A review by issianne
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

4.0

Ouch. This one hurt... A lot. I'm having a bit of trouble rating this, because instinctively I don't want to say I "loved" it or even "really liked" it because of the subject material--and, in part, due to the fact that most of this book is highly unsettling and isn't very optimistic. I have to commend Russell's ability to craft such a raw, emotional narrative. She captures some of the hardest, most real moments of a young girl's life--some I hope most of us never have to endure. I went into this book with doubts; I'm pretty averse to teacher-student stories but had a feeling it would be handled well in this novel. Russell does an expert job in crafting genuine thoughts, conversations, scenarios, and the ugly ugly ugly reality of what it's like to be groomed and preyed upon as a fifteen-year-old. It was hard read at many times, but I thought it was a narrative that needs to be heard.