My Dark Vanessa
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-02 13:56:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kate Elizabeth Russell
- ISBN：0008342245
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
An era-defining novel about the relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and her teacher
ALL HE DID WAS FALL IN LOVE WITH ME AND THE WORLD TURNED HIM INTO A MONSTER
Vanessa Wye was fifteen years old when she first had sex with her English teacher。
She is now thirty-two and in the storm of allegations against powerful men in 2017， the teacher， Jacob Strane， has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student。
Vanessa is horrified by this news， because she is quite certain that the relationship she had with Strane wasn't abuse。 It was love。 She's sure of that。
Forced to rethink her past， to revisit everything that happened， Vanessa has to redefine the great love story of her life – her great sexual awakening – as rape。 Now she must deal with the possibility that she might be a victim， and just one of many。
Nuanced， uncomfortable， bold and powerful， and as riveting as it is disturbing， My Dark Vanessa goes straight to the heart of some of the most complex issues our age is grappling with。
Reviews
Catherine Turner
，
This book was pretty disturbing to me because I have never seen anything like this before depicted in media。 Like I have never read about someone getting groomed and having a full on relationship like this。 It was just really hard to read at some points， but at the same time I couldn't put the book down。 This one will probably stay with me forever。 This book was pretty disturbing to me because I have never seen anything like this before depicted in media。 Like I have never read about someone getting groomed and having a full on relationship like this。 It was just really hard to read at some points， but at the same time I couldn't put the book down。 This one will probably stay with me forever。 。。。more
Grant Bale
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The story is powerful， I like how it was presented。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top i am sharing your book on facebook to help reach readers too！https://l。facebook。com/l。php？u=http%3。。。 The story is powerful， I like how it was presented。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top i am sharing your book on facebook to help reach readers too！https://l。facebook。com/l。php？u=http%3。。。 。。。more
Peta
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I was sickened by this story， but it was difficult to stop reading。 The author did a great job of capturing the main character’s voice as a teenager and troubled adult。 The relationship was complex and absorbing。 Apparently it took 18 years to write， which shows， as I think the author got the complexity just right。
Letty
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Disturbing and hard to read， but also couldn't put it down Disturbing and hard to read， but also couldn't put it down 。。。more
Mary Hurley
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Heart wrenching。
Amy Dierksmeier
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Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers for proving me a copy of this novel。 The content of this book is dark and may trigger certain people， so read with caution。 The story is well written， and I enjoyed the experience of alternating between two different points in the narrator’s life。 It was interesting to see how her teenage experiences impacted her adult life。
Rachel Sitzer
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I got through the book， but was absolutely disgusted by the characters
Dawn Taylor
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Relevant and very disturbing on many levels。
Melissa Symanczyk
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Thank God that's over。 I need a shower， a drink and probably some therapy。 Thank God that's over。 I need a shower， a drink and probably some therapy。 。。。more
Nicole
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I rarely wanted to pick up this book once I started it so it took me a long time to read。
Cassidy
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Disturbing but important。 Incredibly well written。
Michaela Syson
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This was an uncomfortable read。 It struck a cord with me - although it’s uncomfortable it is known that girls of 15/16 who have relationships with mych older men do not see it as abuse。 Like Vanessa they see it as a relationship。 If I’m honest I couldn’t wait for it to be over。 Well written and thought provoking but too uncomfortable for me。
Jovi Aviles
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This book is so incredible， beyond words incredible。 The type of incredible that makes your head spin， and your eyes wander to the wall and you just stare。 Stare and take it all in， take everything in this book and try to comprehend how beautiful it is。Don’t get me wrong， I screamed at Vanessa about 100 times while reading this。 But her story is so so so amazing。
Manda
