A review by annadominic
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This must be one of the most disturbing books I’ve read. That’s not to say that it isn’t an excellent novel, it’s just deeply upsetting due to its unbearably realistic portrayal of
trauma and grooming.
 

All you need to know about this book is that it’s a modern day Lolita story told from the unreliable narrator POV of the novel’s Dolores, Vanessa Wye. Her character simultaneously plays the role of both devil’s advocate and a voice for victims, asking questions that mean to challenge our ideas of morality, victimhood and personal agency. 

What exactly is the difference between a man courting a girl at 17 - and branded a pedophile - and him courting the same girl at 18, no longer a morally reprehensible act? At what point do you stop being defined by what happened to you, by your own victimhood?
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