A review by reburkah
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

slow-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

1.0

As a few other reviewers have said, this book is hard to rate because the subject matter is so serious and sensitive. That said, I didn't think this was written in a way that did any service to the message it is trying to convey. I know the excuse is that Vanessa has been groomed but it's simply not a realistic portrayal of someone who has been abused in my experience. She makes several decisions that are entirely bizarre and make it hard to sympathize with Vanessa. I also found the writing to be a bit amateur. The word 'ok' is used probably a thousand times in this book (I know it's nitpicking but I cannot stand when authors use ok instead of okay.) The author also says 'x-ing' out of a page three times instead of exiting, or even using leaving, minimizing, or closing. These things really took me out of the reading experience. 
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