Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

108 reviews

chelsea_court's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

amsswim's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I think a lot of people could benefit from reading this (not to get political, ahem) , but I'm afraid they would only see what they want to see in Vanessa's character and take her for exactly what she says they will in the book. I thought this book had not only an important story to tell, but it was told incredibly well. The time jumps of Vanessa's high school experience to her "modern day", #MeToo era day-to-day gave the reader a large perspective of the stages of trauma and stages of abuse. 

As a someone who has experienced different kinds of abuse and trauma, I very much related with many themes. I would recommend looking through warnings and triggers contained here if you'd like to read, some themes may be upsetting for other survivors of similar experiences. I recommend to all however. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Abandonment, Sexual content, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Classism, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Bullying, and Infidelity

Minor: Classism, Blood, Body shaming, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use

murielreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

1.0

Vieron que de vez en cuando una se cruza con ciertos libros que aún antes de terminarlos se arrepiente de haber leído? Bueno, éste entre en esta categoría. Quiero una compensación por cada segundo desperdiciado en esta porquería.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Suicide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

sunflowersarepretty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Car accident, Medical content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Animal death, Eating disorder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, and Death of parent

lentilsoup's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

There is the time before I read MDV and the time after I read MDV. It changed my life and left such a huge impact on me. The way the author articulated Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings resonated so hard at times. I wish I had read this book sooner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, Misogyny, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Grief, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Death

kattylyn1997's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Mental illness, Cursing, and Drug abuse

zbookishgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

First and foremost, the people out there saying this book is a romance. IT IS NOT!!!
The book itself was so good, but I also had so many problems with the characters.

Obviously, Strane was just a motherfucker who deserved to go to jail the first time around. The fact that he basically got caught multiple times but always got away with everything just annoyed the heck out of me. I wanted to jump into the pages and beat him up. He annoyed the shit out of me and I wish there was justice for everything that he did.

Not many people are talking about what happened with Vanessa and Henry Plough. I know that there wasn't really much that happened between the two of them, but there was just something off about him. He was basically kind of doing the same things as Strane, but it didn't get as far because she stopped it before it escalated.

Vanessa herself was a very complicated character. I know she is a survivor of something traumatic, though she herself didn't believe it. She just really annoyed me at times and I wanted to just SMACK some sense into her.

The fact that she continues defending Strane, even after everything about him was true and there was so much evidence working against him. She just would not accept it.
Even when he would say stuff like, "I just want to make sure there aren't any stray fires that need putting out." Like that line right there is a MAJOR RED FLAG!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

reneetrinket's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Grief, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Minor: Dysphoria, Vomit, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Sexism

nurseamandarose's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Sexual assault

kirstybaxter's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Rape