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A review by girlblogger2003
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"To be groomed is to be loved, handled like a precious, delicate thing."
I tore through this, each page making me choke with disgust. Vanessa's story is as important as it is complex; it shows the complexities of victimhood, of grooming, and of abuse, and the hold it can have on a person, the way it can shape the flexible mind of a child all the way into adulthood. The ending, as the two periods of time meet, felt freeing, but the path to getting there worked through stages of grieving something you could never fully understand or consent too. Powerful prose.
I tore through this, each page making me choke with disgust. Vanessa's story is as important as it is complex; it shows the complexities of victimhood, of grooming, and of abuse, and the hold it can have on a person, the way it can shape the flexible mind of a child all the way into adulthood. The ending, as the two periods of time meet, felt freeing, but the path to getting there worked through stages of grieving something you could never fully understand or consent too. Powerful prose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, and Sexual violence