Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Moja mroczna Vanesso by Kate Elizabeth Russell

33 reviews

evalotteli's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Drug use

cammiem8's review against another edition

challenging 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

Wow. This book was so hard to read and yet hard to put down. I have so many thoughts I don’t know where to start. The best deconstruction of the teacher-student “romance” I’ve ever read. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

holladazzle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

Minor: Addiction and Animal cruelty

miascupoftea'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i’ve reread this multiple times and it’s always just as good. the most nuanced, complex, and realistic depiction of sexual trauma ive ever seen in any form of media 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Pedophilia

mmefish's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Rape

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

mostlyliterate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

this book is incredibly well-written and i read it in a day (not normal for me). but it disturbed me to an extent i was not prepared for and honestly made me feel awful

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, and Suicide

Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Stalking

amelreads'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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Animal death, Gaslighting, Death, Mental illness, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abandonment, Stalking, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Infertility and Excrement

chaiandspices's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Stalking, and Suicide

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

fozlandgirl'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? It's complicated

5.0

This was dark and challenging and so necessary. That conclusion was everything. I saw myself in Vanessa and it made me feel. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Vomit

bookishyvonne'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

So oft habe ich dieses Buch auf Bookstagram gesehen und nun habe ich es selbst gelesen. “My Dark Vanessa” von Kate Elizabeth Russell ist… heftig. Anders kann ich das gar nicht beschreiben. Es ist widerwärtig, ekelerregend, krass, schockierend, und gleichzeitig konnte ich nicht aufhören das Buch zu lesen. Denn ich kann mir so gut vorstellen, dass das immer wieder passiert. [CN: 9/11, anti-asiatischer Rassismus, Blut, Body Shaming, Dissoziation, Gaslighting, Gewalt gegen Kinder, Grooming, Lehrer-Schülerin-Verhältnis, Pädophilie, Sexismus, sexualisierte Gewalt, Suizid, Suizidalität, Tiermisshandlung, Victim Blaming/Shaming, Vergewaltigung]

Im Jahr 2000, als Vanessa 15 war, hatte sie das erste Mal Sex mit Jacob Strane, ihrem 42-jährigen Englischlehrer. 2017 beschuldigt Taylor, eine ehemalige Schülerin, Strane sie sexuell missbraucht zu haben. Taylor und eine Journalistin nehmen Kontakt zu Vanessa auf und bitten sie um Unterstützung. Doch niemand scheint zu verstehen, dass das, was zwischen Vanessa und Strane war, kein Missbrauch war. Es war Liebe. Nicht?

Die Geschichte wird in zwei Zeitsträngen erzählt: Das Buch fängt mit dem Jahr 2017 an, und Vanessa liest auf Facebook, dass Taylor an die Öffentlichkeit gegangen ist, um ihre Geschichte zu erzählen. Vanessa hat nach wie vor Kontakt zu Strane und sie steht an seiner Seite. Denn sie ist davon überzeugt, dass es Liebe war, dass sie all das, was damals geschah, willentlich getan hat. Deshalb schweigt sie weiterhin. Ansonsten müsste sie sich selbst und die Ereignisse ihrer Vergangenheit neu definieren. 

Im Jahr 2000 erleben wir hautnah mit, wie das Grooming stattfindet, ohne eingreifen zu können. Wir erleben, wie Strane Vanessa manipuliert und sie glauben lässt, dass sie diejenige sei, die all die Entscheidungen trifft, sodass sie quasi letztendlich Schuld an allem ist. Denn er kann doch nichts dafür, dass er sich in sie verliebt hätte. Abwechselnd in Vanessas Gegenwart und ihrer Vergangenheit sehen wir den Schaden, den er angerichtet hat und auch weiterhin anrichtet, wie sie nach fast 20 Jahren immer noch kämpft. Nichts von all dem, was geschehen ist, ist ihre Schuld. Doch sie nimmt alles auf sich und es ist so frustrierend zu sehen, dass Vanessa es nicht als Missbrauch sieht. Für sie muss es eine Liebesgeschichte sein. Denn, wenn es keine ist, befürchtet sie daran zu zerbrechen.

Teilweise musste ich das Buch weglegen, weil mir die Vergewaltigungsszenen zu stark beschrieben wurden. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob das notwendig gewesen ist. Nach dem Lesen war ich einfach fertig. Vanessa und Strane als Charaktere finde ich unglaublich gut ausgearbeitet, insbesondere die Komplexität von Vanessa. Die anderen Charaktere, wie ihre Eltern, Freundinnen und der Englischdozent, sind für mich eher blass und eindimensional. 

Ich fand das Buch wirklich gut, aber versucht euch mental darauf vorzubereiten, was euch erwartet. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal cruelty and Vomit