare is a form of love bombing to make the victim feel cared about and not feel awful about it afterwards and prevent the natural survival instinct to wanna leave them ('subdrop'). it really is all just glorified abuse. i realized far too late i was doing it to self-harm and got out of it way more traumatized than before
@@leaf111man idk. i don’t think you can generalise from your experience. i don’t have any sexual trauma to speak of. i have a very loving cnc relationship with my high school sweetheart.
@@ritiaggarwal995 i don't believe someone who's aroused by pretending to or fantasizing about raping their partner can truly love them. rape fantasies (as the perpetrator role) are one of the biggest red flags and most who have those fantasies would do it if they had a good opportunity. just look at that study that showed 1 in 3 college men admit they would rape someone if they knew they could get away with it. i was convinced my abusive ex bf was loving and amazing too for a long time but he didn't care about me at all and i later found out he'd left at least 3 other girls traumatized as well. don't trust someone who can keep up a boner while hurting or assaulting you or 'pretending' to.
32:11 I'm sorry but, when you got to the part where the "inbred" people assaulted her and she lost her future child/sibling, I cackled. There's nothing funny about assault or losing a pregnancy you want but ... the inbred cancelled out the other inbred. That's poetry right there! Also, I think you're giving Devin way too much credit. Most of us knew about sex and the consequences of inbreeding when we were 17. She's either really sheltered or really stupid.
I feel like a good dynamic for a student/teacher romance would be like Elle and Emmett in Legally Blonde? Like I know Emmett isn’t actually her teacher, but he’s a TA for one of her professors and he’s instructive to her but not in a condescending way, and never makes her feel like she’s not smart or capable… I just really think Elle and Emmett have the best dynamic for anything similar to this trope
I went on a date with someone to Barnes and Nobels (it was our first date). They bought Credence, and told me how much they loved it. We never went on another date.
When I was way too young to be reading it, I saw It Ends With Us on my grandmother and my joint kindle account (she was reading it) and read it. 😅 the first two or three instances of physical abuse in that book, because of the way they were portrayed, I was like oooh he’s so possessive and hot and everything. These books are actually damaging.
My sister reads translated danmei (Chinese novel mlm stuff), and I don't mind reading some of the stuffs she reads just so we can have topics of discussion. She can roll her eyes about some controlling and manipulative male leads, and continue to read on to ridicule, but I really feel like stabbing the MLs after I read them.
@@zyerkos I only know what you're talking about because my sister ranted to hell and back about it. But sheeeesshh, yeah. If I was the MC, I'd choose to be able to neutralise that psycho stalker.
@@sarawithoutanH I feel kinda bad that you (and other youtubers) have to read stuff like these. I find such videos interesting, but you can stop making them if you don't want to :>
When I was a teenager, I was all about V.C. Andrews. Her books were LOADED with incest, teen girl/adult male sex and bizarre abuse. The difference between her and these authors was that she never dwelled on the nitty-gritty details of the sex, and her style was so over-the-top that the books could only be seen as taking place in some fever dream alternate universe. Plus, she had more plot threads going on than the taboo romances. These books . . . the writers literally have nothing to offer but, “I’m gonna present something that would send a normal person to therapy, but I’m going to make the characters WANT it!” No plot, no nuance, no style, no effort to make us understand WHY these people are so effed up. As Truman Capote said, “That’s not writing, that’s just typing.”
OMG VC Andrews, I haven't thought about that name in a while. From my memory, I read them as a high schooler because I just found them...interesting and bizarre. "Fever dream alternate universe" puts it nicely. But despite all the incest subtext, there was nothing exceedingly graphic, and like you said, there was other stuff going on besides the romance that I did genuinely find interesting.
I liked them a lot, still do when it comes to the second one - how she hates her mother, yet from her moves we can read that she became just like her. I wouldn't put this one in the same garbage bin with others.
In answer to the “why have an abuser be the love interest?” It’s because the biggest fantasy is actually winning the love of the abuser. Not justifying it btw!!! When I was younger I was into abusive love interests and it’s because it mirrored dynamics I understood (didn’t know that was why at the time) and unlike the irl relationships where you never actually win the love or approval, you can feel that vicariously in fiction. It’s like the ultimate crack pipe hit of “I can fix him!!”
That bear in The Wild is the real hero its a shame it didnt finish the job😢 bless you for getting through these books and i pray you arent added on some list somewhere for it🙏
The "actually shes adopted" twist is CRAZY its like her editor went "hey we cant publish what is straight up incestuous abuse" and she said "oh ok uhhh shes adopted teehee"
Do you ever wonder if these authors' family know about these books ? I dunno man, if I ever wrote a book where the main character is banging her dad I could never look MY dad in the eyes ever again.
Now I'm curious about the likelihood of authors choosing pen names, when writing smut. If it ever comes to that, and I need some quick cash, I shall write Amish smut under the name of Hugh Johnson
I drew fanart of Noddy selling drugs and designed a logo for "Noddy's: Weed and (hipster) accessories" store. I showed them to my parents and they weren't angry at all.
i bought credence bc from the description i thought it was gonna be a serious book about like finding happiness or a reason to live or something (i didn't know who the author was) and i was mortified, and i didn't even realize what it was until like page 50 💀 and then i went on goodreads and saw the positive reviews and i was like ARE WE READING THE SAME THING
My biggest issue with these books (outside of how they only depict women are mere tools to satisfy a man’s depravity) is how they affect young girls. So many teenage girls and young women are walking around with a warped idea of heathy relationships and sexual experiences. We now have adult films encouraging boys to threat girls like objects, and books telling girls they should like it.
@@M.H.I.A.F.T.See, the problem with these books or similiar stuff is that it's being treated like something normal, even desirable. A lot of books or movies teach boys, that if a girl rejects you, you gotta keep trying. You gotta harrass her, till she says yes to going out with you. This is really problematic, don't you see that?
That does worry me. I like some questionable dynamics in my fiction but I am an adult... I know teenagers are going to read what they want but we need better support for them so they are getting the healthy messages and are able to understand what is healthy in reality and what is just something that can be fun to think about if you want to.
"Why does these grown ass woman have to write romance where the main character is sixteen or seventeen years old" That sentence made me imagine a romance author writing about me, a teenager, having sex and that punched me in the guts ejgsighndjkhjs
Sara, while you obviously did not have fun reading all these books, boy oh boy was this so entertaining to watch I literally laughed out loud! Am I selfish for wanting you to read more knowing how traumatic it was? Yes, probably but do it for the greater good lol.
I have a theory for the last book that the reason the twist was implemented so suddenly was bcus the author herself found out while writing the book that incest causes deformities in babies (I can’t imagine the author being very bright) and panicked and scrambled to make sure that won’t happen in her incest fantasy book
Sorry to disappoint but I read this book a while ago and there is a second book in the series with a different couple who are actually related (here the opposite happens and they think they are not related and then there is a plot twist and they find out they are first cousins or something) and they also have a baby together. Probably no one cares but the book's name is The Free.
Random fun fact: an equivalent for “sweet home Alabama” in Russian is “инцест - дело семейное”, which literally means “incest is a family’s business”. I hope i could explain and translate this phrase right
Funny that you mentioned being sad that the dog got hurt in the 3rd book, while you were talking about Ivory moving in with the teacher in the 2nd book all I was thinking was, “Wait, what about her cat that she couldn’t afford to feed???”
@@rozy1405 I’d rather not spell it out exactly in RUclips comments where I can’t mark spoilers like on discord. But it wasn’t pretty. And it was completely unnecessary.
As someone who worked in a bookstore that sold edgy stuff, I'm not shocked that these books exist. Much like the trends set by Potter and Hunger Games, the blame could lay at the feet of 50 Shades...possibly. I've read some dark stuff, but this popping up into what seems to be marketed to the mainstream is...troubling.
What gets me is books like these have children, or FRESHLY legal main characters. It's so weird. Make the characters like 25-30. It'll still be weird but far less creepy.
funny enough, 50 shades was inspired by twilight. twilight was inspired by a dream stephanie meyer had and my chemical romance (if i'm not mistaken). mcr was made because of gerard way seeing 9/11 occur. in conclusion, these horrible books could have been made by a butterfly effect of 9/11.
If you dare to read taboo again you should try forbidden by tabitha suzuma. I was devastated by this book. Absolutly devastated. It is about incest... and even as a mom it absolutly broke my heart.
I did attempt reading that a few years back and, while that story has more merit to it, it just wasn't really my thing. It's more understandable to me why people like it though. Their situation makes more sense and the characters are nice to each other.
What I don't understand about how these books existed in the first place is how they came into the author's head, to be written down, reviewed and it still be thought that it's a good idea to be published.
As someone who has depression, the way the dad treated the mom in the third book made me so angry. It can take every ounce of strength to get out of bed and breathe sometimes, much less be with your loved ones. Ugh.
They write the love interests as abusers because of the constant abuse we face in society: this is a fantasy of somewhere where we enjoy the horror we’re going through.
I read a book where the love interest started off as a 9 year old and a 17 year old. They didn't start date or anything till they were both adults but still. It was Hella weird setting up a romance between a 9 year old and a 17 year old.
Do these authors have a rape fetish or do they just not get how unhealthy the relationships they write are? 🤔 Anyway congrats for surviving 3 of these books, must have been a tough battle 🏆
It's definitely a fetish. But there's such a vast difference between CNC and...whatever the hell happens in dark romance. Like girlies...just find a partner into CNC instead of writing this nonsense.
@@flippantiesI get your point but, well personally i would feel safer writing (not necessarily with the intention of publishing it) about my kinks (not necessarily CNC) than about finding someone who likes to pretend to be a rapist for example 😥 I get that it's just roleplay but still, I wouldn't feel comfortable with that.
I HATE the barely legal virginthing everytime it shows up anywhere!! 🤢 It's so easy to say "Your inheritance is in a trust until your 25 and (insert who ever) is in charge of it until then" Like come on
First book I hear the general premise and go “oh okay I get it, coming of age new adult story, she’s not sure which of the brothers she likes best, she’s going through the trauma of losing her parents yet not being close to them then throwing herself into relationships she’s not ready for, the step-cousin thing is kinda weird but not unheard of in history…” Then I heard the ACTUAL details. 😫 YIKES!!!!!!
As a dark romance girlie, I need to say Penelope Douglas CANNOT write dark romance. I remember reading a few of her books and they all gave me an icky feeling. This is literally hilarious, I’d love to see you read ACTUALLY GOOD dark romance books tho. “Sexual assault city“😭😭😭Miss Douglas DOES NOT know how to write cnc at all, I was cackling through that chapter.
From what I’ve heard, people that have been through trauma like to read dark romance almost as a way to cope with their problems. I still love watching videos of people tear these books apart though, because they are wild and very out there
I've commented this before on other videos but: Readers don't always read taboo stuff to deal with their own traumas or problems. In my particular case, as a CSA survivor it would be quite unhealthy for me to constantly be reading dark content that reminds me of my trauma. For any survivor, reliving your trauma or being only able to get off to your trauma is an unhealthy thing. Secondly, a lot of readers pick up these "taboo" books not because they have traumas, but because the taboo element has an appeal to them in fiction. For example, those raised in purity culture often have a grape kink; only children can have a fascination with brother-sister content, all within the limits of fiction. This doesn't mean that these books aren't worthy of critique just because they're solely meant to be a fantasy. Oftentimes the audience and the authors can be quite dumb and we can't pretend like some of these books don't actually think they're being romantic, and are trying to push their ideals of abuse as romance. This genre is best when it remains self aware and with a minority group of people. It shouldn't be a mainstream thing and it should never pretend like the topics it covers are in any way redeemable. Unfortunately, it becoming mainstream and popular has resulted in the dissemination of abuse as romance to far younger and younger audiences, with a heaping dose of smut to foster 🌽 addictions. And so many readers and authors are just so un-self aware that they read/write things like Credence, and genuinely believe that it's romance and not just a dark fantasy.
Fr tho, sometimes I cringe like crazy but every now and then I just feel like the KFC kid every time something "hot" happens. Like these books want my attention so badly but I feel harassed over some paper 💀
Im in a book group that talks alot about books like these. Its crazy to see women talk about the men in these books and how attractive they are, and when I look into the books I find out its got SA or r*pe in it. And alot of the defense I see is that its a book and its fake. But its not fake. Its something that really happens and if young girls read books that glorify it, they'll learn that its okay. And its not. As someone who has PTSD from SA and abuse, seeing books that glorify these things makes me so sad. Its not sexy. Its fucking scary. Its not sexy to fear for your life.
It's like you said, these books would be better if they actually tried to sell you on it by making characters likeable, or if they wrote these books like actual horror stories that are meant to be disturbing. Like I think the big problem (out of the many, many problems) is that they're inconsistent with how they want you to view these relationships. They lean too hard into the abusive and creepy nature of these sorts of relationships but then they have to really backpedal in order to be like "oh but it's like actually hot guys don't worry!" which gives readers tonal whiplash and also just sends mixed messages. So the abuse is hot? Why did the main character not find it hot then? Oh it's good that they're not actually related? Why is she upset they're not blood related? Also she's still a teenager and he's still a pedophile but I guess that's not a big deal, regular pedophilia is like so much better than familial pedophilia! (I'm joking obviously, it's ALL bad.) I think if you have an idea that'd make a good story, you should write it, but do your research and for god's sake you can at least be consistent with your tone. I shouldn't have to ask myself if your sweet scenes are supposed to be creepy on purpose or if you don't see how fucked up you made your characters. 🏆
Yeah this made me gag and want to shower. Holy god I can't stand incest as romance plot line. Thank you Sarah for taking us on a journey and making me seek our Jesus 🪽
totally not interested in straight romance but listening to you and the books you talk about is such an entertainment. guilty pleasure thing or something 💀
im speachless. like literally speachless. im someone who reads a lot of questionable books, or so i thought, but this is too much, like what the hell were these autors thinking???? my jaw dropped at least like twice every 5 minutes watching this video, it was just too much i cant-
the second book is a guide to trapping an abused victim in an abusive relationship for life. It's horrifying that someone would look at that and think 'omg romance!' 😮
LONG RANT ABOUT *ACTUAL* BDSM INCOMING: As someone into BDSM (and NOT into straight up hitting and abusing my partner) Dark Notes pissed me off so fucking much. ECSPECIALLY the choking part. I've known too many women who have been randomly choked by their boyfriends or guys they were just dating who never mentioned it or cut those guys off because they thought it was normal BECAUSE OF SHIT LIKE THIS Anyone else into real BDSM will stress just how important it is to have consent and boundaries set up and to talk about everything you want to do beforehand. Because (shocker) randomly hitting, whipping, tying up, or choking your partner is fucking horrible. That's why there's safewords and aftercare and discussions. Both people involved in whatever scene you're creating need to feel sure and safe in what they're doing. In fact, trust and safety is a HUGE part of BDSM. Because knowing you're safe and trusting your partner fully is what allows you to go into that experience and let yourself go into your fantasies with no worry about being actually hurt. It also stops people who want to be on the receiving end of these kinks from ending up with someone who really wants to cause them harm and abuse them. The appeal of BDSM isn't "I get to hit someone!" it's "I get to fulfill this fantasy and bring me & my partner the pleasure/pain *OF THEIR CHOICE* in a safe environment" The whole point of it is that the person being choked or hit or whipped is also enjoying it! Even is scenes/scenarios where the fantasy is that one person is in control and is "using" the other person for pleasure the person being used is enjoying it as well. Hell, even in the "non-consent" areas of BDSM the biggest rule is that you make sure you have the subs consent beforehand and that they *want* to act out that sort of thing, and no is actually being forced into anything against their will. In fact, no one truly or fully "gives up" their control/free will in BDSM scenarios, they're simply acting out the illusion of a power dynamic/exchange to fulfill their fantasy and in reality, the sub has just as much power as the dom, since they can end or change the scene whenever or however they choose to. So yeah, all 3 books were infuriating but Dark Notes was the worst in this particular category in my opinion. Not only is Dark Notes a horrible example of a real dom, but this narrative being pushed about the kink is fucking frustrating, since every middle aged loser with abusive tendencies and a thing for power thinks they understand it and can write it properly. They don't and they can't. All they want to do is abuse someone and get off to it under the guise that it's normal because "it's just my kink!" it's not. They're disgusting and if any of them brought that shit to anyone who knows anything about BDSM they would get kicked to the curb fucking ASAP *TLDR: Anyone into real BDSM (case in point with my long ass rant) will tell you that Dark Notes, as well as all these other books have no idea what actual BDSM or power dynamic kinks entail and it's fucking disgusting.*
The idea that just randomly shoving your kinks on someone without consent has become so common horrifies me. Let alone how already horrifying choking already is if you're not expecting it and/or don't trust the other person, what about those of us with trauma? Whenever my mom brushes my hair I can't bear to let her touch my neck because I get somatic flashbacks of hands around my neck, and I get so jumpy I can't breathe. If someone sprung that on me during a super intomate moment I'd melt down instantly out of fear.
I’ve had Credence on my ‘to buy eventually list’ just to see why everyone loved it🤔 I just took it off, thanks for that😳 You’ve saved me and I’m very grateful!! 🥰 🏆 Sorry! I had to come back to add the trophy 😂
I hate seeing her suffer through the books but really appreciate Sara reviewing these for us so we know what the hype is about without being mentally scarred by reading it😄Her humor greatly helps too.
listened to this while packing my bathroom to move out of my apartment- thank you for the entertainment and for your service in reading these books 😵💫
I was doing excercises while having this video in the background and I had to stop cause I felt so icky, I just had to take a moment to process this is real. I feel like the most amazing part is that people can read this without vomiting. Crazy
i’m obsessed with you after getting recommended this 😂😂 and i agree with you on grown women making books about teenage girls suffering like it’s a hot thing
Credence is not a book I would want to read. There is so much praise for it and for the author on book tube.. it’s wild. Thanks for helping in saving my money and brain cells with your review😂.
I think this writers didn't get that taboo is not the same as disgusting... also giving bad rep to BDSM. Can we recommend you some nice romance? I don't want to see you suffer through this books anymore 🏆
Tbh, I kinda like the age gap trope, but I'm an adult and I feel like every time I look it up, it's always very young girls, barely of age even, who also behave very naive and childish. It's so frustrating, I guess you could say that's what I get for seeking it out, but I hate that I can't enjoy my stupid little messed up trope without literal p*dophilic undertones.
This sub-genre is definitely not for me. I watched because I knew your spin( bringing as much humor as possible despite the subject matter), would make hearing about these books bearable. Kudos to you for being able to get through the experience. You get all the trophies🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆!
sara, im only 17 minutes into this video but, since this is my first video, i think im in love with you. your comedy is amazing and descriptions detailed but humorous. this feels like my bestie describing some unhinged shit she read to me over wine and snacks... i love this. insta-subscribed. im here for life.
I don't think I've ever-so genuinely questioned "WHAT WERE THESE PEOPLE THINKING???? WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER WRITE THIS?????????????" until now, thank you
I keep coming back to these comments because the fact that some people actually think you're contacting the FBI is sending me 💀
Apparently I just have the number to the FBI like that 😭😂
But like…….. She totally should have cause these books make one question what type of people live on this earth🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That last book 🤣🤣🤣🤣 ????????????????? WHY! Just why!?
@@sarawithoutanH Damn girl hook a guy up.
I'm autistic and can't understand sarcasm for the life of me, it seemed impossible, but the way she was clarifying that she was serious had me so confused lol
Actually, she should contact the FBI 🤓
It's giving Wattpad fanfiction written by a 14yo who thinks 17 is adult and teachers are hot
Same!!
well... some teachers are hot. Not that I approve the teacher/student relationships. But I disapprove them only on the teacher's side. Having crush on somebody older and wiser when you're a teenager is so easy and, quite honestly, normal, it's weird to shame students for it.
@@armenianrussian this! its perfectly normal for teenagers to have crushes on people older than them. it only becomes a problem when the older person returns their affection
@@zyerkos I had a crush on one of my teachers once. It came and went, but was a good motivation to study more.
the quote she said reminded me of the same i was like how is this published....
i am a penelope douglas hater. if they have no haters, it means i’m dead
i'm joining your hate club
I read punk 57 and hated it so much so im also gonna join that club
@@yug1378 same!! And not to mention her one book about the 19 year old who falls in love with her ex-boyfriend's 40 year old dad
@@mayam.6299in’t no way-
I’m finna start reading these books I’m scared-
she needs to be jailed for bully.
The way her name is Ivory and she plays the piano.... it's giving Lily Bloom Blossom the florist 💀 I feel like this video is the meme of the soldier blocking all the weapons hitting the person in bed: we are the person in bed, you are the soldier, and the weapons are taboo romances 🏆
I mean... At least it's not "Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way" levels of naming like Lily Bloom Blossom 💀
@@strangeaelurus the ' on "darkness" always gets me
I don’t want to be that person… but it’s lily blossom bloom
@@MaddyPerez128 Oops 🤦♀To be fair, I have blessedly never read the book
@@chloe.imogen same here. I’ve just watched a ton of reviews on it. I wish I could forget about it completely though🥲
Me: “dang, how did this book get banned from Amazon?”
Sara: explains insane incest plot
Me: “…how the bloody hell was this published to begin with?”
self publishing has no laws 😂
@@sarawithoutanH It doesn't. that's why I'm self-publishing my work lol. Not that it's THIS kind of nonsense, but it's queer and quirky so it might be hard to be picked up by a publisher lol.
