My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
I haven’t shared it here and probably mentioned it few times in my blog, but I didn’t like Lolita. There’s just something in it that I cannot (or do not) accept or understand. My Dark Vanessa is compared to it a lot though. And I loved this book.
Title: My Dark Vanessa
Author: Kate Elizabeth Russell
Genre: Contemporary, Adult, Thriller
My Review Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads Description: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.
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.
I don’t usually buy books that are not familiar to me unless they’re thrifted. Maybe booktok and booktube have more impact to me than I thought, and I got myself a new copy of My Dark Vanessa from Fully Booked. Lol.
The book is a dark and disturbing novel that explores the complexities of sexual abuse and the long-term effects it has on its victims. The story follows the life of Vanessa Wye, a 15-year-old student at a boarding school who becomes involved in an inappropriate relationship with her English teacher, Jacob Strane.
The novel is told through Vanessa’s perspective, which is a lot more understandable than Lolita. A little disclaimer though – I don’t stereotype or anything, my mind’s just soooo active I cannot bear to live through HH’s mind for how many pages. Also, aside from being modern, Russell’s writing is powerful and evocative, capturing the confusion, shame, and fear that Vanessa experiences as she tries to make sense of the abuse.
One of the most striking aspects of the novel is the way it explores the power dynamics between Vanessa and Strane. Despite the fact that Vanessa is a minor and Strane is her teacher, he uses his position of authority to manipulate and control her, convincing her that their relationship is special and that he is the only one who can understand her. Russell’s portrayal of this dynamic is both nuanced and chilling, highlighting the insidious ways in which abusers can exploit their victims.
While My Dark Vanessa is undoubtedly a difficult read, it is also an important one. By shining a light on the realities of sexual abuse and its lasting impact, Russell has created a powerful and necessary work that will stay with readers.
read my dark vanessa with me!
I am using the CAWPILE rating system, though please remember a reader’s taste may change from time to time, so I’m not sure if you can trust me here unless this was a recent read. Leaving my ratings anyways because this was totally how I felt the time I read this book. *winks*
I don’t usually have a lot of ideas when it comes to blogging. It’s just something I like doing, and sometimes not too much, but it’s nice to document some silly things, no? This and more read with me vlogs on my channel!
here are other reads if you liked My Dark Vanessa:
Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller
Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Humbert Humbert – scholar, aesthete and romantic – has fallen completely and utterly in love with Dolores Haze, his landlady’s gum-snapping, silky skinned twelve-year-old daughter. Reluctantly agreeing to marry Mrs Haze just to be close to Lolita, Humbert suffers greatly in the pursuit of romance; but when Lo herself starts looking for attention elsewhere, he will carry her off on a desperate cross-country misadventure, all in the name of Love. Hilarious, flamboyant, heart-breaking and full of ingenious word play, Lolita is an immaculate, unforgettable masterpiece of obsession, delusion and lust.
Tampa by Alissa Nutting
Tampa is a sexually explicit, virtuosically satirical, American Psycho–esque rendering of a monstrously misplaced but undeterrable desire. Laced with black humor and crackling sexualized prose, Alissa Nutting’s Tampa is a grand, seriocomic examination of the want behind student / teacher affairs and a scorching literary debut.
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