Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

1218 reviews

zapzap9000's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Vomit

david_slack110507's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I had to space out listening to this audiobook as it is not really something that you can easily consume given the content and topic matters that it expertly focuses on and tackles. The book follows the relationship between 15-year-old student Vanessa and her much older English teacher Jacob Strane in 2000. The book follows their initial hidden relationship as well as how it evolves as the two get older to the point that in 2017, the second timeline, we see where the two are following multiple previous students of Strane coming out against him with allegations of sexual abuse, grooming and being inappropriate with them, against the backdrop of the MeToo movement. The topics that the book deals with are very heavy and can be quite triggering to some but it's never done in an exploitative way or without care. 

Vanessa is such an interesting character because she goes against the typical depiction of a victim being that she is not squeaky clean or 'good' and aware of what has been done to her but instead she isn't an incredible person, often being quite rude to those around her as a result of what has happened to her as well as also being adamant that what she and Strane had was "love" rather than acknowledging the grooming and abuse that took place and I think portraying Vanessa this way made her avoid becoming a cliche of a character that is only defined by their trauma or what has happened to them. It really is tough to see Vanessa first be so obviously taken advantage of and manipulated, through our viewpoint, and then continue to go through life seeing the relationship as loving to the point of putting down other women with similar stories as well as the women that come out against Strane over what he did to them. I really liked how the book also tackled some questions about the treatment of victims such as them being defined by what happened to them and nothing more as well as also this expectation that they should come forward about what has happened to them as soon as they can to help the cause or the movement and I think it allows the reader to take their own stance on whether or not they agree with how victims are treated in the media and by others when their trauma is made public. 

Strane is a truly despicable character and I hated him and this hate didn't just come about because he is a groomer as that would elicit hate from me already but the way that Kate Elizabeth Russell writes him is incredibly well done as he is even more hateable due to how manipulative he is and how unapologetic he is in his actions and what he has done, even going so far as to blame Vanessa for making him fall in love with her, a teen with no actual power (even lacking the power to consent at times during the book), as if it isn't his own fault. The continued hold he had over Vanessa to the point that she even wanted to try and replicate what their relationship was like with her professor later on in her life shows just how much he messed her up and I'm so glad that the book didn't try and be sympathetic to him because he doesn't deserve any. The book allows him to be complex such as him being emotional and open to Vanessa almost like a normal relationship as well as being aware of what he is doing without ever portraying him as someone who is good but has just done a bad thing. The resolution to his character and the investigation into his allegations being unresolved was very fitting for how many victims don't end up getting any resolution or any justice even with Strane's suicide in the face of these allegations, there lacks a feeling of comeuppance over what he has done. 

I really liked the topics and themes that this book deals with and with listening to this as an audiobook, Grace Gummer did an excellent job at bringing to life Vanessa as well as all the other characters and I didn't have any faults with her performances or really the book as a whole other than it sort of being a book you can only read once due to how heavy and disturbing it can be and the lack of a big revelation may disappoint some people but it feels true to life. I found myself researching more into the process that Russell wrote this book including responses to the backlash/polarising opinions that have come about due to its publication as well as the additional chapter in the audiobook featuring an interview between Russell and Gummer as well as the book's editor about the book and I found them all really interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Suicide, Alcoholism, and Stalking

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Infertility

oeczone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Self harm, Sexual content, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual harassment

iso99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Super dark book and hard to read at times because of the content, but the way it’s written makes you want to keep reading 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

scarroll178's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I cried. Insanely well crafted. This book changed my perspective and makes me want to be a better ally to any and all victims of abuse. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Gaslighting, Rape, and Sexual violence

coolhoee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Asks the readers interesting questions about survival, abuse, and the act of confession. Can you save others from harm without saving yourself first? Why do we demand perfect victims? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Rape

peachy_reader's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

dystopian_genius's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

rebekkamafia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide

red_headed_book_slut's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Rape