@@sarawithoutanH uhmmm.... why buy it and review it?... seems like the obvious question here.
@@sarawithoutanH dude! ...the 3rd one... no. So much NO. ... None of them actually. You didn't HAVE to read this sh*t. This is entirely voluntary self-brain-victimization!
It's actually because the author published too many books or another issue with their Amazon account
The bar is on the floor when Noah the cousin fucker is the least terrible character in a romance
The bar is in the earths core
“Noah the cousin fucker” 😂
@@sarawithoutanH it’s in hell let’s be real lol
i was still in the middle of the video when i read this and though HOW THE HELL DOES IT GET WORSE THAN THE COUSIN FUCKER?? oh boy.
No bc why did I actually like him 😭 He was high key the best character and that's saying something
The mute brother being animalistic and aggressively feels hella ableist.
Agreed!!!!
Considering that he apparently stopped being mute when the girl (don't remember her name and I'm not rewatching to find out) told him to speak to her or she was gonna leave him, this book/author has no problem with being ableist.
Yeah, like a mute ftish for sure
it is SUPREMELY ableist but not surprising. her writing it to be from trauma just makes this insanity worse. 😭
@@35thratwhat was his cause of trauma btw
Taboo romances are great to use for conversation starters with strangers if you hate talking to strangers. It’s like a life hack.
😂😂😂
Why is this so me omg
@aliciaceasar5568 😂😂😂😂
Life hack 😭
how would you bring it up in the convo tho😭😭
there's dark romance and then there's deep sea lovecraftian horror dark romance and bestie, you just explored the mariana trench
i think even lovecraft would be scared
Pretty sure it would be less scary if it were cousins Nyarlathotep, Darkness, and Uncle Azothoth.
edit: those are some hard to spell names.
@@sarawithoutanH Wasn't he scared of nearly anything?
@@ZeldaWayne_Letsplays Yes. Dude described penguins as grotesque in one of his stories iirc
Ah yea good old Hates Progress Lovecraft
”It’s sexual assault city, and Penelope is the mayor” 💀💀💀💀
That got me
Why are smut authors so hellbent on fetishizing rape and incest.
I'm not promoting it, but censoring these stories prevents the masses from having the actual wisdom that these things are done, and one should be aware.. Incest is the last taboo. rape is still fascinating to many; one, the people who do it and the turn on it is for them; two, the people who eventually grow attracted to the person who hurt them. Remember just because you don't like something doesn't mean others don't like it, stop being so naïve. Also many of these stories while they may not be based on known actual real life cases. Just see if you can go through some police files about the horrors people do to each other.
@@addhoardingprocrastinator stfu, you clearly are promoting it
Because they don't have any actual substance in what they write so they compensate with what you described
@@addhoardingprocrastinator 'kay but it's being romanticized????? thats the problem??? it doesn't matter if its bringing awareness if it's very obviously a fetish what the fuck are you talking abt. yes rape victims get attached to their rapist. no one is saying they don't and no one is blaming them for that, but it isn't something that should be talked about like it's. okay?????
Because fantasies are healthy and not based on reality as any mental health professional will tell you. These books are fetish material, many of the readers and authors are SA victims themselves and these stories help them cope.
“Excited to start their family”
Gorl you are *ALREADY* family 💀
As a survivor of incest myself, it curdles my blood when people write incest and make it out to be a taboo romance, something that's hot and sexy and not at all severely traumatizing. I understand wanting to write about it to work through your own trauma, I've done that with some of my other traumas, but those were NEVER treated as something that should be seen as attractive or alluring in any way. It's SO uncomfortable seeing people profit off of trauma like mine by putting it in a "taboo romance" light instead of treating it like the horror it is. I'd bet money that none of these "taboo romance authors" that write about this kind of thing have never actually talked to anyone affected by it.
Same here
Same. I kept thinking this shit was made for my uncle and dad
LITERALLY honestly some of these stories sound more like the fantasies i have during a [trauma induced] hypersexual phase or whatever where i look back when im not like that and im like "wow maybe therapy is useful for me....."
I’m so sorry for what all of you have been through and couldn’t agree more; this is sexy or romantic.. it’s horrible 😣
First of all I hope you are in a better place. Second I agree these horrible acts are romanticized (literally) and played in a positive light for profit it’s literally the reason I wrote my book to be a person trying to heal from a traumatic event and get (legal) revenge. Because these topic (incest,s-assault,ect) are bad we (society) should write them as bad not as sexy.
I can't believe that these books make 50 Shades of Grey look like an average romance...
How naive we were to believe that was the worst shitty writers could offer us.
🏆 "Dark Note" is a terrible name when "Minor Key" was *right there*
Or, "Love in A Minor"
@@BeatButterSeattlethis one is perfect 👌
Stealing these titles for fanfics and none of you can stop me /hj
@BeatButterSeattle Given Ivory is seventeen in the story, this title right here has a double meaning. Kudos to you for that, genuinely.
tryna strike a chord and its prolly A minooooooor
I always wonder if the people writing about inc3st have siblings. I have 2 siblings and if they wrote stuff like these books I would be incredibly creeped out and uncomfortable in their presence.
You'd be surprised how many siblings do incest, it's typically an abuse thing instead of a full fledged relationship tho
Omg fr. Or imagine parents writing about father-daugther or mother-son relationship.
I would never look them the same way.
Using Cassandra Clare and AO3 writers as reference, I think most of these sibling love stories are written by authors who DON'T have siblings, thank the gods (poor choice of curse now that I think about it. The Greek gods were getting it on with their relatives constantly). They like the idea of a relationship that has a deep connection, but also has that forbidden aspect. And of course, platonic connection can never exist. It's also why most are step-siblings so they're "technically legal".
I have four siblings and I can confirm I would rather commit self-cannibalism than get into a relationship with any of them.
Not an actually insightful reply to your comment, I just had to say this. My screen reader pronounced your censoring of incest as, “Incorporated third,” and I got so fucking confused lmao-
Fr if they had siblings they'd be grossed out just thinking about it
dark romance authors go to therapy instead of creating books that glorify very real & serious crimes against women challenge
let's start a gofundme for their therapy - i'll donate at least $5
amen, im sick of reading a book and there being a "romantic " scene thats just sa....
*impossible* 99% fail
at least properly label snd frame it goddamn it
@@sacrilegioussasquatch THANK YOU. The framing is key. If you read Lolita (READ it, not watch it, not SparkNotes it, not read someone's hot take on it), it's *very clear* who the villain is. Humbert does a very poor job endearing himself to the reader. You keep reading because it's both interesting and horrifying, not because it's any kind of romantic.
THESE BOOKS ARE WHY GOD STAYS IN HEAVEN
Omg that line took me out 🏆🏆🏆
😂😭
The second book is the scariest imo bc the first one feels more like fucked up fantasy, but the second feels like a criminal psycology textbook.
Yeah and I'm guessing that this specific scenario happens in real life more often as well
literally reads like a case study
три четыре
@@aikamaika8553 пять шесть
@@chwejenyaсемь восемь
What worries me the most is that someone wrote these and went “yeah that’s good, time to publish to the masses” instead of “I’m keeping this to myself”
honestly are their families not reading this💀
Let’s unnormalize inc3st, p3dophilia, and SA as acceptable and romantic.
Agreed
Amen
retweet!!!
