Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Moja mroczna Vanesso by Kate Elizabeth Russell

92 reviews

woolfinbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexism

Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Animal death, and Suicide

Minor: Vomit and Abandonment

There is student/teacher sexual abuse that is challenged in different ways throughout the book. A major part of the plot is seeing the sexual abuse develop, the victim romanticizing what happened, refusing to hold her abuser accountable due to gaslighting, and not wanting to come to turns with what happened.

fir3opal's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Death

Moderate: Suicide

zids's review against another edition

5.0

Fuck my life. This was one of the most upsetting things I've ever read. I really really enjoyed it. I'm very very thankful to read about a character like Vanessa, who is not and never becomes the 'perfect victim.'
It made my heart race, it made me groan in pain. Loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

its_van_vulpen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Death of parent

literaryscouser's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

This book is so beautifully dark. The narrative jumps between different parts of Vanessa life, but is done in such a way that is helps you understand why she thinks a certain way. It's just...breaktaking as a narrative. As a plot, was uncomfortable, as I believe it's meant to be. The adverse reaction to this story I would say in normal, but once you get used to the topic it goes to another layer. I will say as a teacher....this made me feel uncomfortable for different reasons, and one of the reason it's took me longer than it should is because I felt like I shouldn't take it to work so I could only read in the evenings. But, regardless a wonderful book.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body shaming, Vomit, and Death

gracezackula's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Violence, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

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

jennymaarika's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Child abuse, and Misogyny

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

cateyeschloe's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

4.75

There’s so much to say about this book and it’s difficult to put everything it made me feel into words. 

Vanessa’s pain and conflicting emotions are so very visceral in every page, and I often found myself setting down the book for a few moments just to sit with how she felt, how I felt reading it, and how what she was going through affected her. 

This book perfectly walks the line of depicting how a relationship like Vanessa’s and Strane’s can seem from Vanessa’s perspective - romantic, beautiful, a love story, “not that bad, really” - and how brutal it actually is from the outside - heartrending, manipulative, narcissistic, and cruel. 

I think the thing that stood out the most to me was asking myself the question “if something made me feel abused - even if my mind is insistent that it ‘wasn’t that bad, really’ - isn’t that still abuse?”. And I really appreciate how the book brings this perspective to light. 

It can be really easy to bury yourself under the excuses of “others had it so much worse than me” or “what happened to me wasn’t even that bad” or “I didn’t complain; didn’t that mean I was okay with it?”. And despite all of those protests, the truth still remains true if you were hurt or used or manipulated. That is still valid and you deserve to let yourself be heard, to heal, and, ultimately, to forgive yourself for something that was beyond your control and never your fault. 

This book was painful to read and beautifully written. Vanessa is relatable and agonizing to discover. The author does a phenomenal job of weaving the abuser together both from his narcissism and his charm as he walks the line between the light of day and shadow. 

This is an essential read if you have any interest in the Me Too movement or supporting and believing victims of any abuse across the board. 

This book felt like a gut punch, but it will absolutely be added to my list of favorites from now on. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death and Sexual content

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Stalking