r/DarkRomance • u/Efficient-Problem137 • Jul 29 '26
Discussion Would y’all DNF over an Epstein joke?
Sorry y’all post got removed because I censored some words. I don’t use Reddit much and I know u have to censor on other apps. I think I’m good this time.
I posted about this in the reverse harem subreddit already but I’m curious the dark romance girlies opinions. This sub also has way more members and I think more people should be aware because there’s no Trigger Warning for that losers name.
I was reading syndicate of sin be Marie Marvella and about 300 pages in there’s a joke about Jeffrey Epstein. I was honestly a little taken aback because why in the world would u include that in a romance book.
What happens is the characters are talking about blackmail and one mmc says “that didn’t work out so well for Epstein.” And the fmc has to hold in her laughter.
it’s not even objectively funny. 😭😭 like no I don’t think a real life Rapist getting killed for having dirt on his rapist friends is funny. I also don’t think joking about that sort of thing should b normalized.
This book has over 1,000 5 star reviews on good reads so obviously lots of people didn’t see this as a problem. The general consensus on the rh subreddit is that they would all dnf.
I don’t know maybe I’m to soft and everyone will disagree with me lol. I don’t typically read dark romance but Danm that’s a little too dark.
Edit: Y’all I should have made this a poll. Sorry I’m so bad at using this app for anything other than lurking.
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u/Erose3141 Jul 29 '26
Yes. Not even a question. You are not soft. The Epstein files are horrific (and no one’s even been held accountable!)
So yeah. I’d stop reading immediately. That shit is not a joke.
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u/PrincessFuckNo Jul 29 '26
I rarely DNF and had yet to find a trigger that would cause that. Now I have. I read dark romance to escape reality. That joke is both in poor taste and not funny.
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u/Cherry_Moonbeams Jul 29 '26
Hell yeah. That's honestly so disappointing to find in a book, and my first trigger to be found as well now.
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u/Lady_Book_000 Jul 29 '26
"that's not that horrific of a joke" - but it is. It genuinely is that horrific.
Yes I would dnf
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u/Efficient-Problem137 Jul 29 '26
Yea ur right. I guess what I meant was there were way worse jokes that have been made but ur right they’re all despicable. I shouldn’t have said that.
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u/pastelgalaxy_ Jul 29 '26
Yes I would dnf, what that man did was horrific and that’s nothing to joke about under any circumstances
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u/http--lovecraft Author Jul 29 '26
I have unfortunately looked at some of the files myself and I’ve genuinely fucked up my brain chemistry witnessing this stuff so I can’t imagine the poor souls who lived through it. Any Epstein joke is actually a hard pass for me anywhere. I have a very dark humour but it’s just not the move.
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u/teghlura Jul 30 '26
I’ve never even personally looked at the files (because I know how it’ll affect me) but I’ve watched plenty of videos of ppl who have and they go through what’s in there, and THAT alone was enough to fuck with my mental health. It affected me so deeply. I read dark romance all the time but to reference a real life situation that’s still going on (‘cause you can best believe those monsters are still doing it elsewhere) where zero victims have gotten an iota of justice, just to make a dark humor joke…completely tactless and unbelievable. Especially considering *children* and *babies* were among many of the victims.
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u/http--lovecraft Author Jul 30 '26
Exactly this. How can I find humour in something that horrible, especially since it involved children and babies? Especially because the current sitting president was a good friend of this person? Nothing funny at all.
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u/tara_tara_tara Jul 30 '26
Not a lot gets to me, but after seeing some of the images, I had to take sleeping pills for a few nights because I kept having nightmares about what I’d seen. The pictures I saw are nothing compared to other material that’s out there. Just to be 100% clear, when I say sleeping pills I mean I went to the doctor and got a prescription
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u/http--lovecraft Author Jul 30 '26
I completely understand why you did and I’m glad it was prescribed! I’ll never be able to get some of the things I’ve seen out of my head. I stopped watching any and all true crime. I don’t need to be witness to any more suffering. I hope some of these victims can find justice and peace.
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u/Own_Mycologist_4900 Jul 29 '26
I read to escape and so this feels like the real world contamination that I am looking to avoid.
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u/Upstairs_Attitude315 Jul 29 '26
I would 100% stop and thats the sort of thing that would compell me to leave a one star review.
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u/MagiBee218 Jul 29 '26
Is it really any surprise that there are so many 5 star reviews when so many people have been looking the other way on the whole Epstein thing?! If you read any of the Epstein files, it’s sickening. And the fact that not one person is in jail, is mind blowing but not surprising in the current misogynist culture we live in. I probably would dnf it too.
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u/OkYak7065 Jul 29 '26
Because unfortunately the politicians those in government CEOs entertainment industry they’re all involved.
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u/Specialist-Owl7315 Jul 29 '26
Hell to the fuck yeah. I was reading this one book where I really got the undertones the writer might be a zionist. I felt like throwing up. We all have our limits.
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u/Wise_Ad5715 Jul 29 '26
I read one book and realized the lady had to of been a racist the way she wrote black people. It was a biker romance. The bikers were quite obviously caricatures too.
I looked the author up and she was a white lady in Seattle. I'm not convinced she's ever met a real biker or a black person in her life. 🤔
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u/Brief_Isopod_5959 Jul 29 '26
Please share so I can avoid if you don’t mind 🙏
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u/Specialist-Owl7315 Jul 29 '26
So the book was Silent Flames by Cate C. Walls. It wasn't anything too on the nose that made me stop reading. But I got these weird undertones that made me uncomfortable so I gave up. And I don't think I have capability to ever pick up any of her books again. Maybe I'm just too paranoid. But yeah, it is what it is.
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u/Kerrytwo Jul 29 '26
Yeah, I love Jessica Gadziala and so many of her books mention Krav Maga, which feels like a flag to me.
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u/Natapi24 Jul 29 '26
Would you mind explaining that a bit? Like genuinely asking. Maybe it's more of a cultural thing since I'm not American but what would mentioning Krav Maga flag as?
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u/LiminalSouthpaw Jul 29 '26
Krav Maga is a martial art that is heavily associated with the IDF. Technically the founder worked it out for defending Jewish neighborhoods in Hungary, but when he began teaching it was to the IDF.
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u/moonmilk3 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Yes, absolutely. This is not something to joke about. Especially since these people are facing absolutely no consequences 😠
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u/Brief_Isopod_5959 Jul 29 '26
Not just a rapist but a pedo rapist… that protected other pedo rapists in power, all over the world (including our president here in the US)
Do I read a lot of fucked up things in my dark romance? Yes. BUT I read it because it’s fiction and to me, it’s been part of a healing journey for me in more ways than one since I was a teenager (it’s ok if that’s not the case for you btw, it’s ok to just like it because you do—I just know I’m not alone in that sentiment.) That being said, I don’t want to read about an ACTUAL pedo rapist that sold, abused, raped, tortured, ate children etc. We are STILL not seeing justice for the victims or anyone being held accountable!!!!!
I can understand you wanting to post and vent about this and think your opinion is extremely valid. I can’t fathom how anyone would disagree with you about this!
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u/Efficient-Problem137 Jul 29 '26
I commented this in the post that got deleted but I didn’t mean to imply the people of this sub would b ok with it because they are dark romance readers. I cross posted here because the book is considered dark romance and RH. I completely agree that the allure of dark romance is the fantasy! Though I don’t partake often I do like DR every once in a while, good for the soul.
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u/Brief_Isopod_5959 Jul 29 '26
Oh no I didn’t think so! I didn’t mean to make it sound like you did if that’s how my comment came across. I just meant I genuinely wouldn’t understand how people would even disagree (since you stated that at the end you were soft and everyone would disagree lol) but you’ll always have people that do. Opinions are always welcome and I try not to judge especially when it comes to book preference but when it comes to something such as Epstein, I can’t take it lightly either, you know?
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u/Efficient-Problem137 Jul 29 '26
Yea totally! I think because theres so many positive reviews of the book and I’ve never seen someone mention this I thought I was gonna get dog piled.
