Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Moja mroczna Vanesso by Kate Elizabeth Russell

30 reviews

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I thought this was a solid read, and it was definitely upsetting, which I think was the point. It moved a little slowly for me and perhaps was a bit wordy. But I think it does really give the reader a good examination of like what warning signs we can look out for to protect young people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Animal death, Infidelity, and Body shaming

_bailey_reads_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

This book…. Wow. I am stunned by how well written this book is.  

There are so many things I could say about this book. I loved it so much. It will always hold a special place in my heart, mostly because it hurt me deeply to my core. 

I highly recommend reading this book but only if you are in a good mental health space. It is extremely triggering! I felt very healed by how relatable I found Vanessa at points but mad because of how upset her character made me. She is such a complex and well written character and is such a realistic depiction of someone struggling with PTSD and severe trauma. 

Kate Elizabeth Russell, did a phenomenal job at depicting what a real therapist & client relationship actually looks and sounds like. The first accurate one I’ve ever read in a book. It blew me away. Ruby is Vanessa’s therapist. The dynamic between the two characters was brilliant and very thought out and realistic! The language and descriptions in this novel are so beautiful and made me my heart hurt. 

It’s the most disturbing book I’ve ever read 

Warning ** Do Not Read if you are in a bad mental health space. Please be gentle if you have gone through any type of abuse. I wish someone would’ve warned me before reading. It’s HIGHLY triggering. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

asm349's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Death of parent, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual harassment

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

This was such a satisfying read. 
A wonderful critique on how despite openly condemning predators, society still protects them and seeks to empathize with, turning the victim into a mere projection of her situation.  Vannesa's voice is so human that it's easy to empathize, to the point the reader's own biases and flaws lay out in the open, weave themselves into the bigger conversation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Suicide, and Drug use

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

mme_carton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

ksuazo94's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.5

This book was... for lack of better words, frustrating. I get it, I really do. And Vanessa had every right to heal in her own way and to come to an understanding of everything she went through on her own terms. But what happened to the teacher pissed me off and I'm so tired of this narrative that being young and horny = it's okay for a predator to take advantage of you. A 14 to 17-year-old should NOT be sleeping with a grown man, I don't care how "mature" she says she is. You, as the adult, should know that doing so is NOT OKAY. Ugh. I get this book is more realistic, but I wanted more for Vanessa and the other young women. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent

soyboi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Infidelity, Stalking, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Death, and Death of parent

hannibanani29's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Alcohol, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Rape, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, and Cursing

Minor: Vomit, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent

tlycomfort's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Alcoholism

Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, and Vomit