Reviews tagging 'Blood'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

15 reviews

kooky_kayla's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood and Death of parent

nzmerchant's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

3.75

Have to admit this was a very tough read. Obviously went into it knowing the trigger warnings and context but yet, i definitely felt the heaviness. Beautiful writing and so easy to fall into Vanessa’s train of thought. I was kinda wondering when it would end at one point, and can say that I’m very very satisfied by the ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

abrdoodle's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Suicide

Minor: Blood, Bullying, Mental illness, and Vomit

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

caelinsullivan's review

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug use, Cursing, Suicide, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Abandonment, and Toxic friendship

aprilpie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Minor: Blood

librarianinacardigan's review

dark sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicide

Minor: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Blood, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury

owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

4.0

"I need it to be a love story. I need it to be that."

I was thinking about Mysterious Skin whilst I read this novel. Both stand well on their own, but I feel like they are unified as narratives of abuse through their extremely moving and empathetic commentaries on victimhood. Characterisation is complex but never unkind in this book, and for this reason (and perhaps the excellent pacing too) Vanessa's narrative voice is incredibly compelling throughout. I think this works as an interesting inversion of the campus novel, as well as a solidly unique coming of age / arrested development narrative. Please heed the trigger warnings and take plenty of breaks if you choose to read this - I found it hard.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Suicide

martzi's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Child abuse, Alcohol, Violence, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Blood, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship

jaiari12's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicide, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, and Vomit