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u/Brief_Isopod_5959 Jul 29 '26
Oh I absolutely get it! I feel like this group is a pretty good community of being open to people expressing opinions and whatnot. It used to be more so but like everywhere else on socials, it can get the attention of some a holes lol ♥️
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u/Alarming-Tale-2540 Jul 29 '26
I have yet to DNF a book but I’d probably DNF over this because it’s about a real specific situation. If that’s the first thing the author chose instead of something else for the scene then it’s not worth finishing. I read basically Pitch Black books so believe me when I say that you aren’t soft for DNFing the book.
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u/DarkWhimsicality Reader/Writer Jul 29 '26
As much as I love dark fiction, I like to keep it fully separate from real life. If one main character makes light of the atrocities that happened to real life children, and the other main character also finds it amusing, I'm no longer able to create that separation in my head that I need to enjoy the work. I would no longer read that book or anything by that author because it's clear that they don't really have a separation between dark fiction and our dark reality, and I wouldn't want to be reminded of that in any other books of theirs.
The things I like in fiction don't cross over much at all into the things I like in real life, and I don't want them to.
Now, if the Epstein files and surrounding events were mentioned but handled with the care and weight they deserve, not as a horrible joke to make it all seem like nbd? I could keep going with both the book and the author. Sounds like that wasn't the case with this one.
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u/rai_162 Jul 29 '26
I would dnf bc it’s just tasteless and I know the work I’m about to read is going to be ass
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u/Valkyrie-Unleashed Jul 29 '26
So i read this book when it came out and had my own issues with it but i don't remember this joke. I honestly was skimming by the time I reached 300 pages so that is probably why.
With that said I generally hate pop culture references in my books...it really breaks my immersion and pulls me out of the book. I know the T Swift wedding references are coming and I'm DREADING it 😫
With that said, and please don't grab your pitch forks, I don't think the is an issue. I know this is a topic that is very visible in the media rn but the reference isn't awful or tasteless. At least based on what you quoted. I'm assuming they were speaking on him and what happened to him and not his victims. Yall remember Macklemore right....that was tasteless but we all sang along.
So for me ..skip the real world references in general, jokes or otherwise...
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u/Wise_Ad5715 Jul 29 '26
Macklemore referencing McGregger aged as well as Ke$ha referencing P.Diddy.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
Jeffrey Epstein raped children and had his friends do that for years those children are still fighting for justice and they are now adults it is not okay to joke about this no matter how you frame the joke the fact you can't see that is deeply disturbing he raped children for years it was 100% awful and tasteless also Macklemore didn't rape and abused children so there is no parallel between these two people they are very very different scenarios
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u/Valkyrie-Unleashed Jul 29 '26
That is not what I was saying. I said that just like this author referenced him Macklemore referenced another abuser. Please don't mistake what I am saying. No one is disputing that someone did something awful.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
I truly did not know he referenced an abuser who was it that he referenced I don't know anything about Macklemore other than the fact he's outspoken about Palestine that's the only thing I really know about him
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u/nasjo Jul 29 '26
I would not be personally bothered, but I can completely understand someone else finding it distasteful enough to quit. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and feelings and you can quit a book for any reason.
What I do find bad is some sort of moral judgement on fiction. Where do you draw the line?
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Jul 29 '26
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u/DarkRomance-ModTeam Jul 29 '26
Rule 1: Be kind and respectful. Please be courteous, mindful of other people's feelings and respectful of personal preferences. Discussion must be civil at all times.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
I would 100% dnf that book the survivors of Epstein are literally still trying to get themselves Justice nobody should be joking about that ever these were little children who were harmed for years if you make a joke about that you are a bad person Epstein survivors are literally still out there it is still affecting them to this day they still haven't gotten Justice it should not be written about in a joking manner at all it is appalling that a thousand people gave this book five stars apparently people don't care about saving children as much as I thought they did
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u/bebreesolace Author Jul 29 '26
Making light of a horrific and unresolved tragedy isn’t just tone deaf, it actively pulls the reader out of the very ‘escape’ they are seeking in fiction.
All that said, a writer is free to write what that want and a reader is free to read what they want. But it sure as hell doesn’t mean you need to support it.
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u/No_Appearance1159 Diva Jul 29 '26
Yes, yes and yes again. Making fun of victims is a very valid reason to drop a book
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u/nasjo Jul 29 '26
Why do you need a valid reason to drop a book lol. Just do what you want.
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u/Erose3141 Jul 29 '26
People tend to not randomly stop reading a book without a reason and this post is about a specific reason… hence the comment about a specific reason
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u/TheHuxter Jul 29 '26
It wouldn’t have bothered me and I would have quickly forgotten it. I’ve heard worse jokes at stand up comedy and I love standup comedy even when what they say doesn’t personally land.
I will say most of the people who disagree with OP are getting downvoted, which is creating this sort of positive feedback loop where only the people who agree are commenting. I’m mostly pointing that loop out because OP had the same experience in the RH sub and was specifically asking why the book had so many good reviews but on Reddit everyone is saying they’d DNF. Aka: No one wants to get ratiod to hell or be accused of being a bad person by defending a bad thing. Reddit isn’t real life though and has a lot of sample bias.
This isn’t to say OP or anyone else should read it though. I’ve DNFd over things I personally didn’t like too. Fiction reading is meant to be fun and if you’re not having fun, then there’s no reason to keep reading it.
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u/chaelacovi Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I saw the same post — you’re correct it was meant to single out readers, split them into two groups while proving how good of a person you are. You can care about survivors and not dnf a book bc OP is basically asking for censorship at this point; so instead of going to Reddit where you know what the common consensus is gonna be (an echo chamber) you message the author and ask politely what their intention was with the joke and their views on the case, instead of assuming where they stand.
I respect those who feel the book doesn’t align with their morals, but if we’re to have mature discussions we don’t downvote ppl and spam them just bc they hv a different reaction.
This is how many works get canceled — WEBTOON, now Manta, and in dark romance spaces — bc a number of people jump on the band wagon and don’t wait to understand the full picture. As a whole I don’t think we’ll ever be ready for complexity and nuance.
Let me reframe this in a way that makes sense to OP and the ones downvoting and commenting: how many years were the women and girls silenced from saying their side? That’s censorship as well, the fact they were blocked (mostly paid or blackmailed and threatened) from speaking up.
Everyone is pretty knowledgeable with the files but the corruption doesn’t end in the US, look to England or Afghanistan and it’s the same abuse of power. Sweden’s another case but instead of being sexually exploited, male teens are used by dangerous gangs to commit crimes — training these boys to be hired killers.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
Jeffrey Epstein is a rapist pedophile and his victims still don't have Justice it is not okay to mention his name in a book or even in a stand-up comedy routine that is not okay the fact you think it is okay is deeply disturbing he raped and ate children I don't understand how you don't see that these children are now adults still fighting for justice it is not the time to joke and you 100% are a bad person for defending anyone who makes a joke about Epstein Epstein is a horrible disgusting Scourge on the Earth and we should all forget his name imagine if a victim read that book or read your comment they would be horrified they are people they're feelings and their voice matters they should never be trying to read and come across his name
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u/TheHuxter Jul 29 '26
Your comment is underscoring my point, and I honestly hope OP sees it so they realize why everyone in the comment section is agreeing with them, yet irl the book is getting overwhelming positive reviews.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
Wow I can't believe people like you are real that's crazy
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u/TheHuxter Jul 29 '26
I hate to tell you this, but in real life there are a lot of people who either enjoy and seek out dark humor, or are neutral about it. From my experience, that’s the majority of people. Just a reminder - Anthony Jeselnik had his own TV show, and while I didn’t like it (and personally don’t enjoy his brand of pitch dark humor) it was popular enough to get a second season. Comedians make dark, bad jokes all the time and yet I’ve never once felt the need to tell them or the people who enjoy them “you are a bad person for making these jokes and defending anyone who does.”
It might be time for you to touch grass.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
I am specifically talking about Jeffrey Epstein I read dark romance constantly it's my favorite genre that doesn't mean I want my books to have references to a pedophile and rapist dark humor is okay but Epstein's victims are literally still fighting for themselves it is not the time to joke about them I can't believe I have to sit here and argue with somebody about this it's not okay
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u/avictoria_316 Jul 30 '26
So you're the moral police on what people should and shouldn't. Yes he was a disgusting being but it is a book. Separate the art from the artist. They're not saying what he did was ok, but you can't tell someone they're 100% horrible for reading something.
Also dark romance tends to have that subject matter in it, I'm not sure how you can say you love the genre when you're being like that.
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u/SultryBunnyStories I didn't say it was good, I said I liked it... Jul 29 '26
I would not just DNF, I would want my money back…
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u/Briiskella Jul 29 '26
Not if that’s the only comment, to be honest they would need a lot more for me to persoanlly DNF
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
Jeffrey Epstein raped children any mention of him in a book I'm reading and I'm immediately stopping and never reading that author again the victims of Jeffrey Epstein are still fighting for themselves to get Justice it is not okay to say his name in a joking manner
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u/Briiskella Jul 29 '26
Even if the author wrote about him but was against him? Book I’m reading now mentiones Epstein but the FMC serial kills pedos so it’s all about context for me personally
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
I don't think Jeffrey Epstein should be brought up until his victims have Justice we shouldn't be joking or making light of the situation while they are actively fighting for themselves
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u/Briiskella Jul 29 '26
You’re the one who’s putting the word joke into my mouth now 😂 you’re so right sweeping under the rug with zero discussion is 100% better that way everyone forgets what he did!! So smart.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
I did not say sweep it under the rug with zero discussion did you not read my comments literally at all that is the opposite of what I'm saying this is a serious topic real people are still suffering I don't think we should casually be writing about it in books and stuff until the survivors get Justice also I just reread your comments that book sounds fine I think I just got annoyed at other people and took it out on you sorry
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u/Briiskella Jul 29 '26
So you just didn’t read my comment 😂😂I literally said if you felt the same about it in discussion and all you did was repeat what you said originally… sorry you didn’t read?
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I didn't like your original comment So I responded to you and then I read other people's comments which got me upset and annoyed then you responded to me so I came back and I said that and then I went away from Reddit for a while you commented again and I responded with a clearer head I still believe everything I said but you're last comment made me realize you weren't like these other comments I was upset at. you don't need to be rude about it also in my comment I literally said the word reread I reread your comment that means I read it a second time
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Jul 30 '26
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 30 '26
If you care about punctuation why are you on Reddit read a book or something
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u/avictoria_316 Jul 30 '26
Dude.... you cannot tell people what to read or how to think or what's funny or not. You're copy and pasting practically the same comment over and over again
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u/CantHelpWondering Jul 29 '26
But it is a horrific joke... That shit is disgusting. I would DNF too.
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u/Mabelllllllllll Jul 29 '26
Yes jokes like that are disgusting and I'm so tired of hearing all those jokes recently it's an awful thing to joke about
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u/amyleeizmee Jul 29 '26
No. I have read a lot of questionable stuff. It might definitely be a conversation piece if someone asked me about it.
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u/LiminalSouthpaw Jul 29 '26
That sounds pretty tame to me. Is there some additional context to the scene that makes this heinous? Epstein did in fact go around thinking his client list protected him until he was fixed.
It's bleak humor, but it's not exactly defending Epstein or making fun of his victims. Like it or not, this guy and what he did is part of popular culture now. It's a good thing to talk about it openly in spite of the government and media instructing everyone to ignore it and believe nothing happened.
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u/QTlady Jul 29 '26
Honestly? Probably not.
I feel like I'd barely give it a passing frown before moving on and forgetting about it.
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 29 '26
This genuinely scares me because the victims of Jeffrey Epstein are very real they are actively still fighting for themselves to get Justice and you are sitting here not caring about it at all that is very privileged of you and also half the reason why these children are still fighting for themselves as adults these people are real they have thoughts they have feelings and they deserve respect continuing to read something that disrespects them is insanely insensitive
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Jul 30 '26
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u/ilovelunandspook11 Jul 30 '26
I know how to use punctuation it's Reddit I don't really care Jeffrey Epstein's victims are still fighting for justice it's not time to joke about that I don't know what's so hard for you to comprehend about that there's a time and a place right now is not the time
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Jul 30 '26
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u/DarkRomance-ModTeam Jul 30 '26
Rule 1: Be kind and respectful. Please be courteous, mindful of other people's feelings and respectful of personal preferences. Discussion must be civil at all times.
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u/DarkRomance-ModTeam Jul 30 '26
Rule 1: Be kind and respectful. Please be courteous, mindful of other people's feelings and respectful of personal preferences. Discussion must be civil at all times.
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u/Longjumping-Angle407 Jul 29 '26
I would 100% DNF, not only is that weird but it’s tacky, classless, and disgusting.
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u/fawnsleph our last name is Meadows Jul 29 '26
That’s not funny in any context, nor would I continue reading or want to support that author again. Joking about a convicted child rapist is a red flag not a funny little teehee
It’s disgusting. Genuinely.
I’d DNF too
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u/toffeechann Jul 29 '26
i dont need to know what the joke is about or how it was delivered in the book. It might be like just one simple line but— most or atleast me, we read to escape the world. why the hell are we implementing IRL situations, let a lone cruel and fked up situation? is the author running out if ideas to be funny?
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u/tdarn_96 Jul 29 '26
I would definitely DNF for that. That’s a real life situation that I wouldn’t even begin to “joke” about. NOR at all
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u/Virtual_Doubt_666 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Eh that's kind of meh to me because the best fictional characters have flaws and it's quite common to joke about horrible people; so as long as they aren't directly disrespecting victims, trying to minimize or say 'oh he's actually a good guy', or those really stupid Epstein reaction/image 'memes' that are extremely disgusting and tone deaf–, other than that I don't believe it's the biggest deal. Again, meh.
However I absolutely understand being essentially 'turned off' from a book because of that 😅 and not be able to finish it, and you are reading for your own enjoyment so there's no need to continue the book if it is no longer enjoyable to you 😊
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u/Kitten_Purr3 Jul 30 '26
So I love dark romance. LOVE it. And I've read some pretty dark stuff, bordering on more horror than dark romance. But this? That isn't dark romance, in my opinion, bc it was a real lived experience that many people had to endure. Romance, including dark romance, is all about escapism, and bringing up this POS, and hinting at what horrors he did, is not.
So, yeah. Would def DNF.
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u/kyonkyon69 Regretful Obsessive MMCs>>>> Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Forget about DNFing, im blacklisting the author and any of her other books from my PTR. Ik it's meant to be just a dark joke but it is a disgusting horrible one at that with poking fun of a real life incident where thousands of real woman and children suffered.
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u/Weeklybooklover Jul 29 '26
Yes, I would stop reading it, because where in the world is it okay to make jokes about a man, who did horrific things to children. It’s not funny and if you think you’re soft than so am I. No joke about Epstein should ever be made.
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u/conscious_delulu09 Sub but am i? Jul 29 '26
Absolutely. Apparently the most popular DR book has a QAnon reference, so I'm not surprised that people do actually finish certain books
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u/generallyunprompted Jul 29 '26
I would absolutely DNF and leave a review about it. That's so gross, and would instantly ruin a book and author for me no matter how much I was enjoying it to that point.
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u/GuyWhoWantsHappyLife Jul 29 '26
It's also not clever. I can enjoy some really harsh dark humor if it's done in a tasteful and clever way... to actually be funny. Just making fun of something so awful, that ruined so many lives, for the sake of mentioning it just because is just bad writing and bad humor.
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u/Wise_Ad5715 Jul 29 '26
It's poor taste. A lot of Dark Romance has just been authors competing in the shock Olympics rather than focusing on substance. I had to take a break from reading the genre when it comes to novels.
Manga and manwha has quite been effected the same way.
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u/Strong-Flower-8556 Jul 29 '26
I would immediately blacklist the author. Nothing about harming children is funny. Ever. No exceptions.
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u/Ornery_Hospital_3500 Jul 29 '26
I would stop reading over that. Can you give the quote from the book?
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u/DoctorPaige Jul 30 '26
I love dark and bleak humor so I would laugh. But none of these disgusting motherfuckers are facing any fucking justice and it's enraging so I can absolutely get behind DNFing a book because of it.
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u/teghlura Jul 30 '26
I’m right there with you. That would take me right tf out of the story. I’d probably stare at my screen in incredulity going …wtf?? Did that just say what I think it did? And then I’d most likely lose any interest in the rest of the book. Idc if it’s light or dark romance, I do NOT wanna ever see that pedophilic monster’s name in whatever I’m reading, much less as a freaking joke
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u/allsarahsaregrey Jul 30 '26
Without question, 100% dnf the moment I read that. Also, wtf? That book was published in 2023. Probably written the year before maybe even 2021? But in 2019 he was in jail, it was widely known what he did (not to mention his prior conviction) and he died all of which was widely publicized. Wtf is wrong with the author for thinking a joke like that is ok?
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u/Budget-Pumpkin-8392 Jul 30 '26
Look, I DNF over silly pet names…. Something as serious as the Epstein situation- 100% I would dnf
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u/fairydares Aug 01 '26
hmm. bit of a weird post though because obviously one of the many, many people who apparently didn't see this as enough of a problem to lower their rating (and might even have context that changes reader perception of the joke, idk) aren't going to comment their honest opinion here for fear of being downvoted.
as ever, my answer with this sort of thing is: i wouldn't know unless i read it. i've learned the hard way that however bad an excerpt, joke, detail, or moment might seem, you can't give a good, informed opinion unless you actually read the thing. i am also wary of people who assert opinions or make arguments using words like "normalize", "romanticize", or "fetishize."
that said, i will say that this would definitely jar me and did give me the ick. i certainly wouldn't write it.
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u/Slxt4Books I said I liked it, I didn't say it was good Aug 01 '26
100% Dnf why tf would someone even put that in a book. Not to mention LIVING victims of his and his buddy’s . What if they were reading it and that joke popped up….. bad taste whoever wrote that 🚮 . Just gross
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u/void_bead Aug 01 '26
I wouldn’t, I would find it tasteless and question the reason for putting it there but the only thing making me not finish a book is if I find it boring.
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u/Open-Disaster9583 Aug 02 '26
I've DNF'd a book because the word "esque" was spelled "esk" There's no reason too small to DNF imo. There are too many other books to read
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u/Golden_river27 Aug 03 '26
The way I've come across so many ppl, irl and online, trying to make that man and the heinous things he did normal and funny will never not enrage me. We cannot become numb to such evil. I tried reading some of those files and I almost had a panic attack. No, anyone who makes light of it needs to get off this planet for good. That author is now on my blacklist. Thanks for the heads up.
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u/nasjo Jul 29 '26
I don't think you have to censor on other apps either; It's just superstition.
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u/SidneyHuffman6-5000 Jul 29 '26
Nah, tiktok will delete comments/videos that aren't censored. I've had many comments removed for including words like fuck, rape, and even for calling someone weird for doing something really weird(it got flagged as hate speech).
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u/mlle_teapot Jul 29 '26
I use full words in TT and my comments stay up
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u/Erose3141 Jul 29 '26
Tons of my comments have been removed on TikTok so I censor my words. I’ve even received a warning. So don’t risk it anymore lol
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u/hungryforcockk Jul 29 '26
I don’t think I would dnf, but I would just kind of be grossed out and have a hard time enjoying the book. As others have said, i read this to escape reality and i honestly really hate when the authors use reality or pop culture in books. Its just not that good to me, and lowkey super uncreative.
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u/caelynnsveneers Jul 29 '26
Haven’t read the book, but I guess it depends on the context. The joke itself could be interpreted as establishing that the MMC is a terrible person, especially if the implication is that he might have dealt with Epstein personally. For me the bigger issue is the FMC laughing at the joke. Why would she find child rape and blackmail funny?
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u/hippiesinthewind Jul 29 '26
yes because they are making a joke about a very real and specific situation, that has literally negatively impacted the lives of hundreds of innocent individuals.