Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Moja mroczna Vanesso by Kate Elizabeth Russell

153 reviews

_david_'s review against another edition

challenging dark 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

The book tells its story in such a beautiful way. It's about a adult-minor relationship from the point of view of the minor (now grown up). The characters all feel like real people.

 I've never before found such a good story which shows why to the grooming victim, it doesn't seem like an unbalanced relationship any more than if they were both adult. As an adult it is very easy to understand why grooming is disgusting, but this book uses its point of view to show how teenagers may experience it. More importantly, how careful you need to be with talking to a victim. 

I really am thankful how the author made the sex scenes feel off, eventhough it wasn't necessary for the story itself. I would feel disgusted if instead I would read about a teenager having sex with an adult and enjoying it fully.

I could talk about this book for days, it's just so good. My only confusion at first was why the narrator didn't realise that the groomer was being manipulative, eventhough flashbacks revealed that she already had doubts in the moments themselves. However, this was explained by two moments. The first

was when she realised she never put it all in a neat chronological order, but only remembered snippets at a time

and even more strong, the moment she voiced the concern which is my favourite quote from the book:

"If it isn't a love story, then what is it?"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent, Stalking, Drug use, Grief, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts

Very graphic descriptions of physical child abuse are mentioned in the last few pages, around p. 351 in the text starting from "Bridget moves back to Rhode Island". You can skip to the next alinea (2 pages further) without missing anything.

nineinchnails's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.5

i feel weird reviewing and even rating this book considering the subject matter because even though it's technically fiction it feels horribly invasive, like reading someone's diary. it is very well written with beautiful prose and a protagonist who is extremely real and raw. the book did run a little long, especially considering there was little character development outside of vanessa but overall it was an extremely gripping read.

i would not recommend reading this as a survivor of rape and especially of child sexual abuse, more because of how adamant vanessa is that she was not abused than how graphic the abuse is written. it can be very hard to stomach her constant romanticisation and denial of strane's abuse, despite how obvious it us to us as readers that he manipulated her. 'manipulate' does not feel like anywhere near as strong of a word to portray how he controlled and exploited her.

vanessa is not a 'perfect victim' and she struggles with this well into adulthood; the idea that a woman must be perfectly chaste, perfectly humble, perfectly innocent, and perfectly untouched by the world to be believed or taken seriously as a victim is one that permeates our society to this day. what was she wearing?, she lead him on, she was asking for it, she wanted it. this novel does an incredible job at giving a voice to the many survivors who (unsurprisingly) don't fit that mould and showing a different perspective. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Classism, Drug abuse, Grief, Body horror, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Mass/school shootings, and Vomit

Grooming, Dissociation, Post traumatic stress disorder, Child sexual abuse, and Student/teacher relationship

summerlyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide, Stalking, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death and Bullying

platypusinrainboots's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is incredibly heavy, but it's beautifully written, and it's deeply important. I was nervous it would be twee, or just "of the #MeToo moment" in some shallow, hollow way, but it's not. I listened to the audiobook which was incredible, though if you're sensitive to graphic content, the print edition might be better so you can see what's coming a little bit. Content warnings for graphic descriptions of statutory rape, child abuse, and emotional abuse and manipulation of a minor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Mental illness, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, and Toxic friendship

wibblebee's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Suicide, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death

ziggypop'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide, Drug use, Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal death and Vomit

weirdgirlcoded's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

this book rocked me to my core — moved me in a way that i haven’t felt in a long time. i poured over it for days, and wept, and felt vanessa’s rollercoaster of emotions with her.  i am forever changed from this. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent

clo_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a really great book. It filled me with so many emotions from the very first page. It felt so incredibly real & I guess, in a way, it was.
Dark, beautiful, captivating, nauseating, intense. 
Amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Drug use, Death of parent, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Cursing, Toxic relationship, and Pedophilia

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Excrement, and Animal death

matildamercury's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Fantastically well written book that captures shame (in the younger years) and low self worth (in current day) in a special way. I listened to the audiobook which was a fantastic way to experience Vanessa. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Rape, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Death of parent, Animal death, Death, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Violence

kendyllgull'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Animal death, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail