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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
¿Por qué nadie está hablando de este libro? Que hagan película, serie, que se estudie en psicología, en escritura creativa, en literatura, que sea LECTURA OBLIGATORIA
What an utterly horrifying and authentic story. It is definitely advisable to look at trigger warnings before reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
To give this anything other than a 5 star rating would be absurd. I read this, knowing what i was getting into. I read this because of a youtuber I saw do commentary on it, saying she was also abused and groomed and that this book was very beautifully written and powerful. I agree it was definitely very powerful.
I felt every emotion Vanessa experienced, understood the doubt she had, the confusion she felt. It was beautiful, it was traumatizing. It was so very very accurate.
He made her feel like he loved her. That he would die without her, when in reality she was just another person, girl,child he could manipulate into giving him what he wanted. Who knows how long he was doing this before he met her. How many actual kids got taken advantage of afterwards.
I understand, her confusion on why she felt their abuse was nothing compared to hers. She knew deep down she had been abused. A smart girl, he knew that too thats why he couldn’t be away from and risk her figuring out just how bad this is for her. Figuring out she needed to get out.
I feel bad for the people who cared about her. Who tried to help her see that she was dealt a horrible hand. Groomed by a man, who shouldve known better. Ira was perfect but he didn’t need to mess with his mental health in order to convince her she needed help. He made the right choice moving on.
I will think about this book forever. I will read books that were mentioned in this book and try to make the connections Vanessa did. The connections Kate did. This meant so much to me and to so many victims of abuse and grooming. This was more than a book in many ways. More than fiction. Thank you for making this, Kate.
I felt every emotion Vanessa experienced, understood the doubt she had, the confusion she felt. It was beautiful, it was traumatizing. It was so very very accurate.
I understand, her confusion on why she felt their abuse was nothing compared to hers. She knew deep down she had been abused. A smart girl, he knew that too thats why he couldn’t be away from and risk her figuring out just how bad this is for her. Figuring out she needed to get out.
I feel bad for the people who cared about her. Who tried to help her see that she was dealt a horrible hand. Groomed by a man, who shouldve known better. Ira was perfect but he didn’t need to mess with his mental health in order to convince her she needed help. He made the right choice moving on.
I will think about this book forever. I will read books that were mentioned in this book and try to make the connections Vanessa did. The connections Kate did. This meant so much to me and to so many victims of abuse and grooming. This was more than a book in many ways. More than fiction. Thank you for making this, Kate.
challenging
dark
emotional
Wow. This was a heavy, disturbing, important read. It’s not an easy book to sit with — but that’s the point. It dives deep into the complexities of trauma, grooming, power, and consent in a way that’s both raw and incredibly nuanced.
Vanessa’s voice is so well-written: defiant, confused, vulnerable, and brutally honest. I felt uncomfortable, heartbroken, and frustrated — all at once — which I think is exactly what this book is meant to do.
It’s not a thriller or a story about “justice.” It’s a character study about a girl who doesn’t see herself as a victim, even when everyone else does. One of the most emotionally complicated books I’ve read in a long time.
⚠️ Definitely check content warnings before reading, but if you’re in the right headspace, it’s worth it
incredibly macabre and disturbing. after reading, i spoke with a girl in my school who said she fell in love with strane. upon hearing this, i made sure to say "he was a pedophile", and all i got in exchange were her twinkling eyes as she nodded.
In her acknowledgements, Russell writes “And finally, thank you to the self-proclaimed nymphets, the Los I’ve met over the years who carry within them similar histories of abuse that looked like love, who see themselves in Dolores Haze. This book was written for no one but you.”
And to me, that says enough.
And to me, that says enough.
4.5 stars
Vanessa was 15 when her English teacher, Mr. Strane, made a move on her, starting a years-long affair. At 32, a former student of his comes forward, claiming he assaulted her along with plenty of other students. With the #MeToo movement trending, Vanessa is under pressure to come forward to defame Mr. Strane, but how can she when she, 17 years later, still views their relationship as a love story?
It's hard to put my cloud of thoughts into words on this novel. The word that comes to mind is difficult. It's hard to watch Vanessa suffer so thoroughly and hurt herself over and over again. The acts that occur are perverse and atrocious, and to see her justify them, again and again, is tragic. This is a very important book, clearly showing the effects of trauma and how it manifests itself in one's mind and one's actions. It is too easy to see oneself in Vanessa, which is what makes the narrative of this story so effective. The atmosphere is palpable at every stage of Vanessa's life as we switch back and forth between high school and college to her adulthood. If you don't like an unsatisfying/open-ended ending, this won't be for you; this one is too realistic and messy for that. This won't be a new favorite of all time, but the feeling of reading My Dark Vanessa is going to stay with me for a while longer.
Vanessa was 15 when her English teacher, Mr. Strane, made a move on her, starting a years-long affair. At 32, a former student of his comes forward, claiming he assaulted her along with plenty of other students. With the #MeToo movement trending, Vanessa is under pressure to come forward to defame Mr. Strane, but how can she when she, 17 years later, still views their relationship as a love story?
It's hard to put my cloud of thoughts into words on this novel. The word that comes to mind is difficult. It's hard to watch Vanessa suffer so thoroughly and hurt herself over and over again. The acts that occur are perverse and atrocious, and to see her justify them, again and again, is tragic. This is a very important book, clearly showing the effects of trauma and how it manifests itself in one's mind and one's actions. It is too easy to see oneself in Vanessa, which is what makes the narrative of this story so effective. The atmosphere is palpable at every stage of Vanessa's life as we switch back and forth between high school and college to her adulthood. If you don't like an unsatisfying/open-ended ending, this won't be for you; this one is too realistic and messy for that. This won't be a new favorite of all time, but the feeling of reading My Dark Vanessa is going to stay with me for a while longer.