Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

56 reviews

ellementary's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book wrecked me. I am still emotionally shook from reading it... completely excavated. It is not the kind of book you delightedly recommend to everyone you know but, my God, was it impossible to put down. I was mesmerized by this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Drug use, Suicide, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit, Infidelity, and Death of parent

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I thought this was a solid read, and it was definitely upsetting, which I think was the point. It moved a little slowly for me and perhaps was a bit wordy. But I think it does really give the reader a good examination of like what warning signs we can look out for to protect young people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit, Death of parent, Animal death, Infidelity, and Body shaming

b_barnes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Grief, Alcohol, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

faye_jonesy's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

This book is so beautifully dark. The narrative jumps between different parts of Vanessa life, but is done in such a way that is helps you understand why she thinks a certain way. It's just...breaktaking as a narrative. As a plot, was uncomfortable, as I believe it's meant to be. The adverse reaction to this story I would say in normal, but once you get used to the topic it goes to another layer. I will say as a teacher....this made me feel uncomfortable for different reasons, and one of the reason it's took me longer than it should is because I felt like I shouldn't take it to work so I could only read in the evenings. But, regardless a wonderful book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Body shaming, Vomit, and Death

amsswim's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I think a lot of people could benefit from reading this (not to get political, ahem) , but I'm afraid they would only see what they want to see in Vanessa's character and take her for exactly what she says they will in the book. I thought this book had not only an important story to tell, but it was told incredibly well. The time jumps of Vanessa's high school experience to her "modern day", #MeToo era day-to-day gave the reader a large perspective of the stages of trauma and stages of abuse. 

As a someone who has experienced different kinds of abuse and trauma, I very much related with many themes. I would recommend looking through warnings and triggers contained here if you'd like to read, some themes may be upsetting for other survivors of similar experiences. I recommend to all however. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Abandonment, Sexual content, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Classism, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Bullying, and Infidelity

Minor: Classism, Blood, Body shaming, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Drug use

sunflowersarepretty's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Car accident, Medical content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Animal death, Eating disorder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, and Death of parent

orndal's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

bit unsure, actually. To begin with i didn't really like it - Vanessa is dumb and naïve, get believes herself to be extraordinarily clever. She's told she has a depressive personality and  has to look it up, so she can't be that clever. 
But then again, who doesn't think they're superior at 15? and isn't that exactly what allows Strane to prey on her?  
After the abuse she falls apart, yet she struggles to accept that Strane has any responsibility, because she doesn't want to be seen as a victim. Again, rather relatable, though it's incredibly infuriating.

Sadly though, it's just not well written. It doesn't flow well, the language doesn't really add up - i especially noticed a few "difficult" words just being thrown in wherever, but they don't really fit. But then again, that might be Vanessa's fault, as it's told in first person perspective. (which honestly limits how good a book can be, in my opinion.)

Thing is, the themes in this book are very grown up, there's an underlying need for political and intellectual awareness  (lolita references aside), but the book itself is in no way shape or form written for an adult, so who is this really for??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Body shaming

Minor: Vomit, Violence, and Cancer

mme_carton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

cateyeschloe's review

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? It's complicated

4.75

There’s so much to say about this book and it’s difficult to put everything it made me feel into words. 

Vanessa’s pain and conflicting emotions are so very visceral in every page, and I often found myself setting down the book for a few moments just to sit with how she felt, how I felt reading it, and how what she was going through affected her. 

This book perfectly walks the line of depicting how a relationship like Vanessa’s and Strane’s can seem from Vanessa’s perspective - romantic, beautiful, a love story, “not that bad, really” - and how brutal it actually is from the outside - heartrending, manipulative, narcissistic, and cruel. 

I think the thing that stood out the most to me was asking myself the question “if something made me feel abused - even if my mind is insistent that it ‘wasn’t that bad, really’ - isn’t that still abuse?”. And I really appreciate how the book brings this perspective to light. 

It can be really easy to bury yourself under the excuses of “others had it so much worse than me” or “what happened to me wasn’t even that bad” or “I didn’t complain; didn’t that mean I was okay with it?”. And despite all of those protests, the truth still remains true if you were hurt or used or manipulated. That is still valid and you deserve to let yourself be heard, to heal, and, ultimately, to forgive yourself for something that was beyond your control and never your fault. 

This book was painful to read and beautifully written. Vanessa is relatable and agonizing to discover. The author does a phenomenal job of weaving the abuser together both from his narcissism and his charm as he walks the line between the light of day and shadow. 

This is an essential read if you have any interest in the Me Too movement or supporting and believing victims of any abuse across the board. 

This book felt like a gut punch, but it will absolutely be added to my list of favorites from now on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Misogyny, Suicide, Rape, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death and Sexual content

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Stalking

reneetrinket's review

dark emotional 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: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Grief, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Minor: Dysphoria, Vomit, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Sexism