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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
Absolutely harrowing and horrifying. I dont think a book has ever made me feel so angry and disturbed and frustrated. Which I believe was the fullest intent. The culmination of everything that leads us to understand the MCs PTSD was truly well done and believable. A hauntingly powerful story that has marked me.
challenging
dark
emotional
dark
sad
tense
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
My Dark Vanessa is an incredibly dark and unsettling book—like a trainwreck I couldn’t look away from. Painful as it was to read, I felt compelled to see how it ended, even though I never truly connected with the characters. I kept expecting to like Vanessa more as the story unfolded, but every time she had the chance to grow, she seemed to remain stuck.
One of my biggest frustrations was the way so much responsibility and blame was placed on the victim. While the book does acknowledge the complicated feelings victims of predators may experience—including a distorted sense of consent—it never fully resolves the fact that Vanessa was a child, incapable of giving true consent. At times, the narrative risked leaving the impression that her underage “agreement” was somewhat valid, which was deeply unsettling.
That said, the novel is very effective at showing how grooming happens: how abusers carefully choose vulnerable targets, build trust, blur boundaries, and slowly push past them. Russell captures that process with disturbing accuracy. It’s horrific, but it feels very real.
I especially loved Ruby, the therapist, though I wish the story had given more closure around Vanessa fully recognizing her abuse. The scenes with Taylor were infuriating—though, unfortunately, they rang true to reality.
What the book does brilliantly is portray the rawness of being fifteen. Teenagers believe they’re more mature than they are, oscillating between adult-like confidence and childlike vulnerability. Russell absolutely nailed that emotional turbulence.
This is not an easy book to read—disturbing, painful, and often frustrating—but it’s also haunting and powerfully written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content
My Dark Vanessa is a very heavy read, and it definitely needs multiple content/trigger warnings. Here’s a thorough list you could include:
Sexual abuse of a minor / statutory rape
Grooming & manipulation (adult–teen relationship dynamics)
Pedophilia (depicted from the perspective of victimization)
Psychological/emotional abuse
Gaslighting & victim-blaming
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s hard to even rate this. I will think about this for a long time
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I related a lot to Vanessa so this book was a bit hard to read but it is really good although very intense.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes