Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Meine dunkle Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, Ulrike Thiesmeyer

867 reviews

eusteph's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

There's a lot that I could say about this book, but I fear most of it relates to my personal life and how it connects to it. Seeing as this isn't my diary, I will spare you all that.

The writing in this book had me hooked from the first page. Although the subject matter is definitely dark, no pun intended, this is the kind of book that one could easily read in a single sitting. The only reason I didn't is because life got in the way.

It was very interesting to see things from the perspective of a victim of abuse who uses coping mechanisms such as Vanessa's. I feel like most of the time, when we get to hear the victim's side in fictional pieces dealing with this subject, the victim is presented in a totally different way.

I can understand why this book is a favorite to many, but I personally don't think it's the kind of book most can re-read.

Content Warnings

hannacolm's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark

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? No

4.0

Content Warnings

ughroni's review against another edition

Go to review page

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? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

scwells's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Lolita but told from the abused’s POV. Difficult read. Not a book to be enjoyed but some very important conversation to be had from this. As with Lolita, I found it very difficult to read and had to set it down for a few weeks midway through.

Content Warnings

amandahajj's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This read has me stunned. It was somehow more awful than I anticipated, as it grapples with so much more than abuse. This story masterfully encapsulates the challenge of unraveling and redefining our narratives, revealing their profound influence on our identity, purpose, and motivations. Several sentences throughout felt like knives. Sharp, well done, and so tough to read.

Content Warnings

courtney_julian's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

isabellehendo's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

I cannot give this book anything other than five stars.

This is a novel that encapsulates victimhood, abuse, and trauma in such a poignant way. As more and more women have come forward in the past several years, recounting their experiences of abuse, it is easy to find yourself understanding victimhood through a very narrow lens. Vanessa is the perfect woman to bring to light the complexities of victimhood - her perspective, as both a young girl and an adult, allows you to see through her eyes. Not only do you experience the manipulation, grooming, and abuse she endured in high school, but you also experience how that manipulation changed her ways of thinking and molded her mind. It is disturbing and heartwrenching to watch Strane manipulate her - as an outside observer, you can see the manipulation for what it is, but her unyielding voice forces you to feel the manipulation as she does.

This book made me wildly uncomfortable to read. I found myself looking at the world through the eyes of Vanessa and even looking at my own experiences with SA through Vanessa. That, to me, is the essence of a five-star read. This book is important because of how uncomfortable it makes the reader. Understanding abuse and victimhood from this perspective can only be done through a fictional lens, but it is so important to grasp the many different forms that victimhood and abuse can take.

This book will force you to work your "empathy muscle," and I'm afraid that if you don't, the novel's purpose will be largely lost. Vanessa's perspective is hard to read, and often, in the novel, it is difficult not to get frustrated with her. If you allow yourself to enter her mind and experience her life as she did, this novel will be as monumental for you as it was for me. That being said, I cannot disregard this story and content matter are not for everyone - scenes are heavy and graphic, so read content warnings before opening this book.

Content Warnings