My Dark Vanessa

Meredith shared a tip "5/5- Dark, but so well done. I’ve had such a book hangover from this one in the best way, can’t stop thinking about it. Very well written. (Jan)"

Cassie shared a tip "This book is beautifully written. Psychological and complex. Not for the faint of heart as it covers situations that could be deemed as triggering. This books makes me want to read everything that Kate Elizabeth Russell writes out of pure intrigue."

Jackie.Davidson shared a tip "Dark. Unsettling. Deeply disturbing. Such difficult subject matter. A student and her teacher/lover/abuser, from the perspective of the girl that suffers this relationship. It will make you suffer with her and think about the complexity and devastating consequences of these situations. Not a light read."

alexia_hollis shared a tip "Very dark, realistic themes, but handled with care I haven't seen before. It took me a while to get through because of the subject matter, but is definitely a good read. Adored the ending. It felt grounded."

cinnamongirll shared a tip "This book is beautiful but had me sobbing throughout it. It does such a good job of showing how grooming can be and how it can affect you later in life. The content is very dark and disturbing but written so beautifully and eloquently. TW: grooming, stat rape, rape, child abuse"

ruth_schaffer shared a tip "Amazing and soul crushing. If you’ve experienced any kind of abuse this book will probably be triggering. But it is so well written. It really explains the complexity of abusive relationships and manipulation."

erin_doucette shared a tip "Dark, uncomfortable, sad, frustrating, and so many other things. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, not with the subject matter, but it was powerful."

lexialexaaalex shared a tip "Honestly so good. I read a lot of dark and depressing stuff but this is the first time I ever had to put a book down and take a breather. Finished it in two days because I couldn’t stop reading. It’s honestly become one of my favorites. 9/10"

tiny_mushroom shared a tip "Another wow from me but also a hint of grief this book made me realize something I hadn’t. I don’t actually know what to say another then wow not because the book was bad but because in a scary way I went through something like this just not teacher student relationship wise. Good book but very much a trigger warning 5/5⭐️"

nalini_ramgobind shared a tip "This book is something else. The first 100 pages, I was wondering "what the heck am I reading". But I couldn't put it down. It's left me being pulled with different emotions for Vanessa and Jacob."

megan_paradis shared a tip "This book is definitely a hard read if you are someone who has experienced abuse. However, it's a must-read. The author did an amazing job capturing the trauma and mixed emotions of a survivor of S.A."

tara_fetcko shared a tip "For this being her first novel, she writes about a very important topic, and she covers it wonderfully. I love that she shows that people handle PTSD from being abused in different ways and that that is ok. Being a victim of sexual abuse myself, there were a good bit of triggers for me that I had to stop reading for awhile but I'm so glad that I kept reading until the end."

whiskyjay shared a tip "This was no Lolita, so it’s unfortunate that this book is so based on that one. The comparison made this seem much less successful. Otherwise, I would have been much less critical."

xovxga shared a tip "TW: Sexual Assault, Grooming, Sexual Activity, Cursing, Blood, Trauma, and PTSD. Not a big fan of reading, but this book made me want to start getting into reading. This dark tale allows the reader to reach deep into some unspeakable memories (if they relate to grooming/SA/ etc.) or allows them to become educated on the reality of SA and grooming. The unholy relationship between the 15 year old student and the 42 year old teacher travels down a deep dark path and unfolds a great deal of trauma and PTSD for Vanessa Wye (the victim, although she claims she isn’t a victim). This book is a great read and would definitely recommend!"

katie_adcock shared a tip "An interesting story about a young girl, then woman, dealing with the effects of having a "relationship" with her teacher in high school. It seemed like it dragged along some in the second half, but it ended on a hopeful note."

oliviayatch shared a tip "10/10 this book is amazing. Hard to read at some points, but that’s what makes it such a necessary book. I’ve re read it at least 3x and listened to the audiobook 2x. Author Kate Russell so accurately depicts trauma and the residual effects it has on one’s life. This is the kind of book you have to put down every so often to take a breather, but is also impossible to close because it’s so well written and captivating. Cannot recommend this book enough! Everybody needs to read this!"

kristina_whitehead shared a tip "I like a bunch of different genres. Right now, I’m listening to We Were Beautiful by Heather Hepler. I’ve been enjoying books by Katherine Center."

natalie_blaker shared a tip "Hard hitting tale, difficult to read at times. Proceed with caution, several triggering scenes. With that being said I enjoy the writing style and I liked how the author handled certain situations and felt that the book ending realistically"

alex_bell4 shared a tip "At times, reading this is excruciating. But it’s a beautiful, complex, deeply profound book I couldn’t put down. My favorite book of the year thus far. Already on my third rereading!"

natasha_renee_5645 shared a tip "This was the most disturbing and unsettling of all the books I read in 2020. I wasn't ready for all the feelings this brought out. I hesitate to say I liked it, bc I was so uncomfortable, but I think that was the point of the book."

emy32221 shared a tip "An amazing read. It is not for the lighthearted, but it is so good. It truly puts you into the mind of a young girl being groomed. Horrifying, made me sick at times, but I do not regret reading it at all."

shaeleigh shared a tip "kate elizabeth russell is one of those devastating authors who uses every word as if she knows its deepest, darkest secrets, and this is something that makes My Dark Vanessa impossible to put down. truly a heart wrenching story that personally took me several weeks to fully process and digest despite the book being just short of 400 pages. somehow, this book manages to be both nauseating and heartwarming at the same time, which is truly amazing and admirable if anything."

heidi_zervakis shared a tip "5/5 I couldn’t put this book down. It had my interest immediately. It is a very well written novel that could easily be true.  The subject is very taboo, and not for everyone. However, the psychological aspect of it was captivating."

jazmyne_pollard shared a tip "SO good! A little triggering when it comes to being gaslighted and mislead by a man who has a powerful persona. But it was riveting and is so easy to relate to! Loved this book. It was my “Lolita” :)"

katelyn_silvester shared a tip "A great book to show the culture of rape and why women don’t always come forward. A little difficult to stomach at times, but very well written."

cat_moon shared a tip "An amazing read no matter how horrific our protagonist Vanessa's story is. A book I picked up at random that accidentally stuck with me. Russel really doesn't try to shock or surprise you in this and her indifference is what makes it so captivating. If you've read lolita you will enjoy what is seemingly a love letter and a world shattering break-up with it."

sue_continanza shared a tip "This book really shows the ordeal of the victim of sexual abuse. How the victim carries the pain throughout her life. This is a hard book to read, but an education on a damaged spirit and how it survives and develops."

steph_wigney shared a tip "I love the way this book really lets you see abuse through the victims eyes and how it shines light on the complexity of the psychological trauma victims endure."

ruhi_kabra shared a tip "Incredible writing, about a young girl who was in a relationship with a much older teacher — she is older now, and as sexual assault against this man come out she is torn because it was true love for her. A discussion about autonomy versus exploitation"

juliana_longoria shared a tip "At first I was confused on what was happening but the more I read the more I didn’t want to stop but throughout the whole thing I kept asking two questions.... “did Jacob really love Vanessa?” and “What’s going through his head?” For some reason I want to read his point of view I want to know everything he was thinking"

maldmoo shared a tip "As a sexual assault victim myself, the perfect way she described certain moments made me seriously have to put the book down and cry. It wasn’t a cliche, glorified version of trauma. It was realistic, frustrating, and beautifully made. Not for the sensitive. You will feel all kinds of feelings in this book"

avery_corinne_2512025 shared a tip "This book is really good. Near the beginning, it put me in a haze because my disgust was juxtaposed the romantic way the relationship was being portrayed in the mind of the main character. As the story went on, that haze lifted to reveal a depressing clarity. It ended hopefully. Very well crafted. I had trouble putting it down. Heavy trigger warning for sexual abuse, manipulation, etc. If that kind of thing bothers you, read carefully."

winter_ess shared a tip "Incredible depiction of trauma and the internal war that wages following years of abuse. Beautifully written, both down to earth and poetic. I am speechless"

kaye_lol shared a tip "this book was just so good. i found myself relating to Vanessa and that made it so much more painful. i was ranting about this book for a good week to my friends, u should read too!"

savannah_mills_915 shared a tip "Couldn’t take my eyes off the book. Every free second I had the book was in my hand. For me it was a very relatable book … other than the pedophilia and sleeping with my teacher. The way she acts and the reason she does the stuff she does is something I heavily relate with. Her desire for intimacy and the need to be desired, wanted, and seen really just hit home for me. I’m giving this book a 5/5!"

kira_fiore shared a tip "Deep subject, very sad but interesting to see her thoughts and feelings throughout her “experiences” if that’s the right word. Look up tw before reading it!"

raine_lipscher shared a tip "Really well done and tasteful but big trigger warning for those who have been sexually abused. The ending was alright, a bit disappointing for me but the real heart of the book was there."

darlene_kaskow shared a tip "I found this quite challenging to read due to the detail included regarding sexual abuse of a student by a teacher. It also felt rather long, but perhaps it was because of the uncomfortable subject matter. It’s definitely not a book I would recommend for anyone who could be triggered by the topic, but nonetheless, it’s an interesting novel and certainly one that could lead to a lot of discussion about the topic."

joan_pizzini shared a tip "One of my favorite books ever. I have read it 3-4 times. It’s powerful and beautifully written. A masterpiece. How this book doesn’t have more likes is beyond me."

juliet_stein shared a tip "i really liked this. im wasnt a reader but i couldnt put this down. and now i cant wait to read more books like this. it was hard to read at sometimes because the details make you cringe although i never stopped reading"

jill_bos shared a tip "I couldn’t stop listening to this- like a car crash you can’t not look at. A tough and sickening topic Burt so well written and out together you follow Vanessa through her unraveling and then piecing back together. 5/5"

kaylee_cameron_240 shared a tip "It is a disgusting book but I honestly think it does a really good job of showing why some girls are afraid of men. Especially men who are “too nice”. I’ve never been through a situation like Vanessa went through, and I hope nobody else does either, so I honestly don’t think I can write about the connection it makes and the accuracy of it to reality. But it’s gross, sad, but well written."

deanna_andrade shared a tip "Although this book put me into a little bit of a funk, I would still recommend it. As long as you dive in aware of the TW it’s a great read."