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A review by sighclopss
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
5.0
This is a hard one to write a review for, being that, while it is fictional it is also influenced by the author's life experiences and also reflects many real people's trauma.
To say I enjoyed reading this book wouldn't be quite accurate, but it did feel like a necessary read. It was one of the longer reads I've done this year, not because of how long it actually was, but because I had to frequently take breaks from it. The writing is really good, very poetic, a little drawn out. It elevates a basic idea, into a nuanced discussion about victimhood and sexual abuse.
Some critiques I have are, that I worry about some of the explicitness feel exploitative for shock value rather than adding depth to the novel, and that the open-ended conclusion makes me feel like it can allow some readers to continue to romanticise sexual abuse. But I think it also provides a point of view that is rarely seen and shows how we must let victims (even when they don't identify as a victim) define for themselves what their experience/abuse means for their lives.
My Dark Vanessa is a heavy and emotionally charged book, it was a challenge to read but the world is challenging.
To say I enjoyed reading this book wouldn't be quite accurate, but it did feel like a necessary read. It was one of the longer reads I've done this year, not because of how long it actually was, but because I had to frequently take breaks from it. The writing is really good, very poetic, a little drawn out. It elevates a basic idea, into a nuanced discussion about victimhood and sexual abuse.
Some critiques I have are, that I worry about some of the explicitness feel exploitative for shock value rather than adding depth to the novel, and that the open-ended conclusion makes me feel like it can allow some readers to continue to romanticise sexual abuse. But I think it also provides a point of view that is rarely seen and shows how we must let victims (even when they don't identify as a victim) define for themselves what their experience/abuse means for their lives.
My Dark Vanessa is a heavy and emotionally charged book, it was a challenge to read but the world is challenging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent