Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

108 reviews

lauravg11's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

faygof9's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicide

cyan_altaria's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is very good overall, but some of the sections in the latter half of the book felt like they didn't really have a purpose.  Still, the main character, Vanessa, was excellently done.  This is a very powerful narrative, and something that people should read.  Just make sure to check the trigger warnings first, because My Dark Vanessa is about pedophilia and grooming, and it can be hard to get through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Death of parent and Grief

dattk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Grief, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Death and Death of parent

mallory10100's review against another edition

i didn’t like the long chapters and didn’t love how vanessa kept enabling and defending her abuser. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Confinement, Cancer, Grief, Stalking, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

meganjsulli's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Child abuse

bey_h's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Child abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexism and Suicide

retzko's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

inordertofly's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Classism

palomasbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russel, has come to be one of the best novels I’ve read in my life. Don’t get my wrong, it was incredibly difficult to read and absolutely gut wrenching at times, but Kate Elizabeth Russell’s prose was just to die for.

With just one novel, Russell has easily become one of my favourite authors. The way she dives head first into topics of abuse, victimhood and the nuances within every abusive relationship is completely enthralling.

The insight into the complexities of consent and manipulation, as well as how she describes discourse surrounding power dynamics is truly harrowing but I couldn’t. stop. reading.

To see how the main character - Vanessa - views her own abuse and the stages she goes through mentally is written about so meticulously and exquisitely, and the way Russel describes Vanessa’s dissociation and mental health was deeply relatable at times.

I think the book makes a great point of bringing up really important questions around sexual abuse that cannot be answered with ease.

Russel writes with brutal honesty, and deep emotion. I ate up every single word on every single page. Not an easy read, but I think it’s an essential one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Drug use