Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

60 reviews

madisfantasy's review

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Self harm, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Suicide

sophie______a'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 violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Animal death, Grief, Child abuse, Drug use, Rape, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship

onemorepagecrew's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.0

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell has been on my radar for awhile now, and I decided to listen to the audio edition.  Shew.  It was a hard listen, incredibly well narrated.  It feels like the character is talking to you, confiding in you, and yet you’re unable to reach her.  

 

The story centers on Vanessa and her teacher, Jacob, who first met when she is 15 years old, and he is 42 years old.  The grooming starts early and progresses into an affair that carries trauma into her adulthood.  The plot takes place in two timelines.  The first is during the years that they have their affair and the second is during Vanessa’s adulthood, as Jacob is being accused of abuse by several other students, both from Vanessa’s POV. 

 

It’s a brutal and slow listen.  It’s enough to make you angry, sad, frustrated, and then some.  The most frustrating part was wanting to help her but knowing that it was going to happen anyway.  The narration felt like a diary or real person reaching out, which was devasting.  I love a book heartbreak and if you do too, this will absolutely deliver on the sadness.  My only wish was for it to be a little shorter.  15+ hours on audio that doesn’t let up on heaviness was a lot, even for me. 

 

Content warnings:  Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Grooming, Adult/minor relationship, Self-harm 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Self harm

lakea'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

Moderate: Drug use and Addiction

Minor: Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Death of parent

peachyprarthna's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Stalking and Self harm

josiie's review

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

This book was the most eye opening thing I’ve ever read. It was shocking how relatable Vanessa’s character was, underneath all of the trauma she experienced. I, too, attend a challenging high school and am messy and impressionable. It was eye opening to see how i could’ve been her if I was approached by the same man. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, and Death of parent

gabriellezenati's review

dark reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, and Child abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Self harm

kelly_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

Title: My Dark Vanessa
Author: Kate Elizabeth Russell
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4.0
Pub Date: May 10, 2020

T H R E E • W O R D S

Disturbing • Thoughtful • Necessary

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye is desperate for adulthood. Attending a new boarding school, Vanessa catches the eye and attention of her 42-year-old English teacher, Jacob Strane. Somewhat of a loner, Vanessa lavishes in his attention, and thus begins a six year relationship.

Now 32, Vanessa's former teacher is being accused of sexual abuse publicly by some of his former students. The other victims want Vanessa to speak out, but she doesn't see what happened to her as abuse. Vanessa will be forced to confront her past and make a decision that could change everything.

💭 T H O U G H T S

By no means is My Dark Vanessa an easy read, in fact the rawness and sincerity make it hard to stomach at times, yet Kate Elizabeth Russell has delivered an incredibly powerful, and important debut novel. It doesn't feel quite right using the word fantastic, however, this book is incredibly eye-opening.

The writing is just, wow. Using dual timelines to help flush out the narrative, the author dives deep inside the workings of a young mind. It is very, very descriptive and graphic. At times feeling too descriptive, too real, too raw. Am accurate and realistic portrait of enablement and how Vanessa was groomed and raped by her teacher, this book raises questions surrounding consent and victimhood.

Overall, this is one of those books that is hard to rate because I can't say I enjoyed it, but I definitely couldn't stop reading it. It's one of those books that I'll continue to think about long after I've finished reading. It certainly left me unsettled and uncomfortable, yet with a new found understanding of why it's so hard for some victims to speak up against their abusers. With that said, any reader picking this one up needs to be in the right frame of mind before jumping in.

And I'll be waiting for something new from Kate Elizabeth Russell!

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the forbidden romance trope
• readers looking for a book that will challenge you
• bookclubs

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"People will risk everything for a little bit of something beautiful."

"She didn't understand the horror of watching your body star in something your mind didn't agree to." 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide, Grief, Misogyny, Death of parent, Self harm, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Animal death, Drug use, and Alcohol

eittitehteerf's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

5.0

the amount of times i wanted to flung this masterpiece of a book against the wall… well a lot. this book swallowed me whole,, it’s not letting me go, move on.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Rape

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

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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