Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Meine dunkle Vanessa: Roman by Kate Elizabeth Russell

159 reviews

orndal's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

bit unsure, actually. To begin with i didn't really like it - Vanessa is dumb and naïve, get believes herself to be extraordinarily clever. She's told she has a depressive personality and  has to look it up, so she can't be that clever. 
But then again, who doesn't think they're superior at 15? and isn't that exactly what allows Strane to prey on her?  
After the abuse she falls apart, yet she struggles to accept that Strane has any responsibility, because she doesn't want to be seen as a victim. Again, rather relatable, though it's incredibly infuriating.

Sadly though, it's just not well written. It doesn't flow well, the language doesn't really add up - i especially noticed a few "difficult" words just being thrown in wherever, but they don't really fit. But then again, that might be Vanessa's fault, as it's told in first person perspective. (which honestly limits how good a book can be, in my opinion.)

Thing is, the themes in this book are very grown up, there's an underlying need for political and intellectual awareness  (lolita references aside), but the book itself is in no way shape or form written for an adult, so who is this really for??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Body shaming

Minor: Vomit, Violence, and Cancer

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

kokiribell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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, Child abuse, Suicide, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, and Rape

river69rat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

One of the most disturbing books I've read, please please read and absorb the trigger warnings beforehand. For me, this was such an accurate portrayal of trauma and they way in which it can warp reality. Vanessa wasn't particularly likeable but she felt so extremely real. The ending made me cry and books rarely make me cry, not because it's a sad ending but maybe because of all the complicated emotions you feel reading this finally feel somewhat absolved. I would so highly recommend this book just please please please be aware that it is highly triggering.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Suicide

jesselynnreads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting and Alcoholism

Minor: Animal death

reneetrinket's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Grief, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Minor: Dysphoria, Vomit, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Sexism

therosepages'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Child abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent

lulafanx's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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: Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Vomit, and Cursing

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.25

For a book that deals with such graphic themes as grooming.  This book was well written.  Did it make me uncomfortable? Yes. But that’s because the topic is a literal crime and your reading it from the victims point of view.   Following Vanessa’s grief and coming to terms with her trauma from start to finish. This book deals with the theme very well without the morbid romanticisation like we get with authors like coho.  Overall I can’t bash this book other than ensure you check triggers as this is dark and when you think it can’t get darker it will

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence