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isabellehendo 's review for:
My Dark Vanessa
by Kate Elizabeth Russell
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I cannot give this book anything other than five stars.
This is a novel that encapsulates victimhood, abuse, and trauma in such a poignant way. As more and more women have come forward in the past several years, recounting their experiences of abuse, it is easy to find yourself understanding victimhood through a very narrow lens. Vanessa is the perfect woman to bring to light the complexities of victimhood - her perspective, as both a young girl and an adult, allows you to see through her eyes. Not only do you experience the manipulation, grooming, and abuse she endured in high school, but you also experience how that manipulation changed her ways of thinking and molded her mind. It is disturbing and heartwrenching to watch Strane manipulate her - as an outside observer, you can see the manipulation for what it is, but her unyielding voice forces you to feel the manipulation as she does.
This book made me wildly uncomfortable to read. I found myself looking at the world through the eyes of Vanessa and even looking at my own experiences with SA through Vanessa. That, to me, is the essence of a five-star read. This book is important because of how uncomfortable it makes the reader. Understanding abuse and victimhood from this perspective can only be done through a fictional lens, but it is so important to grasp the many different forms that victimhood and abuse can take.
This book will force you to work your "empathy muscle," and I'm afraid that if you don't, the novel's purpose will be largely lost. Vanessa's perspective is hard to read, and often, in the novel, it is difficult not to get frustrated with her. If you allow yourself to enter her mind and experience her life as she did, this novel will be as monumental for you as it was for me. That being said, I cannot disregard this story and content matter are not for everyone - scenes are heavy and graphic, so read content warnings before opening this book.
This is a novel that encapsulates victimhood, abuse, and trauma in such a poignant way. As more and more women have come forward in the past several years, recounting their experiences of abuse, it is easy to find yourself understanding victimhood through a very narrow lens. Vanessa is the perfect woman to bring to light the complexities of victimhood - her perspective, as both a young girl and an adult, allows you to see through her eyes. Not only do you experience the manipulation, grooming, and abuse she endured in high school, but you also experience how that manipulation changed her ways of thinking and molded her mind. It is disturbing and heartwrenching to watch Strane manipulate her - as an outside observer, you can see the manipulation for what it is, but her unyielding voice forces you to feel the manipulation as she does.
This book made me wildly uncomfortable to read. I found myself looking at the world through the eyes of Vanessa and even looking at my own experiences with SA through Vanessa. That, to me, is the essence of a five-star read. This book is important because of how uncomfortable it makes the reader. Understanding abuse and victimhood from this perspective can only be done through a fictional lens, but it is so important to grasp the many different forms that victimhood and abuse can take.
This book will force you to work your "empathy muscle," and I'm afraid that if you don't, the novel's purpose will be largely lost. Vanessa's perspective is hard to read, and often, in the novel, it is difficult not to get frustrated with her. If you allow yourself to enter her mind and experience her life as she did, this novel will be as monumental for you as it was for me. That being said, I cannot disregard this story and content matter are not for everyone - scenes are heavy and graphic, so read content warnings before opening this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment