A review by nicolesbookreviews
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.5

I've known I wanted to read My Dark Vanessa since I started hearing about on BookTube in 2020, and I wish I didn't wait until 2023 to dive into it. My Dark Vanessa is a literary fiction novel that is told in a dual timeline with one showing the relationship between Vanessa and her abuser, Mr. Strane, through Vanessa's life from fifteen to present-day and the other showing present-day Vanessa grappling with the reaction after someone comes out against Mr. Strane as their abuser. I felt this book was a beautiful and haunting telling on the experience of a young girl who is trying to resolve the juxtaposition of her feelings of "love" for her abuser and the idea that what he is doing to her is wrong. The reason this book didn't receive five stars is due to some pacing issues I had near the middle of the novel. If you want to pick-up this book, please look into content warnings beforehand. 

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