Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

34 reviews

leslieeb'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

anonymous_traveller's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

woolfinbooks's review against another edition

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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit and Abandonment

There is student/teacher sexual abuse that is challenged in different ways throughout the book. A major part of the plot is seeing the sexual abuse develop, the victim romanticizing what happened, refusing to hold her abuser accountable due to gaslighting, and not wanting to come to turns with what happened.

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I thought this was a solid read, and it was definitely upsetting, which I think was the point. It moved a little slowly for me and perhaps was a bit wordy. But I think it does really give the reader a good examination of like what warning signs we can look out for to protect young people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

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

amsswim's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I think a lot of people could benefit from reading this (not to get political, ahem) , but I'm afraid they would only see what they want to see in Vanessa's character and take her for exactly what she says they will in the book. I thought this book had not only an important story to tell, but it was told incredibly well. The time jumps of Vanessa's high school experience to her "modern day", #MeToo era day-to-day gave the reader a large perspective of the stages of trauma and stages of abuse. 

As a someone who has experienced different kinds of abuse and trauma, I very much related with many themes. I would recommend looking through warnings and triggers contained here if you'd like to read, some themes may be upsetting for other survivors of similar experiences. I recommend to all however. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Classism

caelinsullivan's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

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

prince_philips_butthole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

ksuazo94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

This book was... for lack of better words, frustrating. I get it, I really do. And Vanessa had every right to heal in her own way and to come to an understanding of everything she went through on her own terms. But what happened to the teacher pissed me off and I'm so tired of this narrative that being young and horny = it's okay for a predator to take advantage of you. A 14 to 17-year-old should NOT be sleeping with a grown man, I don't care how "mature" she says she is. You, as the adult, should know that doing so is NOT OKAY. Ugh. I get this book is more realistic, but I wanted more for Vanessa and the other young women. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Infidelity, Vomit, and Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent

kenziebeck'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: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury