Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

733 reviews

karlaolivera's review

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

A very relevant and necessary read.

I have never read Lolita, eventhough it is one of those stories we all know what it is generally about. It is so indentend in our culture that it seems to be public knowledge, but it has a great power and I think it is a detriment to society the way it was written and how it is popularly spoken of.

 My Dark Vanessa is the story about a 15-year-old girl who is groomed by her 43-year-old professor and how, 17 years later, her "love story" her brain convinced itself of, is broken, suddenly realizing how twisted and abusive that "relationship" (if you can even call it that) was. 

It was a very hard book to read and it gave a lot to think about. Through conversations with my girlfriends, I think we can all see ourselves in Vanessa, in one degree or another. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

bookmark3brodi's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicide, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

treenakar's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Rape, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

alishamegan's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

this book should replace all copies of lolita, especially in classrooms/english lit syllabuses. this book is what lolita should have been imo sorry not sorry. how good can your book really be at being anti-p****phillia and anti-CSA if even TODAY let alone when it was written people read it and blame the girl child for her CSA and sympathise with the abuser? 

if masses of people misinterpret your book for exactly the opposite message of what you as the author intended maybe it is not a good enough book to convey that message?

if society has not reached that level of collective consciousness where they would read lolita and automatically condemn the abuser and rally around the victim-survivor then maybe it needs to be more EXPLICITLY anti-CSA and supportive of the victim?

THIS book is that. By being from the perspective of the girl child (and later woman) and her being a complicated, 'imperfect' (whatever that and whatever 'perfect' is meant to be) victim-survivor it gives a real, grounded narrative and experience.

I felt sick reading this but I could not stop reading it constantly. It also made me angry.

Spoiler

I wanted the man to die and he did so that felt good.

men are so $%^$%&$^*"^%^$%^5 URGH like FUCK OFF YOU CREEP

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

liv54kmg's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Pedophilia

kateiscoolerthanu's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

rebekka's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Gaslighting, Drug use, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Misogyny, Vomit, Mental illness, Grief, Death, and Cursing

swbookshelf's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

loustat__'s review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

butlerebecca's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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

4.75

What a good effin’ book

I’ve picked this up and put it down many times over the past three years and I’m so glad I finished it

Such a nuanced and brutal and compassionately written depiction of abuse — the author did an excellent job of writing Vanessa’s inner monologue in a way that  communicated both the reality and the distorted reality you believe when you’re traumatized 

and such stunning prose throughout — like had to pause the audiobook and sit with descriptions

Also shoutout to Meryl Streep’s daughter on the  narration, great job queen

P.S. the best part was when she got mad at him for not listening to Fiona Apple

P.P.S. I read somewhere that this book is what A Little Life thinks it is and like… a little true

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Stalking