My Dark Vanessa Book Reviews

AUTHOR
Kate Elizabeth Russell
SCORE
4
TOTAL RATINGS
2,008

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell Book Summary

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 

“[An] exceedingly complex, inventive, resourceful examination of harm and power.” —The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice

“A lightning rod . . . brilliantly crafted.”—The Washington Post

A most anticipated book by The New York Times • USA Today • Entertainment Weekly • Marie Claire • Elle • Harper's Bazaar • Bustle • Newsweek • New York Post • Esquire •  Real Simple • The Sunday Times • The Guardian 

Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.

2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?

Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.

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Book Name My Dark Vanessa
Genre Fiction & Literature
Published
Language English
E-Book Size 3.12 MB

My Dark Vanessa (Kate Elizabeth Russell) Book Reviews 2024

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Woe. Beautifully written.... could not put it down.

one of my favorites. uncomfortable but real and sometimes very relatable ,, made me ??happy? to read again i think it’s a beautiful book although upsetting

Hard to put down. This book was provocative, erotic, disturbing, frustrating and hopeful. I was immediately engrossed in the story and couldn’t put it down. Vanessa is a complex character. She’s delusional about being abused but she had to make her own truth to survive just like her abuser, the English teacher. It’s a well written story that flashes back and forth in Vanessa’s life. I love the writing style and think this would be a great book club book. So much to discuss and analyze. I really enjoyed it!

No. This book took me so long to finish because of how uninteresting it was. I’d hoped it would be more...

My Dark Vanessa. Outstanding writing keeps the reader captivated. As a therapist there is so much raw truth in this book.

good read. captivating

A slow burn. “He traces road maps of blue veins on my skin, talks about how hungry I make him, that he’d eat me if he could. I wordlessly offer him my arm. Go ahead. He gives it only a soft-mouthed bite, but I would probably let him tear me apart. I’d let him do anything.” A stunning novel in every sense of the word. Stunning for its beautiful prose and stunning for the intensity of the subject matter. Where do the lines blur between cohesion and complicity? How in charge of their sexual identity are young girls, and how much are we responsible for? This is a slow-burn full of moments that will tear at your insides and leave you restless in bed. I absolutely loved it.

Spectacular. Raw, honest & beautifully written. Inspired me to write my own book.

Animal death TW. !!THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING!! Babe, one of the dogs mentioned in the book passes away of an aneurism. The death mention is a brief part of the story, but I’m baby and it made me really sad. If I can potentially spare someone else the same grief, I’d like to.

Excellent. Extremely well written. Vanessa was a truly well written and broken character. I could feel her struggles to identify with herself and find her way.

Fantastic.. This is the most engaging and beautifully disturbing story I have ever read. The narrator perfectly illustrates how it feels to NOT be the exception, no matter how desperately you believe you are. The manipulation is written in such a realistic manner that I had to put the book down a couple of times just to breathe. It feels as though Russell lived inside each of our minds during our worst and most traumatic moments, and articulated how we felt then, and how we are still affected by them now. This book is a modern, victim perspective of Lolita that urges me to turn back to chapter one as soon as I finish it.

couldn’t put it down. incredibly deep and sad in a incredible real and complex way. think it perfectly describes trauma and self mental torture. really captures the complexity of grooming, etc. would read again for sure

Enlightening in the most heartbreaking way. This book is nothing like I’ve ever read. The character of Vanessa touches your soul in every which way by challenging what it means to be a victim. Such a topical piece that is tragic, profound, and bittersweet.

Amazing. Best thing I have read in a very long time. Loved it!

Slow read. Not sure I would recommend this one.

Worth it. The raw honesty in the story was difficult for me. Vanessa is a fully developed character, and the story moves at a good pace, yet allowing you to be in Vanessa at all times. You feel what she is feeling. The writing is excellent.

..speechless. This book was so well written. It follows the story of a woman in 2 different times in her life and the story is easy to follow. Hard to read, easy to follow.. if that makes sense. Many times during the course of 2 days it took me to read this if I wanted so badly to first shake Vanessa and tell her this isn’t what she thinks it is, and secondly I want to hug her and cry with her. I would only recommend this book to people who can handle the heart wrenching content among these pages.

My Dark Vanessa. A great yet frustrating read. The ending left me unfulfilled yet also slightly pleased in the direction that her life is going.

I have never read a book like this. I am someone who loves reading fiction books that make you think about another perspective; whether it’s through the lens of a killer, or in this case, someone who is struggling with PTSD and does no considers herself to be abused. I understood what Vanessa was feeling, but I realized the biggest thing that must be taught to everyone is that someone that you believe loves you can still abuse you, and it can be in many different ways. This book was amazing.

Loved!!!!. My Review: Wow, wow, wow, this book took my breathe away!!!!! I haven’t read a book like this in a very long time. This story will stay with me and forever impact me. This is definitely my number one book I read for this year. It was just that good. This book was about a teenage girl who was lost and confused. She was seeking love and attention in all the wrong places. She was forever impacted by the choices she’s made. I want to start by saying that I was amazed by this debut novel. With a debut novel you expect flaws but with this one I found none. It was so beautifully well written. It really felt as if I was there living the story with all of them. It was so descriptive and I loved that. Even the plot kept me going. There was never a dull moment and you really felt for Vanessa and what she was going through. You also wanted to shake her at some parts and tell her she’s a victim and to stop blaming herself for what happened. It was not her fault that an older authority figure took advantage of her at such a young age. Now that brings me to the teacher who thought he did nothing wrong. I felt nothing but hate towards this man through the whole entire book. He was a master manipulator but acted like he did nothing wrong. He wanted to be able to live with himself for what he did and knew it was wrong. He did get what was coming to him in the end. Not the best of justice but it would do. This one of the best books I’ve read in my whole life and I’ve read a lot of books. It did live up to his hype and I’m so glad I read this great debut novel. Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Couldn’t put it down. Immediately hooked - I found myself ping ponging between thrilled and disgusted. A deep dive into complex emotions that is seductively dark and engrossing. An important illumination of the gray on our all too often black and white moral binary.

Entire book is about a pedofile. Don’t do this to yourself. I waited the whole book for some mystery. The only mystery is why I paid to read about this sick teacher and his young girls

My Dark Vanessa. Sad story, I felt sorry for her. He knew she was weak and alone with no friends away from home. Her parents should have investigated into the teacher, Vanessa was not the first. Well written story.

great read !!. i finished it in a few days! couldn’t put it down, written so well and even though i never experienced anything like this, i could feel the emotions so strong. must read.

This will rip your soul in two.. This is a deep dive into grooming, on a level I have never read before. It definitely does not shy away from anything regarding this topic. Graphic explicit sexual descriptions that will make you feel grimy. Everything literary is fantastic. Masterfully written, particularly regarding Vanessa’s disassociations during rape scenes. The pacing is so great. But it’s hard to swallow. Hard to witness Vanessa’s unraveling develop. Particularly hard if you’ve experienced grooming or sexual abuse. Well done. I almost wish this were a must-read for pre-teens/teens to help them identify covert grooming.

Title and storyline go hand in hand. The writing is brilliant and leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more but not wanting the darkness to be revealed. The writer beautifully captures the demise and aftermath of trauma and how the taste lingers. It encapsulates the logic of a predator.

Idk where to start…. I first bought this book because my name was Vanessa, I hardly see my name in media, so I was like “omg cool!” I didn’t even skim the summery tbh.. after the first chapter I was hook. I head half of the book all in one sitting, the next two days I’d stay up all night reading, highlight, noting the book. I love how good it’s written and even if my name wasn’t Vanessa I’d still feel like I was the Vanessa in the book. I felt like the author was in my head thinking how I thought 10/10 I love this book sm

Absolutely amazing. Engaging, thought provoking, beautifully written. I 100% recommend.

My Dark Vanessa. Zero stars. Worst book I’ve read in a long time.

Absolutely incredible. This book was amazing. It was extremely heavy and brought out a lot of emotions. Definitely a trigger if you’ve dealt with something like this before. Regardless, it was incredibly written and I couldn’t put it down

Yes. Yes. Yes.. This book hit every point needed. The author had a clear idea and this is beautifully written into a poetic literary masterpiece.

A novel I’ll never forget. First I have to say, this is one of the best written books in modern day history. This book sent chills down my spine. Honestly I can relate to this character and to her story, so maybe I’m biased. But truly an excellent written book. It was triggering, yet amusing. I had to stop myself from reading it in one day. I could see every inch of this story play out in my head. Always a sign of a great novel. You have to read my dark Vanessa. Trust me.

“In my arms, she was always Lolita…”. It’s hard to put my feelings into words at the moment. It feels like i’m reading something about me; a personal arrangement of my thoughts. There have been so many times in my life where i’ve felt like Vanessa… alone, confused, scared, but persistent at the fact that “love” was the exact definition for some of the things that have happened to me; abuse and denial. I believe this book is one of the most realistic books i’ve read about teenagers going through abuse… from feeling like you’re special, to finding out it’s all a lie… then into the denying. It’s insane to comprehend, and I don’t know if I want to. This book is definitely one of my favorites, and although it’s hard to read sometimes, I understand Vanessa. I completely understand her. I believe you will too… even if you want to scream at the book and try to help her, saying, “that wasn’t love! he groomed, manipulated, and hurt you!” It’s so much clearer through others eyes and experiences, and that’s what makes this a beautifully painful read.

The internet did not disappoint. Wow. Overall one of my favorite books this year. The story is told through two different timelines and goes back and forth between the past and the future describing a girls story of abuse. Incredibly touching and thought provoking as it is not the typical victim story or me too movement narrative. Beautifully written, word choice is impeccable.

Couldn’t put this down. I was so taken by the emotions that just flew off the pages and into me while reading. The author has an immense way of choosing her words and allowing us to become so familiar and empathic for Vanessa that oftentimes you’re profoundly impacted by the weight and the horrific pain that she was forced to endure for far to long. Vanessa was failed by mostly every adult in her young life, from her teachers, her parents and the others who took advantage of a young broken woman who was clearly a victim and vulnerable. A very clear and precise picture of what sexually abused children go through and how they define it, endure it and try to move on from it. Harrowing story but HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Page turner. Great read of a tough subject.

This book stays with you. Although the subject matter is quite hard to digest, the author tells the story beautifully in a way never done before, giving a voice to victims. A must read.

Good... but about 100 pages too long.. The book is sharply written and presents an insight I’ve never seen in a novel before when it comes to such delicate subject matter. There’s nothing about abuse that can be neatly packaged but while the book gave us insight, I wish it would have given us lessons and cautionary takeaways instead of repetitive references to Nabokov’s Lolita. Also, I feel like it missed the mark in terms of exploring the protagonist’s own mindset before the abuse. There is some proof that she is academically gifted (which doesn’t always translate to success in the world of work) but there seem to be a lack of familial support which may point to other issues which compounded her situation.

couldn’t put it down.. Although it was one of the most unsettling (and at times frustrating/almost relatable) books I’ve read yet, I could not put this book down. The author wrote it so well that I almost mistook it as a memoir.

Good book. Great but sad book

Amazing. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the ending. But overall very very good

One of my favorites. Loved this book. Dark and disturbing but just right. Page turner that I had a hard time putting down. Finished 12/28

Political views don’t need to be shouted. One star from me and it’s quits simple to explain. Do radical left authors not realize conservatives love a good book too? Why the need to throw your jabs at us in a book that has nothing to do with politics? Try a different approach and focus on uniting not dividing.

Best book of 2020!. Loved this poetic coming of age love story! Read it cover to cover twice and could not put it down!

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Summary of My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

The My Dark Vanessa book written by Kate Elizabeth Russell was published on 10 March 2020, Tuesday in the Fiction & Literature category. A total of 2,008 readers of the book gave the book 4 points out of 5.

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