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It feels like I've been reading this book forever。 It's such a long book。 It definitely could have been a bit shorter because it dragged in places。 Its not something I would usually read but it sounded interesting and it was avaliable on borrow box。 I didn't really like Vanessa to be honest and I hated Strane。 I need to read something a bit easier now I think It feels like I've been reading this book forever。 It's such a long book。 It definitely could have been a bit shorter because it dragged in places。 Its not something I would usually read but it sounded interesting and it was avaliable on borrow box。 I didn't really like Vanessa to be honest and I hated Strane。 I need to read something a bit easier now I think 。。。more
Vivian Lestrange
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Consider this one of the best books I've read。 Consider this one of the best books I've read。 。。。more
Ellen Smith
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This was relentlessly depressing and I’m sure it will return to my thoughts often。
Jen Mcfadgen
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After the first few chapters I wasn't sure about this book， touching on such a dark subject and all， but I kept reading because it kept my attention and I wanted to know the rest of her story what would become of her。 Very different from anything I've read but overall I thought it was well written！ After the first few chapters I wasn't sure about this book， touching on such a dark subject and all， but I kept reading because it kept my attention and I wanted to know the rest of her story what would become of her。 Very different from anything I've read but overall I thought it was well written！ 。。。more
Cassidy Hall
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[4。5]
Leah
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❐ Overall Rating 4¼⭐ | Narration 😁 = Very Good
Alecto Carrow
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I really do not know how I can explain/summarise this book。 Flashbacks of previous episodes of gaslighting were a constant through this read。It felt weird because I could understand Vanessa but at the same time， I wanted to shake her and make her understand that what was being done to her was against her will and a consequence of abuse of power。 Strane。 Good Lord。 This read gave me a reflection of my past self， and I somehow saw a reflection of how naive I was， of how easy it is to manipulate a I really do not know how I can explain/summarise this book。 Flashbacks of previous episodes of gaslighting were a constant through this read。It felt weird because I could understand Vanessa but at the same time， I wanted to shake her and make her understand that what was being done to her was against her will and a consequence of abuse of power。 Strane。 Good Lord。 This read gave me a reflection of my past self， and I somehow saw a reflection of how naive I was， of how easy it is to manipulate a teenager。 Somehow， I was grateful for the fact that there was no such presence in my naive stage， but then my heart took a beating thinking how many are there are out there， who did not share a similar fate。I found some editorial errors（？）， which I am not sure if it actually exists or if my mind was playing some sort of weird trick on me。Anyhoo， I would say this book， ain't easy。 I suppose it shouldn't be either。 。。。more
Leah Janssen
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Very very long。 Interesting read， glad i gave it in my Arsenal， but won’t need to keep it on my shelf by any means。
Lois
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An important read that goes way deeper than the "me too" movement。 The sociologist in me blames our culture， wants Disney to pay reparations。 "All girls have old wounds。 。 。even if （a pedophile） hadn't found me， some boy would have used me， taken me for granted， ripped my heart out。" The parents of beloved teenage girls know about the raging hormones， the ways their upbringing has made their daughters compliant as long as they are romanced and told they are loved; how terribly vulnerable they ar An important read that goes way deeper than the "me too" movement。 The sociologist in me blames our culture， wants Disney to pay reparations。 "All girls have old wounds。 。 。even if （a pedophile） hadn't found me， some boy would have used me， taken me for granted， ripped my heart out。" The parents of beloved teenage girls know about the raging hormones， the ways their upbringing has made their daughters compliant as long as they are romanced and told they are loved; how terribly vulnerable they are。 Yes， this is a story of abuse but to me， more poignantly， it is the saga of a young woman who will bear anything to be able to believe she is loved。 Personal shout out to Russell for linking sex and repulsion after a history of usury。 I needed her to explain me to myself: "I'd rather be dead than go through this again。" Me too。 。。。more
Stacey
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A deep dive into the psychology of abuse。 Dark， gripping， infuriating， and stomach turning， at once。 Told through the victim perspective of Vanessa in 2 timelines。 I could not put this book down。 Excellent writing， and a timely subject。
Katie
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A quarter way through the book it began to slow down immensely and then it just became repetitive。 I was conflicted as to whether this was unintentional or the deliberate theme of the book。 I found myself annoyed with Vanessa and disagreeing with her throughout。 The more I analyzed what I was reading， I cam to the conclusion that the author intended us to feel frustration because that is what Vanessa felt every day。 Because of this， I give the book more stars than if it unintentionally drug on f A quarter way through the book it began to slow down immensely and then it just became repetitive。 I was conflicted as to whether this was unintentional or the deliberate theme of the book。 I found myself annoyed with Vanessa and disagreeing with her throughout。 The more I analyzed what I was reading， I cam to the conclusion that the author intended us to feel frustration because that is what Vanessa felt every day。 Because of this， I give the book more stars than if it unintentionally drug on for no rhyme or reason。 。。。more
Bloodorange
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I read this book in one day - one afternoon， one evening， and an afternoon again - which does not happen very often in my life of a working mother。 And yet， even this book took such tremendous liberties with my attention， I somehow felt this is not a four-star book for me， not fully。I realized why when I reached the afterword; in it， the author says this debut novel took her 18 years to write， which is more than the entire action of the book， from the seduction that takes place to the moment whe I read this book in one day - one afternoon， one evening， and an afternoon again - which does not happen very often in my life of a working mother。 And yet， even this book took such tremendous liberties with my attention， I somehow felt this is not a four-star book for me， not fully。I realized why when I reached the afterword; in it， the author says this debut novel took her 18 years to write， which is more than the entire action of the book， from the seduction that takes place to the moment when Vanessa starts to break free from its consequences。 And this， I understood， was the part of the problem for me: the book felt overly researched。 It was all smooth， it was all organic， it was very finished。 But I also have a sense that the professor who seduces Vanessa uses absolutely every manipulative trick in the book， and all the stops are pulled out to make sure we realize that he is a pathetic excuse for a human being， and Vanessa is deluding herself。 What else？ I give four starts if the book manages to transport me， and while here it worked h=just fine in the beginning - the school campus， campus life - it stops too soon for me， and instead I am trapped - and this sense of entrapment is， I think， relevant and intentional - in Vanessa's head， and her intense imaginary relationships with herself and her former professor。 In a sense， squandering this tremendous writing power on a very limited experience felt wasteful。 But I will keep an eye on this author， certainly。 。。。more
Tessa Ayubi
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This was SO hard for me to read。 The earlier chapters were especially disturbing， and while the book is well written， I cannot say that I enjoyed reading it because it made me so uncomfortable。I do think that Vanessa’s development throughout the book tells an important story， but I’m not sure that I would actively recommend this book to others given how difficult I found it。
Noll
，
Excellent， timely novel。 Telling the story from Vanessa's perspective， something the author tells us in the afterword she was repeatedly discouraged from doing， is what makes this book work。 It's so nuanced and complex， just as the author intended， examining objective versus subjective truth， the fictions we create to cope with our experience， the need we have for our truth to be the only one。 What happens when the fiction is shattered。 My only qualm is that the ending felt a little rushed and u Excellent， timely novel。 Telling the story from Vanessa's perspective， something the author tells us in the afterword she was repeatedly discouraged from doing， is what makes this book work。 It's so nuanced and complex， just as the author intended， examining objective versus subjective truth， the fictions we create to cope with our experience， the need we have for our truth to be the only one。 What happens when the fiction is shattered。 My only qualm is that the ending felt a little rushed and underwhelming。 The gist of it was good， but it didn't hold anything like the power of the rest of the novel， which is a shame because its an ending that deserved to feel powerful。 。。。more
Maria P
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Must-read。Heartbreaking。。。
Annette
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On the surface， it can seem like the author dumps all age-gap clichés out （maybe she does）BUT there’s a twist that drives the story into reality。
Julietta
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This one Is different。 To show that there are no two identical stories， people or ways of healing。 Just go and find yours。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=My Dark Vanessa
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=My Dark Vanessa&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,My Dark Vanessa&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0