Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

1020 reviews

meganeliz_1214'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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Sexual content

mmtrue's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Cursing

lemonsyellow's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

This book. THIS. BOOK. I imagine that each person who reads it will have a different perspective. Kate Elizabeth Russell takes extremely difficult subject matter and does a really job taking the reader through what goes through a young victim’s mind. Vanessa doesn’t see her illicit affair with her high school teacher as abuse. But all of the signs are there. The manipulation is there. The gaslighting is there. Her own disgust is there but she simply ignores it and why? Because she never got to see what love is supposed to be like. So this is love for her. 

This book is a slippery slope for Vanessa and the entire time I wanted to help her up, protect her, yell at her for not seeing how horrible it was. It’s tragic at every turn but I could not stop reading. 

Take care of yourself first before reading this book. If you are triggered by sexual assault, grooming, or anything having to do with this subject matter have some support to help you through if you choose to read on. 

The narrator (Grace Gummer) was the heart and soul of this story for me. She brought this character to life for me in such vivid ways. I would listen to anything else she narrates. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicide, Bullying, and Drug use

naoml's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

This book is disturbing and beautiful and very challenging. It puts things on paper that we never want to talk about. I will say I felt wrong for reading it at times... be careful with yourself

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide

ally_sim's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Suicide

ellislilylovestoread's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Death of parent, Suicide, and Animal death

koriw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

2.5

This book was graphic, tragic, & deeply triggering. I’m not sure it paid off enough in the end to make the first 75% worth enduring. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Rape, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Suicide, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Misogyny

moonpeach's review against another edition

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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Pedophilia

laurellen_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book evoked such strong emotions in me. It was dark and hard to read (for the content) and I spent a fair bit of it holding my breath and crying. I can’t count the amount of times I had to put the book down, have a breather and then jump back in because I had to know she’d be alright. It was such a powerful story and showed how complex human emotion is. Tough subject matter, but a must read.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Stalking

neopet's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Body shaming, and Animal death