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mcornell 's review for:
My Dark Vanessa
by Kate Elizabeth Russell
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book has been on my list for a long time, but I’ve been honestly scared to read it. You definitely need to be in the right headspace, or it will completely tear you apart. It was so disturbing but I could not bear to put it down.
While it is beautifully written, the greatest success of My Dark Vanessa is the portrayal of long term effects from C-PTSD. The multiple timelines does a fabulous job at giving us Vanessa’s broken mental state, and just how far her brain is willing to go to protect her. She is so used to the dissociation that she is unable to separate from “normal” existence.
I also really appreciated the ending. Healing isn’t linear, and we see the moments of breakthrough, followed by extreme denial and justification. Her road to recovery will be a long one, and wrapping it up neatly in a bow at the end of the book wouldn’t do her or other survivors justice.
While it is beautifully written, the greatest success of My Dark Vanessa is the portrayal of long term effects from C-PTSD. The multiple timelines does a fabulous job at giving us Vanessa’s broken mental state, and just how far her brain is willing to go to protect her. She is so used to the dissociation that she is unable to separate from “normal” existence.
I also really appreciated the ending. Healing isn’t linear, and we see the moments of breakthrough, followed by extreme denial and justification. Her road to recovery will be a long one, and wrapping it up neatly in a bow at the end of the book wouldn’t do her or other survivors justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Gaslighting
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny