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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
this was so uncomfortable and heartbreaking and brilliant
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
beautifully written, undeniably painful. my dark vanessa is the kind of book that i will recommend endlessly. there are so many conversations to be had, and the fact that this is merely kate elizabeth russell's first novel already makes me giddy with excitement, cannot wait to read more from her, because, my god, is she able to write such stunning scenes surrounding complex characters in the most sinister situations? her ability to open an entirely new dialogue on sexual assault and grooming is worthy of praise. this book made me think. made me depressed. made me feel sick. and i loved every second of it.
i would say that the flaws rely on both the reader's mind and the redundancy of the plot, almost reaching the end. this story demands to be read intelligently. too forgiving of the words, and you will find yourself romanticizing the disgusting relationship (if i can even call it a relationship at all, more like a hostage situation) between a 42-year-old teacher and his 15-year-old student. understanding that looking at abuse through vanessa's eyes puts an uncomfortable perspective that SHOULD be treated delicately. and that is what i loved the most about the way this book is written. you do not get everything handed to you. the constant dissociation, inability to adapt to her adulthood, substance abuse, and even self-hatred that vanessa experiences all connect to her abuse. so please, read intelligently. the subplot with henry was a bit nonsensical, and i did not care about him or vanessa's college roommate at all.
this is an incredible book and one that i will remember for a very long time.
i would say that the flaws rely on both the reader's mind and the redundancy of the plot, almost reaching the end. this story demands to be read intelligently. too forgiving of the words, and you will find yourself romanticizing the disgusting relationship (if i can even call it a relationship at all, more like a hostage situation) between a 42-year-old teacher and his 15-year-old student. understanding that looking at abuse through vanessa's eyes puts an uncomfortable perspective that SHOULD be treated delicately. and that is what i loved the most about the way this book is written. you do not get everything handed to you. the constant dissociation, inability to adapt to her adulthood, substance abuse, and even self-hatred that vanessa experiences all connect to her abuse. so please, read intelligently. the subplot with henry was a bit nonsensical, and i did not care about him or vanessa's college roommate at all.
this is an incredible book and one that i will remember for a very long time.
Fantastic to see a book about this subject matter being widely read however I did not enjoy the writing style (very YA in style for such a complex subject). Lots of themes however none were explored enough. Some scenes quite graphic in description which unfortunately read as sensationalist- graphic for the sake of being graphic. The book could have been so much more. However I applaud the author for tackling the subject.
very very heavy and sad read. the writing is so effective in conveying strane’s manipulation and vanessa’s trauma. the book does such a good job at showing the romanticisation and the reality of the relationship and abuse. i didn’t exactly ‘enjoy’ reading this book but i thought it was very effective in its message and very well done.
This book is extremely uncomfortable to read, but even harder to put down.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well, that was depressing. Good book, don't read it.
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
Difficult subject matter and at first I didn’t really like it at all. But as I got further into the story I changed my perspective about the whole story. It would make for a lively book club discussion I think.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes