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A review by vighnesh
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
TW: Predatory grooming, emotional manipulation, pedophilia, sexual assault, rape, suicide.
This book was phenomenal in so many ways. Let's begin with the writing. This book tackles very delicate and fragile topics and the author did a very good job in handling these topics. Not once did I feel like this book was glorifying things like grooming. I felt that it showed how complex, complicated and twisted these situations that people can be placed in can get. The author smartly showed how Vanessa was manipulated and coerced into such a toxic relationship. It also shows her naivete towards these topics and how she is still reeling from it many years later. It was very realistic in the sense that things weren't as black and white as people might think. These toxic relationships are not easy to get out of and this book delved deep into that and illustrated a vivid picture of how messy things can get. I really appreciate seeing Vanessa reflecting and slowly realizing that what happened wasn't normal and wasn't right. I think the character growth and development seen in this book was very real and not overdone. Vanessa wasn't a new person at the end of the book but it was more of her coming to terms with her past and now trying to recover from it.
However, I did find certain things in the writing repetitive. How Vanessa constantly believed and repeated she was not like other girls irked me because of how many times it was repeated. There were also other lines I felt didn't need to be repeated for emphasis. I also found that I got really lost in the middle part of the book. I was hooked at the start and I was getting less gripped as the story progressed merely because nothing really happens. The plot really slows down and we're kind of just idle as we wait for the story to pick up again. I felt that fast forwarding would have kept me hooked and engaged merely because the events that occurred during those times were not pivotal in the story and I felt that it could have been shortened.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the writing with its ability to be nuanced and yet show such important details in the story. This is such an important book and I think anyone in the right headspace should pick this book up.
This book was phenomenal in so many ways. Let's begin with the writing. This book tackles very delicate and fragile topics and the author did a very good job in handling these topics. Not once did I feel like this book was glorifying things like grooming. I felt that it showed how complex, complicated and twisted these situations that people can be placed in can get. The author smartly showed how Vanessa was manipulated and coerced into such a toxic relationship. It also shows her naivete towards these topics and how she is still reeling from it many years later. It was very realistic in the sense that things weren't as black and white as people might think. These toxic relationships are not easy to get out of and this book delved deep into that and illustrated a vivid picture of how messy things can get. I really appreciate seeing Vanessa reflecting and slowly realizing that what happened wasn't normal and wasn't right. I think the character growth and development seen in this book was very real and not overdone. Vanessa wasn't a new person at the end of the book but it was more of her coming to terms with her past and now trying to recover from it.
However, I did find certain things in the writing repetitive. How Vanessa constantly believed and repeated she was not like other girls irked me because of how many times it was repeated. There were also other lines I felt didn't need to be repeated for emphasis. I also found that I got really lost in the middle part of the book. I was hooked at the start and I was getting less gripped as the story progressed merely because nothing really happens. The plot really slows down and we're kind of just idle as we wait for the story to pick up again. I felt that fast forwarding would have kept me hooked and engaged merely because the events that occurred during those times were not pivotal in the story and I felt that it could have been shortened.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the writing with its ability to be nuanced and yet show such important details in the story. This is such an important book and I think anyone in the right headspace should pick this book up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia
Minor: Suicide