Reviews

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

vsanghadia's review against another edition

5.0

So disturbing

marihuitzi's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicide, and Pedophilia

lucyistoocool's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-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

Poignant and disgusting and tearjerking and brutal and so consuming. Excellent. Horribly excellent. I want to buy a nice physical copy and annotate it and then set it on fire

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Content Warnings

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

ellaneuman's review against another edition

4.0

Read this when i was probs too young. Beautiful in a gross way

suelovestoread's review against another edition

1.0

I simply cannot continue with this book! It’s just too much. Whether it’s the maternal instinct in me, being the mother to girls, or, the realism,, I can’t decide!
DNF on page 142.

celynferris's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-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

manimg's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

aaadss__'s review against another edition

5.0

oh my god. this book is so good. I don’t think any other writer has ever written on this topic with such a depth into the emotions of the victim. It’s not just that, the book itself is so poetic where I had to take a moment or two in order to grasp it. The affect of abuse and grooming on the life of Vanessa both in her teen years and later in her life has been described in such a good manner. The way strane kept manipulating her and deceived her into believing the version of reality he created where Vanessa was the one initiating everything, in order to cover up his tracks and blame everything on her is written with so much precision. I don’t think I’ve ever read something equivalent to this. Although since this is such a different and sensitive topic and going in depth of it will obviously make some people uncomfortable and uneasy, it was pretty dark for me. But that doesn’t change anything. This book is and shall remain a masterpiece.
update: I’ve been thinking about this book a lot lately and I think it’s one of my all time favs it deserves a five star

glowworms's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

krystalklxo's review against another edition

5.0

I liked this book a lot. The writing was incredible, in my opinion. The author really must have worked on this one a long time. It deserves all the raves it gets.