Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

51 reviews

raen99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcohol and Death of parent

Minor: Toxic friendship, Vomit, Suicide, and Animal death

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

Very intense subject matter but so well done. This book really shows us some of the ways that survivors of abuse process what has happened to them, especially when these things happened in their childhood. Their stories can be complicated, messy, and processed through a lens of trauma and manipulation without even knowing that's what's happening. This was just so we'll done and showed the complexities of survivors. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Suicide

Minor: Bullying, Death of parent, Vomit, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal death, and Body shaming

mrdeadman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Emotional abuse

pictvresque's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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: Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Child abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

petudc's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

Un libro muy crudo, muy real y muy difícil de leer. Todavía lo estoy procesando, no tengo mucho más que decir.
Cuidado con los Content Warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

bhavya_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

 

“Somehow I sensed what was coming for me even then. Really, though, what girl doesn’t? It looms over you, that threat of violence. They drill the danger into your head until it starts to feel inevitable. You grow up wondering when it’s finally going to happen.”

~ Rating- 4 stars ~

(Content/ Trigger Warnings)

Please check the content warnings before reading this book, as it is a very heavy read.

-Mention of Most of these in the review-

My Dark Vanessa is about a 15 year old girl Vanessa, who has a seven-year affair with her 42-year-old Literature teacher, Jacob Strane. The novel is about Vanessa's relationship with Strane, which began in the year 2000, and it ended in the year 2017. At the height of the #MeToo movement, Vanessa is forced to rethink the romance in the light of several charges of abuse by Strane. She has no choice but to reconsider Strane's responsibility as well as her own efforts. She has to question everything, because if Strane abused others, did he abuse her too?

“Because if it isn’t a love story, then what is it”? I look to her glassy eyes, her face of wide open empathy. “It’s my life,” I say. “This has been my whole life.”

My Dark Vanessa was a dark, repulsive and powerful story. I want to say I liked it, but that feels wrong, as this book is heartbreaking. The purpose of this book was to make its readers uncomfortable, and to make them doubt, examine and scrutinize every belief they held, and it succeed. It was wonderful and frightening all at once.

“I don’t say it, but sometimes I feel like that’s exactly what he’s doing to me—breaking me apart, putting me back together as someone new.”

Overall, My Dark Vanessa was a read I will never forget. It was not easy to sit through, but it was important and I would highly recommend it.

“I was an obvious target. He chose me not because I was special, but because he was hungry and I was easy.”

Review written on 4th February, 2022.

Buddy read with Nashita and Ishika!

DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite

.........................

I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but it was an impactful read. BR with Nash and Ishika. Review to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship

kaiulanilee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

sparkyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I am utterly speechless. I knew next to nothing about the plot of the book before reading it, and I instantly fell into a black abyss, almost like a trance, until I finished this book. I find Russel's writing incredibly engaging and comfortable, but beautiful. I related to Vanessa in many ways, and I believe that Russel showed a deeper side of sexual assault, manipulation and rape. Like the book points out, victims of abuse are not just that - victims. Vanessa's thought process as she grows from a young girl unaware of what is happening to her, to a woman who is able to accept her past and move on is relatable. This book serves its' purpose as it shows the process that one has to go through to accept their trauma. It sometimes take years to even recognize it, especially in a case of manipulation and gaslighting. All of the character felt real, tactile. I felt like I was there, I was Vanessa's ghost, lurking, and observing everything that's happening, but never speaking up. I was there, in the classroom, in the car, in her apartment. I was Vanessa and I was Strayne. This story resonated with me, as I am sure it did with many girls and women, who probably experienced at least a sliver of Vanessa's tragic experiences. 
My few issues with this book are:

• Britney Spears refferences. I do not get why she refferenced her in so many occassions, it seemed so out of place. 
• The narratives between 2007. and 2017. felt intertwined. At times it was difficult to distinguish between these two narratives, as they both contradicted the 2001. narrative. The lines between these two years were somewhat blurred, and they were hard to follow at times.
• The metaphores were cliche, and were boring to read. They were also repetetive. In some scenes they served their purpose (for example in Strayne's bedroom), but at other times they felt useless.
• Some scenes were just way too graphic. I know that she wanted to make us disgusted with Strayne, but she did that so well with just his phrases and choice of words. She did that so well, that the graphic scenes were completely unnecesary and disturbing. Especially when she was younger. Too detailed and deffinitelly too traumatizing.
• Also what's up withh all the J names???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

flowchelle's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

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

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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