Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

1127 reviews

maddiet425's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide

katerinatroyanovich's review against another edition

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

5.0

My Dark Vanessa absolutely destroyed me. Russell does a fantastic job of writing a teenage girl with all of the typical naivety, obsession, and hope that accompanies that age. It was so relatable that I felt like I was Vanessa. That could be me. Russell skillfully tells this story of manipulation and abuse from the perspective of a young girl who wants it to be love. How can you know the difference if it’s nuanced, there are good moments among the bad, and you want so desperately to be seen; to be understood and touched, special and cherished. From this perspective it’s easy to see how a young girl could find herself teetering on the knife’s edge of right and wrong, self-blame and victimhood, love and disgust, morality and depravity. I wish I read this with a book club because I am currently reeling. There’s so much pain and tumult and truth to dissect here. I absolutely recommend this book but check trigger warnings first. This one is going to punch you in the gut and the feeling will linger. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Child abuse

yuliyazar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

3.25

I feel very conflicted with this review. This book is very clearly respected (its average star rating makes that clear) as it should be, and I do think this book is powerfully (albeit, very dark topics so be prepared). However, I also feel like it was much longer than it needed to be, which also seems like a VERY taboo thing to say given the nature of this book. A topic like this, obviously, should NOT be “rushed” but I did also feel like there were chapters that felt repetitive or unnecessary in the overall theme and to drive some of the heavier discussions/topics home weren’t needed.

I also had a hard time getting through it based on the chapter structure. This is obviously a very “personal” problem, but I’m big on timing my reading sessions per chapter(s) and this book made it impossible to do that (maybe on purpose) but most of the chapters were incredibly long.

I do think this topic is insanely important. And the questions and considerations this books makes are important, thought provoking, and honestly a little scary sometimes.

Overall, I did like the book a lot, but you definitely need to be in a very specific mindset to read it. 

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Content Warnings

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

goodyeargoodbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Drug use

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

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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

mayhemreading's review against another edition

4.0

This book made me feel so icky

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

jonathanjacobo's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Sexual violence

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicide, Bullying, and Drug use

itisnatal'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Suicide