Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

110 reviews

retzko's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

inordertofly's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Classism

palomasbookshelf's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russel, has come to be one of the best novels I’ve read in my life. Don’t get my wrong, it was incredibly difficult to read and absolutely gut wrenching at times, but Kate Elizabeth Russell’s prose was just to die for.

With just one novel, Russell has easily become one of my favourite authors. The way she dives head first into topics of abuse, victimhood and the nuances within every abusive relationship is completely enthralling.

The insight into the complexities of consent and manipulation, as well as how she describes discourse surrounding power dynamics is truly harrowing but I couldn’t. stop. reading.

To see how the main character - Vanessa - views her own abuse and the stages she goes through mentally is written about so meticulously and exquisitely, and the way Russel describes Vanessa’s dissociation and mental health was deeply relatable at times.

I think the book makes a great point of bringing up really important questions around sexual abuse that cannot be answered with ease.

Russel writes with brutal honesty, and deep emotion. I ate up every single word on every single page. Not an easy read, but I think it’s an essential one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug use

plethora's review

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A flawless examination of the societal factors that contribute to the abuse of women, the inadequate systems and human responses to the trail of breadcrumbs predators drop along the way. Each character, no matter how minor, was real, flawed, and a mirror of our society today. Incredible, sobering read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol

margtherock's review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

shellbeesbooks's review

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? Yes

3.75

very dark, definitely could be triggering, very frustrating but it’s supposed to be so she does that really well 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

adriaxlife's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide

smallcasualbooktok's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-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

this was probably the most difficult to read book I've ever read. not because of prose or writing, but because of the subject matter and it was triggering in a way books about this subject honestly sometimes pull back on. it was very triggering, there were several times i wanted to put the book down and not pick it up again. every chapter left me feeling sick and anxious. but, obviously, because i read it in under 24 hours, i could not put it down. i cant stop thinking about this book. i don't really have anything intelligent or analytical to say about this book, it can all be better worded than i could word it, just that even though it was terribly triggering and hurt to read, it ended up being a little bit of a healing process. i don't know if i can ever get through reading this book again, but i would love to one day. if you are able to make it through this book, you wont regret it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death and Suicide

kaiulanilee's review

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

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

bookspace's review

dark reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

The writing is impeccable and all the characters feel real, it’s genuinely so amazing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Gaslighting