It's already not normalised bro, there's a reason they're illegal (no matter how much the system fucks up). Majority of people do not think that stuff is ok. Have a little faith in humanity man.
@@poppythedogofwondersthere is no faith in humanity
writers: what if... their love was forbidden 😳😱
gay people: 😐
cishet white people really wanna be marginalized so bad 😔
To be fair, as homosexuality becomes less "forbidden", these lazy-ass writers have to get forbidden tropes from somewhere... I guess.
@@theab3957I might be understanding it wrong but can’t forbidden love be made using taboo that exists in that world only? I thought the excitement comes from them watching people facing hardship in their life over that love, not themselves struggling with their fantasy of love that’s forbidden irl. Like with tropes where the lovers are on different sides, or if a race in that world is forbidden to be with another kind of race, and queer love is still usable even if our world fully accepts them (look at omegaverse where alphas can’t be with alphas or some other combination like that, that stuff never even existed irl)
@@Lenlon703 Bruh, you lost me
I've been thinking this!! it's like the straights want to be oppressed so bad lmao
The way these tAbOoO books portray bdsm makes me so mad too because, you have the chance to write nuanced stories and explore a dynamic where one """abuses""" the other in a regulated, completely consensual and discussed manner but noooooo they gotta misrepresent it grossly and bring it back to your average mysoginist manipulator
Exactly! I don't think I mentioned it but there's actually a part where the guy thinks to himself how annoying he thinks aftercare is and I was like ?????? He essentially on page says he likes BDSM because he just wants to control people and there's not a single point where he thinks of women as actual people
@@sarawithoutanH Goodness so it's even worse??? Petition for these authors to include footnotes highlighting the wrongness of something they write irl, I just KNOW someone has come out of that book being like "oh that's how it works"
no need to write """abuse""" though it still is very much abuse, most women who consent to that do so because it's an unhealthy coping mechanism akin to self-harm that usually stems from sexual trauma and can in many cases be retraumatizing. and anyone who gets off to seriously hurting their partner, degrading them, making them cry, 'roleplaying' sexually assaulting them and so on is dangerous. like if a man is into cnc and does it with his gf, even if he does it 'properly' by bdsm standards, do you think when he fantasizes about what they do together he includes the part where she consents before and he takes care of her after? they don't, and i'm saying all this as someone who's been through it. abuse is abuse even when it's consensual and it being a sexual turn on makes it worse, 'subspace' is dissociation it's your brain trying to protect you from the mental anguish you would otherwise feel, aftercare is a form of love bombing to make the victim feel cared about and not feel awful about it afterwards and prevent the natural survival instinct to wanna leave them ('subdrop'). it really is all just glorified abuse. i realized far too late i was doing it to self-harm and got out of it way more traumatized than before
@@leaf111man idk. i don’t think you can generalise from your experience. i don’t have any sexual trauma to speak of. i have a very loving cnc relationship with my high school sweetheart.
@@ritiaggarwal995 i don't believe someone who's aroused by pretending to or fantasizing about raping their partner can truly love them. rape fantasies (as the perpetrator role) are one of the biggest red flags and most who have those fantasies would do it if they had a good opportunity. just look at that study that showed 1 in 3 college men admit they would rape someone if they knew they could get away with it. i was convinced my abusive ex bf was loving and amazing too for a long time but he didn't care about me at all and i later found out he'd left at least 3 other girls traumatized as well. don't trust someone who can keep up a boner while hurting or assaulting you or 'pretending' to.
32:11 I'm sorry but, when you got to the part where the "inbred" people assaulted her and she lost her future child/sibling, I cackled. There's nothing funny about assault or losing a pregnancy you want but ... the inbred cancelled out the other inbred. That's poetry right there!
Also, I think you're giving Devin way too much credit. Most of us knew about sex and the consequences of inbreeding when we were 17. She's either really sheltered or really stupid.
Right ? That’s poetic justice right there honestly, and now I hope the poetic justice comes for the author cause that psycho needs help 💀
It's like poetry, it rhymes.
I knew this when I was like... 5 (talking about gods and myths with my parents). There's no excuse to not know this at 17 😂
All I’m saying is I’ve never seen Penelope Douglas and Elizabeth Holmes in the same room. Coincidence?
EXACTLY
😂
I could legit see crazy a*** Elizabeth Holmes writing this book too soooo… do with that what you will lol
Wtf, I have no idea who those two were so I searched them up and they look exactly the same.
OH MY GOD SHES TRYING TO START ANOTHER SCAM WITH BOOKS.
I haven’t even read any of these but I immediately need you to pay for my therapy 🏆
I'll forward the bill to these authors
Forward them to K. Webster specifically thank uuuu 😟
Don't worry about it, I'll pay for it for you
Don’t call Pam and Penelope “the PPs” you’ll give them a new book idea lmfao
😂😂😂 I don't even want to know what book that would be. Imagine if they co-wrote something 😭
@@sarawithoutanHanother student-teacher romance, but the girl is homeschooled
@@minecraftbeelolgirl no 💀
😂😫
omg this almost took me out 😂
I feel like a good dynamic for a student/teacher romance would be like Elle and Emmett in Legally Blonde? Like I know Emmett isn’t actually her teacher, but he’s a TA for one of her professors and he’s instructive to her but not in a condescending way, and never makes her feel like she’s not smart or capable… I just really think Elle and Emmett have the best dynamic for anything similar to this trope
this is so true
Yeah, I only have the haziest memory of them, but the power dynamics isn't noticeably different from a peer.
She’s also in college and I’m think probably 22 years old. Which is way better than a highschool student too. I love Elle and Emmet!!
Yeah also it's grad school so she isn't a teenager and they don't date until after she's not in that class anymore
If anybody has any recs, lmk!
all of these authors need to be on watchlists FOR REAL
@@M.H.I.A.F.T.found the proshipper
@@M.H.I.A.F.T. 🤓🤓
@@M.H.I.A.F.T. pedo detected
@@M.H.I.A.F.T.books romanticizing literal rape needs to be banned. And I agree the author in fact does need to be Investigated
@@strawberrymagpie you say that as if being against censorship isn't the normal stance to have
The author of the wild actually needs to be on a watchlist like actually
AND IMMEDIATELY!
A dark romance starts with an abusive relationship, a bad romance starts with rah rah-ah-ah-ah roma roma-ma
I went on a date with someone to Barnes and Nobels (it was our first date). They bought Credence, and told me how much they loved it. We never went on another date.
Thank god!
I'm never touching a book by Penelope Douglas. I made the mistake already by giving a chance to Colleen Hoover (Verity) and oh boy I was traumatized
Penelope gives CoHo a run for her money with the trauma 😂
When I was way too young to be reading it, I saw It Ends With Us on my grandmother and my joint kindle account (she was reading it) and read it. 😅 the first two or three instances of physical abuse in that book, because of the way they were portrayed, I was like oooh he’s so possessive and hot and everything. These books are actually damaging.
I've read gay dark romances . They aren't better. I hate that it's common to see male captives being broken down and made to be "wife y"
ah yeah i know people really loved the captive prince series for that back in the day
My sister reads translated danmei (Chinese novel mlm stuff), and I don't mind reading some of the stuffs she reads just so we can have topics of discussion.
She can roll her eyes about some controlling and manipulative male leads, and continue to read on to ridicule, but I really feel like stabbing the MLs after I read them.
Painter of the night was so bad the highlight was the dudes cool ass hat
every fujoshi who swore killing stalking was the epitome of bl is on my hitlist
@@zyerkos I only know what you're talking about because my sister ranted to hell and back about it. But sheeeesshh, yeah. If I was the MC, I'd choose to be able to neutralise that psycho stalker.
can we get matching lobotomies?
I'll schedule the appointment and let them know we want a 2 for 1 deal
Omg we should all go to Claire's and pick out matching lobotomies together!!!
Omg can i join? I can get yall free lobotomies btw , its on the house fer sure 🤚😍
I love that you read these so I don’t have to. This is wild. Disgusting. But interesting to watch the content you get out of it, ha
it's like if they made roanoke girls into a romance novel
@@sarawithoutanH Omg STOP! It’s fitting but ewwwwww
@@sarawithoutanH I feel kinda bad that you (and other youtubers) have to read stuff like these. I find such videos interesting, but you can stop making them if you don't want to :>
When I was a teenager, I was all about V.C. Andrews. Her books were LOADED with incest, teen girl/adult male sex and bizarre abuse. The difference between her and these authors was that she never dwelled on the nitty-gritty details of the sex, and her style was so over-the-top that the books could only be seen as taking place in some fever dream alternate universe. Plus, she had more plot threads going on than the taboo romances. These books . . . the writers literally have nothing to offer but, “I’m gonna present something that would send a normal person to therapy, but I’m going to make the characters WANT it!” No plot, no nuance, no style, no effort to make us understand WHY these people are so effed up. As Truman Capote said, “That’s not writing, that’s just typing.”
Well put!!!
OMG VC Andrews, I haven't thought about that name in a while.
From my memory, I read them as a high schooler because I just found them...interesting and bizarre. "Fever dream alternate universe" puts it nicely. But despite all the incest subtext, there was nothing exceedingly graphic, and like you said, there was other stuff going on besides the romance that I did genuinely find interesting.
I liked them a lot, still do when it comes to the second one - how she hates her mother, yet from her moves we can read that she became just like her. I wouldn't put this one in the same garbage bin with others.
In answer to the “why have an abuser be the love interest?” It’s because the biggest fantasy is actually winning the love of the abuser. Not justifying it btw!!! When I was younger I was into abusive love interests and it’s because it mirrored dynamics I understood (didn’t know that was why at the time) and unlike the irl relationships where you never actually win the love or approval, you can feel that vicariously in fiction. It’s like the ultimate crack pipe hit of “I can fix him!!”
Kind of reminds of how some people daydream about being a glorious war hero but doesn't necessarily want to go to war irl
Imagine being the model for the last books cover
Oddly specific
That bear in The Wild is the real hero its a shame it didnt finish the job😢 bless you for getting through these books and i pray you arent added on some list somewhere for it🙏
The "actually shes adopted" twist is CRAZY its like her editor went "hey we cant publish what is straight up incestuous abuse" and she said "oh ok uhhh shes adopted teehee"
Do you ever wonder if these authors' family know about these books ? I dunno man, if I ever wrote a book where the main character is banging her dad I could never look MY dad in the eyes ever again.
Now I'm curious about the likelihood of authors choosing pen names, when writing smut.
If it ever comes to that, and I need some quick cash, I shall write Amish smut under the name of Hugh Johnson
@@hombreg1you're out of luck that pen name writes firefighter smut that's also a soap opera
@@ayajade6683LOL
@@ayajade6683 darn it! Gotta say I'm intrigued by firefighter smut with soap opera qualities though.
I drew fanart of Noddy selling drugs and designed a logo for "Noddy's: Weed and (hipster) accessories" store. I showed them to my parents and they weren't angry at all.
i bought credence bc from the description i thought it was gonna be a serious book about like finding happiness or a reason to live or something (i didn't know who the author was) and i was mortified, and i didn't even realize what it was until like page 50 💀 and then i went on goodreads and saw the positive reviews and i was like ARE WE READING THE SAME THING
My biggest issue with these books (outside of how they only depict women are mere tools to satisfy a man’s depravity) is how they affect young girls. So many teenage girls and young women are walking around with a warped idea of heathy relationships and sexual experiences. We now have adult films encouraging boys to threat girls like objects, and books telling girls they should like it.
@@M.H.I.A.F.T.See, the problem with these books or similiar stuff is that it's being treated like something normal, even desirable.
A lot of books or movies teach boys, that if a girl rejects you, you gotta keep trying. You gotta harrass her, till she says yes to going out with you. This is really problematic, don't you see that?
That does worry me. I like some questionable dynamics in my fiction but I am an adult... I know teenagers are going to read what they want but we need better support for them so they are getting the healthy messages and are able to understand what is healthy in reality and what is just something that can be fun to think about if you want to.
Credence disrespected the reputation of Colorado, I speak on behalf of Colorado that we don't claim them😌
"Why does these grown ass woman have to write romance where the main character is sixteen or seventeen years old" That sentence made me imagine a romance author writing about me, a teenager, having sex and that punched me in the guts ejgsighndjkhjs
Sara, while you obviously did not have fun reading all these books, boy oh boy was this so entertaining to watch I literally laughed out loud! Am I selfish for wanting you to read more knowing how traumatic it was? Yes, probably but do it for the greater good lol.
I have a theory for the last book that the reason the twist was implemented so suddenly was bcus the author herself found out while writing the book that incest causes deformities in babies (I can’t imagine the author being very bright) and panicked and scrambled to make sure that won’t happen in her incest fantasy book
Sorry to disappoint but I read this book a while ago and there is a second book in the series with a different couple who are actually related (here the opposite happens and they think they are not related and then there is a plot twist and they find out they are first cousins or something) and they also have a baby together. Probably no one cares but the book's name is The Free.
Random fun fact: an equivalent for “sweet home Alabama” in Russian is “инцест - дело семейное”, which literally means “incest is a family’s business”. I hope i could explain and translate this phrase right
Seems accurate 😂
"I'd be down for something cute" aka PLEASE GIVE ME SOMETHING NORMAL TO READ PLEASE
I'm begging at this point (I say as if I didn't make up this series myself)
@@sarawithoutanHtry the mirror Visitor, it's honestly such an awesome book.
I am sooooooo sorry to anyone who believes any of these examples contain love. Bonding over sex and trauma is not love.
Also the mutism thing: not my own experience, but a friend has selective mutism and he can push through the mutism as an adult but it’s difficult.
Funny that you mentioned being sad that the dog got hurt in the 3rd book, while you were talking about Ivory moving in with the teacher in the 2nd book all I was thinking was, “Wait, what about her cat that she couldn’t afford to feed???”
You do NOT want to know how that cat’s story played out. I am livid with the author over that cat. Livid.
@@s4bombshellomg what happened to the poor cat???? 😭😭
@@rozy1405 I’d rather not spell it out exactly in RUclips comments where I can’t mark spoilers like on discord. But it wasn’t pretty. And it was completely unnecessary.
@@s4bombshell fair but i get the idea i feel bad for the cat😭😭
@@rozy1405 oh, definitely. The book needs an on page pet death warning
As someone who worked in a bookstore that sold edgy stuff, I'm not shocked that these books exist. Much like the trends set by Potter and Hunger Games, the blame could lay at the feet of 50 Shades...possibly. I've read some dark stuff, but this popping up into what seems to be marketed to the mainstream is...troubling.
What gets me is books like these have children, or FRESHLY legal main characters. It's so weird. Make the characters like 25-30. It'll still be weird but far less creepy.
Those are not marketed to the masses by any measure
Sure, they won't be found at B&N, but with those covers, they'd blend in just fine.
funny enough, 50 shades was inspired by twilight. twilight was inspired by a dream stephanie meyer had and my chemical romance (if i'm not mistaken). mcr was made because of gerard way seeing 9/11 occur. in conclusion, these horrible books could have been made by a butterfly effect of 9/11.
If you dare to read taboo again you should try forbidden by tabitha suzuma.
I was devastated by this book. Absolutly devastated. It is about incest... and even as a mom it absolutly broke my heart.
I did attempt reading that a few years back and, while that story has more merit to it, it just wasn't really my thing. It's more understandable to me why people like it though. Their situation makes more sense and the characters are nice to each other.
I don't know how to describe that book in english in short, but it was written with ve-ry... "nasty realism". Like, in detail and in agony :/
What I don't understand about how these books existed in the first place is how they came into the author's head, to be written down, reviewed and it still be thought that it's a good idea to be published.
I'm terrified that YT recommended this video to me, but damn girl you earned my subscription 😂
i promise some of my content is normal 😂
No, I’m sorry, the author of The Wild genuinely needs to be locked up… like what possess you to write about something like that???? 😭😭
The third one is the most sick and disgusting 🤢 How it actually could be published?
I’m genuinely sick to my stomach what the actual fuck??
Maybe it was self published on Amazon? I hope uhhh
Threw up in my mouth a little bit. 🏆
same
As someone who has depression, the way the dad treated the mom in the third book made me so angry. It can take every ounce of strength to get out of bed and breathe sometimes, much less be with your loved ones. Ugh.
They write the love interests as abusers because of the constant abuse we face in society: this is a fantasy of somewhere where we enjoy the horror we’re going through.
I read a book where the love interest started off as a 9 year old and a 17 year old. They didn't start date or anything till they were both adults but still. It was Hella weird setting up a romance between a 9 year old and a 17 year old.
Actual grooming. 17 year old is smart enough to know what they are doing and how to do it successfully.
Is the the phantom menace? lmao
Do these authors have a rape fetish or do they just not get how unhealthy the relationships they write are? 🤔
Anyway congrats for surviving 3 of these books, must have been a tough battle 🏆
It's definitely a fetish. But there's such a vast difference between CNC and...whatever the hell happens in dark romance. Like girlies...just find a partner into CNC instead of writing this nonsense.
@@flippantiesI get your point but, well personally i would feel safer writing (not necessarily with the intention of publishing it) about my kinks (not necessarily CNC) than about finding someone who likes to pretend to be a rapist for example 😥 I get that it's just roleplay but still, I wouldn't feel comfortable with that.
@@flippanties But I don't want to???
I enjoy reading or writing more,
Me: struggling with self worth issues
Me: watches this video
Me: "At least I'm not the people writing this!"
yes we should feel very greatful for that
I heard the name Caleb for the first book and I immediately knew he was gonna be the crazy cold one. 🤦🏾
Edit: Of course, he's endgame too! 😭
I HATE the barely legal virginthing everytime it shows up anywhere!! 🤢 It's so easy to say "Your inheritance is in a trust until your 25 and (insert who ever) is in charge of it until then" Like come on
First book I hear the general premise and go “oh okay I get it, coming of age new adult story, she’s not sure which of the brothers she likes best, she’s going through the trauma of losing her parents yet not being close to them then throwing herself into relationships she’s not ready for, the step-cousin thing is kinda weird but not unheard of in history…”
Then I heard the ACTUAL details. 😫 YIKES!!!!!!
As a dark romance girlie, I need to say Penelope Douglas CANNOT write dark romance. I remember reading a few of her books and they all gave me an icky feeling.
This is literally hilarious, I’d love to see you read ACTUALLY GOOD dark romance books tho. “Sexual assault city“😭😭😭Miss Douglas DOES NOT know how to write cnc at all, I was cackling through that chapter.
Can you give some suggestions to dark romance that you do like!!
If you have any dark romance recs I'd give them a shot
Where would one find actual good dark romance? Asking for a friend
girl you've got us all curious now
I actually enjoyed the devil's night series and tryst six venom. Hated credence tho
From what I’ve heard, people that have been through trauma like to read dark romance almost as a way to cope with their problems. I still love watching videos of people tear these books apart though, because they are wild and very out there
I've commented this before on other videos but: Readers don't always read taboo stuff to deal with their own traumas or problems. In my particular case, as a CSA survivor it would be quite unhealthy for me to constantly be reading dark content that reminds me of my trauma. For any survivor, reliving your trauma or being only able to get off to your trauma is an unhealthy thing. Secondly, a lot of readers pick up these "taboo" books not because they have traumas, but because the taboo element has an appeal to them in fiction. For example, those raised in purity culture often have a grape kink; only children can have a fascination with brother-sister content, all within the limits of fiction.
This doesn't mean that these books aren't worthy of critique just because they're solely meant to be a fantasy. Oftentimes the audience and the authors can be quite dumb and we can't pretend like some of these books don't actually think they're being romantic, and are trying to push their ideals of abuse as romance. This genre is best when it remains self aware and with a minority group of people. It shouldn't be a mainstream thing and it should never pretend like the topics it covers are in any way redeemable. Unfortunately, it becoming mainstream and popular has resulted in the dissemination of abuse as romance to far younger and younger audiences, with a heaping dose of smut to foster 🌽 addictions. And so many readers and authors are just so un-self aware that they read/write things like Credence, and genuinely believe that it's romance and not just a dark fantasy.
Me: " I've been reading fanfic since 2001, you can't scare me" 😎
Me: * listening about the last book* "....I feel sick... " 😰
As an asexual person, watching video reviews about books like these just make me feel like the meme of the horse standing on the beach going "Man."
Fr tho, sometimes I cringe like crazy but every now and then I just feel like the KFC kid every time something "hot" happens. Like these books want my attention so badly but I feel harassed over some paper 💀
hello fellow ace 👋🏾
The excerpts you read from The Wild literally made me want to crawl out of my skin and hide somewhere. Good grief.
Im in a book group that talks alot about books like these. Its crazy to see women talk about the men in these books and how attractive they are, and when I look into the books I find out its got SA or r*pe in it. And alot of the defense I see is that its a book and its fake. But its not fake. Its something that really happens and if young girls read books that glorify it, they'll learn that its okay. And its not. As someone who has PTSD from SA and abuse, seeing books that glorify these things makes me so sad. Its not sexy. Its fucking scary. Its not sexy to fear for your life.
Agree completely. I wish these authors would consider that
I know Tiernan’s parents didn’t love her or whatever… but like ik they turning in their grave seeing all that shi-
When I see books like this getting published *and* also develop a following, I'm thinking yes, there is hope for me eventually.
It's like you said, these books would be better if they actually tried to sell you on it by making characters likeable, or if they wrote these books like actual horror stories that are meant to be disturbing. Like I think the big problem (out of the many, many problems) is that they're inconsistent with how they want you to view these relationships. They lean too hard into the abusive and creepy nature of these sorts of relationships but then they have to really backpedal in order to be like "oh but it's like actually hot guys don't worry!" which gives readers tonal whiplash and also just sends mixed messages. So the abuse is hot? Why did the main character not find it hot then? Oh it's good that they're not actually related? Why is she upset they're not blood related? Also she's still a teenager and he's still a pedophile but I guess that's not a big deal, regular pedophilia is like so much better than familial pedophilia! (I'm joking obviously, it's ALL bad.)
I think if you have an idea that'd make a good story, you should write it, but do your research and for god's sake you can at least be consistent with your tone. I shouldn't have to ask myself if your sweet scenes are supposed to be creepy on purpose or if you don't see how fucked up you made your characters. 🏆
Yeah this made me gag and want to shower. Holy god I can't stand incest as romance plot line. Thank you Sarah for taking us on a journey and making me seek our Jesus 🪽
totally not interested in straight romance but listening to you and the books you talk about is such an entertainment. guilty pleasure thing or something 💀
im speachless. like literally speachless. im someone who reads a lot of questionable books, or so i thought, but this is too much, like what the hell were these autors thinking???? my jaw dropped at least like twice every 5 minutes watching this video, it was just too much i cant-
the second book is a guide to trapping an abused victim in an abusive relationship for life. It's horrifying that someone would look at that and think 'omg romance!' 😮
LONG RANT ABOUT *ACTUAL* BDSM INCOMING:
As someone into BDSM (and NOT into straight up hitting and abusing my partner) Dark Notes pissed me off so fucking much. ECSPECIALLY the choking part. I've known too many women who have been randomly choked by their boyfriends or guys they were just dating who never mentioned it or cut those guys off because they thought it was normal BECAUSE OF SHIT LIKE THIS
Anyone else into real BDSM will stress just how important it is to have consent and boundaries set up and to talk about everything you want to do beforehand. Because (shocker) randomly hitting, whipping, tying up, or choking your partner is fucking horrible. That's why there's safewords and aftercare and discussions. Both people involved in whatever scene you're creating need to feel sure and safe in what they're doing. In fact, trust and safety is a HUGE part of BDSM. Because knowing you're safe and trusting your partner fully is what allows you to go into that experience and let yourself go into your fantasies with no worry about being actually hurt. It also stops people who want to be on the receiving end of these kinks from ending up with someone who really wants to cause them harm and abuse them. The appeal of BDSM isn't "I get to hit someone!" it's "I get to fulfill this fantasy and bring me & my partner the pleasure/pain *OF THEIR CHOICE* in a safe environment"
The whole point of it is that the person being choked or hit or whipped is also enjoying it! Even is scenes/scenarios where the fantasy is that one person is in control and is "using" the other person for pleasure the person being used is enjoying it as well. Hell, even in the "non-consent" areas of BDSM the biggest rule is that you make sure you have the subs consent beforehand and that they *want* to act out that sort of thing, and no is actually being forced into anything against their will. In fact, no one truly or fully "gives up" their control/free will in BDSM scenarios, they're simply acting out the illusion of a power dynamic/exchange to fulfill their fantasy and in reality, the sub has just as much power as the dom, since they can end or change the scene whenever or however they choose to.
So yeah, all 3 books were infuriating but Dark Notes was the worst in this particular category in my opinion. Not only is Dark Notes a horrible example of a real dom, but this narrative being pushed about the kink is fucking frustrating, since every middle aged loser with abusive tendencies and a thing for power thinks they understand it and can write it properly. They don't and they can't. All they want to do is abuse someone and get off to it under the guise that it's normal because "it's just my kink!" it's not. They're disgusting and if any of them brought that shit to anyone who knows anything about BDSM they would get kicked to the curb fucking ASAP
*TLDR: Anyone into real BDSM (case in point with my long ass rant) will tell you that Dark Notes, as well as all these other books have no idea what actual BDSM or power dynamic kinks entail and it's fucking disgusting.*
The idea that just randomly shoving your kinks on someone without consent has become so common horrifies me. Let alone how already horrifying choking already is if you're not expecting it and/or don't trust the other person, what about those of us with trauma? Whenever my mom brushes my hair I can't bear to let her touch my neck because I get somatic flashbacks of hands around my neck, and I get so jumpy I can't breathe. If someone sprung that on me during a super intomate moment I'd melt down instantly out of fear.
I’ve had Credence on my ‘to buy eventually list’ just to see why everyone loved it🤔 I just took it off, thanks for that😳 You’ve saved me and I’m very grateful!! 🥰 🏆 Sorry! I had to come back to add the trophy 😂
I hate seeing her suffer through the books but really appreciate Sara reviewing these for us so we know what the hype is about without being mentally scarred by reading it😄Her humor greatly helps too.
I'm glad I could save you some time and money 😂
@@sarawithoutanH me too😂😂🥰
listened to this while packing my bathroom to move out of my apartment- thank you for the entertainment and for your service in reading these books 😵💫
I was doing excercises while having this video in the background and I had to stop cause I felt so icky, I just had to take a moment to process this is real. I feel like the most amazing part is that people can read this without vomiting. Crazy
The Wild had me thinking of the Katie Pladl story which is such a sad story and then abruptly turned into the Woody Allen story 💀
These authors make ao3 smut writers seem holy /j
🏆🏆🏆 I don't need a lobotomy because these three books already shlorped my brain out of my skull.
i’m obsessed with you after getting recommended this 😂😂 and i agree with you on grown women making books about teenage girls suffering like it’s a hot thing
Credence is not a book I would want to read. There is so much praise for it and for the author on book tube.. it’s wild. Thanks for helping in saving my money and brain cells with your review😂.
Bestie, you're an absolute champ 🏆 for powering through this filth!
Oh and I f***ing love your hair 😍
I think this writers didn't get that taboo is not the same as disgusting... also giving bad rep to BDSM. Can we recommend you some nice romance? I don't want to see you suffer through this books anymore 🏆
Agreed. Taboo can be done either well or as a good commentary on the topic.
Tbh, I kinda like the age gap trope, but I'm an adult and I feel like every time I look it up, it's always very young girls, barely of age even, who also behave very naive and childish. It's so frustrating, I guess you could say that's what I get for seeking it out, but I hate that I can't enjoy my stupid little messed up trope without literal p*dophilic undertones.
Hard agree
i love synopsis vids like this it feels like im listening to the most insane gossip
This sub-genre is definitely not for me. I watched because I knew your spin( bringing as much humor as possible despite the subject matter), would make hearing about these books bearable. Kudos to you for being able to get through the experience. You get all the trophies🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆!
sara, im only 17 minutes into this video but, since this is my first video, i think im in love with you. your comedy is amazing and descriptions detailed but humorous. this feels like my bestie describing some unhinged shit she read to me over wine and snacks... i love this. insta-subscribed. im here for life.
okay but insane books aside... I love your hair I could not stop staring at how shiny and luscious it is AHSFDH
IKRRRRR
i need therapy after just hearing you talk about the wild 🏆
Send me ur bill
Same
the fact that i got through this without throwing up is a fucking miracle
stocking pfp spotted
I don't think I've ever-so genuinely questioned "WHAT WERE THESE PEOPLE THINKING???? WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER WRITE THIS?????????????" until now, thank you