Reviews

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

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shruberry's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars
so beautifully written and executed, it was hard to read at times but i adore it bc of that so much. 1st book of this year and i couldn't ask for a better one especially bc i was going through the longest reading slump, hadn't gotten immersed in a book the way i did with this one for sooo long, i loved how this book handled trauma so well. would recommend it a 100% but also maybe look at the trigger warnings before you read it since this book does deal with hard topics like grooming and rape

cynicinephile's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

jesskhall's review

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

jazmynn_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense

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

5.0

girlblogger2003's review against another edition

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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.

Content Warnings