Even at 22, I read this and see how easily I would have fallen into this trap at 15. It was an amazing book but definitely made me reexamine myself and the world. Not an easy read.
The part that hurt me so bad was when she had to apologize to the people who reported Vanessa and Strain. How he set her up. And I literally started crying when her mom found the Polaroid and asked why is she protecting him. This book made me feel so many emotions I couldn't believe it. I felt like I was there
I gotta say, the thing that hurt me but also intrigued me was when she was with her college professor and she was starting to process and fucked her relationship was with Strain. It was almost as if she was trying to test her professor and see how far he would go. I picked up on this, as a survivor myself. She, however, was not ready at that point to fully realize that. It was fascinating to read a victim come to terms with the abuse as well as heartbreaking.
I could never read My Dark Vanessa specifically because of how graphic it is; however, it sounds like it's an amazing personal story of awareness that draws parallels between a victim's perspective and an abuser's perspective. I love how the author incorporated a victim's right to come forward on their own time. I feel like a lot of people have to come forward due to societal pressure and not because they're ready. Regardless, I love your review and warnings about the story.
I had to put this book down after their first time at his house. Vanessa didn’t view it that way but as an adult it read as r*ape and I felt so disgusted afterward. It just escalated so quickly. Perhaps that’s the skill of the author but I wasn’t mentally ready to read this. May return to it in the future.
I’m 15 and started reading this book at 14, I felt sort of weird reading it as a teenager myself since I feel like the targeted audience mostly consisted of adults but I thought it was really interesting, especially the comparisons to Lolita and I kinda related to Vanessa (not the grooming stuff thankfully, just on account of our ages and in general) and I hated Strane with a burning passion lol
I'm fourteen, turning 15 this year, and I just finished it lol. This book is literally makes you question the rights and the wrongs. I'm not an adult, but It's easy to see the manipulation that plays out in it.
@@mishty3968 it's definitely heavy lol but it's really good and has a really nuanced take on grooming/abuse and how institutions enable abuse, definitely worth the read
I read this book for the first time when I was 14, and I fell in love with Strane. I saw myself in Vanessa, could relate to her whole personality. I feel like me falling for a groomer, in a book, shows how good Russell is at writing. She created a character that could manipulate readers and that’s something I find really impressive. And I know how wrong their relationship is, but 14 year old me could easily forgive the things he did because I was so vulnerable. I realised while I read it how horrible it all was, but now I also realise how vulnerable I was.
From how I see it this book show perfectly shows the personality and signs of a child that can be easily abused, and if if more people were to read things like this and analysis it (if you have a strong enough stomach) then it would make for an excellent insight into how to better education young kids how to avoid manipulation after reading it parents could have a better understanding of Thier own kids and how to protect them.
I loved My Dark Vanessa. I cried. I’m crying listening to you talk about it. Idk why. One standout for me was when he gave her a copy of Lolita. I was so angry
Hello there, thank you for your video!! Probably because it was so disturbing I could not stop reading it or should I say listening to it since I had the audio version of it. Listening to it made it even more real, sinister but also in a sick way inviting. I must say the inability of Vanessa to accept what actually happened to her and trying to still view it as a love story broke my heart...
i like how KER made her become so disheveled while still enrolled even through she was messy before she got worst and it makes it more realistic and painful to be vanessa while you read making it hurt a little to know she’s never going to be that little lonely girl she was
My review of "my dark Vanessa " by Kate Russell that absolutely Nobody asked for..... "This book is heavy, and sad, and has many trigger warnings: but it is so good and enlightening. It really puts you in the mindset of someone who is truly being manipulated to the fullest extent: how hard it is to get out of your head. Very painful to read:but it really makes you think about these certain things differently. I'm rating it 4 out of 5 because it doesn't give me the ending I needed " I'd buy a copy for my collection that I want to start but I don't think I will ever read it again because I know everything I would ever know about this one. And it's heavy Side note: if you consider this book:LOOK UP THE TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️ because I didn't . I wouldn't have made it my first read.
The first time he sexually abused her I cried. I was disgusted and gagged. I really grew to love Vanessa and really took as thought she was someone I knew. It was so disgusting, I felt so bad.
SPOILER WARNING: Reading this as a fully grown adult, I felt such sadness and empathy for Vanessa at all ages in the book. The book really touched on the lies us humans tell ourselves over the years to cope with trauma. It’s easier to romanticize, to take the blame or block out completely, all while feeling a nagging feeling that things were not right. I think Kate Elizabeth Russell perfectly showed all the ambivalent and sometimes very ugly feelings that persist as the years go on and Vanessa learns more about the world. Sometimes it’s just too painful to call a spade a spade and no one should be shamed for trying to cope or not wanting to be open about trauma. No part of me felt any sympathy or empathy for Strane. I think what Russell did with his character was just. She further showed how disgusting he was by what Vanessa received afterwards. After everything, he chose to haunt her and try to influence her into the idea that she was always complicit and to cover his tracks. Imagine all that being found in his house. He could have burned it all but decided to victimize Vanessa one last time. He was such a sicko. This book hurt me on a visceral level but was really well written. I will definitely reread this one day and anything else that Kate Elizabeth Russell writes. I do enjoy the nuance of an unreliable narrator, like Vanessa. I found her to be very relatable through her ages. Not with her attempts to justify the abuse of Strane (though I understood why she was) but with her own personal struggles with family,friends, potential romances and just trying to find peace in life in general as an adult with trauma. I found myself wanting to give her a hug and be her friend. I do warn anyone with great sensitivity to the subject matter to be cautious. Don’t read if you are not feeling as though you are in a good place. 💜 Great review. You get a like 👍🏻
Okay but... it sound like a really really good book and I do wanna read it bc this is real life. But I don't think I'm able to handle it just yet. I mean I'm 18 now but I think it'll still be too much for me to bear. Maybe when I'm a little bit older...
@@laurenpalmrr2272 same oml I regret reading this and im 16 as well. I wasn't ready for how traumatizing this novel is and I agree its a book that will stick with me forever. So many red flags brought up a rollercoaster of emotions I couldn't handle
until i watched this video this book had me believing that strane actually had fallen in love with vanessa and that he felt differently about her even despite the fact that he was a predator and preyed on other young girls. :// wtf
@@monicoreheartit is realistic for SOME abuse victims, especially those who end up becoming abusers. Again my issue was that she was never really held accountable for that. Not saying that makes the book morally bad or anything, but it did ruin the enjoyment for myself
![“อาร์ต พศุตม์” เกือบเอี่ยวทุกคดีดัง เอ๊ะไว้ก่อน ไม่มีอะไรได้มาง่ายๆ | แฉ 16 ต.ค. 67 [2/3] | GMM25](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0Gx-0-kUBv8/mqdefault.jpg)
Even at 22, I read this and see how easily I would have fallen into this trap at 15. It was an amazing book but definitely made me reexamine myself and the world. Not an easy read.
The part that hurt me so bad was when she had to apologize to the people who reported Vanessa and Strain. How he set her up. And I literally started crying when her mom found the Polaroid and asked why is she protecting him. This book made me feel so many emotions I couldn't believe it. I felt like I was there
I gotta say, the thing that hurt me but also intrigued me was when she was with her college professor and she was starting to process and fucked her relationship was with Strain. It was almost as if she was trying to test her professor and see how far he would go. I picked up on this, as a survivor myself. She, however, was not ready at that point to fully realize that. It was fascinating to read a victim come to terms with the abuse as well as heartbreaking.
I could never read My Dark Vanessa specifically because of how graphic it is; however, it sounds like it's an amazing personal story of awareness that draws parallels between a victim's perspective and an abuser's perspective. I love how the author incorporated a victim's right to come forward on their own time. I feel like a lot of people have to come forward due to societal pressure and not because they're ready. Regardless, I love your review and warnings about the story.
I had to put this book down after their first time at his house. Vanessa didn’t view it that way but as an adult it read as r*ape and I felt so disgusted afterward. It just escalated so quickly. Perhaps that’s the skill of the author but I wasn’t mentally ready to read this. May return to it in the future.
I’m 15 and started reading this book at 14, I felt sort of weird reading it as a teenager myself since I feel like the targeted audience mostly consisted of adults but I thought it was really interesting, especially the comparisons to Lolita and I kinda related to Vanessa (not the grooming stuff thankfully, just on account of our ages and in general) and I hated Strane with a burning passion lol
I'm fourteen, turning 15 this year, and I just finished it lol. This book is literally makes you question the rights and the wrongs. I'm not an adult, but It's easy to see the manipulation that plays out in it.
I'm 15 and I just got it and legit everyone in the comments is scaring me
@@mishty3968 it's definitely heavy lol but it's really good and has a really nuanced take on grooming/abuse and how institutions enable abuse, definitely worth the read
@@ihatetuesdays8438 yes I've started it and I like it so far thanks
I read this book for the first time when I was 14, and I fell in love with Strane. I saw myself in Vanessa, could relate to her whole personality. I feel like me falling for a groomer, in a book, shows how good Russell is at writing. She created a character that could manipulate readers and that’s something I find really impressive.
And I know how wrong their relationship is, but 14 year old me could easily forgive the things he did because I was so vulnerable. I realised while I read it how horrible it all was, but now I also realise how vulnerable I was.
From how I see it this book show perfectly shows the personality and signs of a child that can be easily abused, and if if more people were to read things like this and analysis it (if you have a strong enough stomach) then it would make for an excellent insight into how to better education young kids how to avoid manipulation after reading it parents could have a better understanding of Thier own kids and how to protect them.
I loved My Dark Vanessa. I cried. I’m crying listening to you talk about it. Idk why. One standout for me was when he gave her a copy of Lolita. I was so angry
Hello there, thank you for your video!! Probably because it was so disturbing I could not stop reading it or should I say listening to it since I had the audio version of it. Listening to it made it even more real, sinister but also in a sick way inviting. I must say the inability of Vanessa to accept what actually happened to her and trying to still view it as a love story broke my heart...
I really liked your review, I feel the same way but I think you articulate it so well. I think about this book every day EVERYDAYYYY
i like how KER made her become so disheveled while still enrolled even through she was messy before she got worst and it makes it more realistic and painful to be vanessa while you read making it hurt a little to know she’s never going to be that little lonely girl she was
I absolutely love your review. This is so in-depth and detailed.
My review of "my dark Vanessa " by Kate Russell that absolutely Nobody asked for.....
"This book is heavy, and sad, and has many trigger warnings: but it is so good and enlightening. It really puts you in the mindset of someone who is truly being manipulated to the fullest extent: how hard it is to get out of your head. Very painful to read:but it really makes you think about these certain things differently. I'm rating it 4 out of 5 because it doesn't give me the ending I needed "
I'd buy a copy for my collection that I want to start but I don't think I will ever read it again because I know everything I would ever know about this one. And it's heavy
Side note: if you consider this book:LOOK UP THE TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️ because I didn't . I wouldn't have made it my first read.
The first time he sexually abused her I cried. I was disgusted and gagged. I really grew to love Vanessa and really took as thought she was someone I knew. It was so disgusting, I felt so bad.
SPOILER WARNING:
Reading this as a fully grown adult, I felt such sadness and empathy for Vanessa at all ages in the book. The book really touched on the lies us humans tell ourselves over the years to cope with trauma. It’s easier to romanticize, to take the blame or block out completely, all while feeling a nagging feeling that things were not right. I think Kate Elizabeth Russell perfectly showed all the ambivalent and sometimes very ugly feelings that persist as the years go on and Vanessa learns more about the world. Sometimes it’s just too painful to call a spade a spade and no one should be shamed for trying to cope or not wanting to be open about trauma. No part of me felt any sympathy or empathy for Strane. I think what Russell did with his character was just. She further showed how disgusting he was by what Vanessa received afterwards. After everything, he chose to haunt her and try to influence her into the idea that she was always complicit and to cover his tracks. Imagine all that being found in his house. He could have burned it all but decided to victimize Vanessa one last time. He was such a sicko. This book hurt me on a visceral level but was really well written. I will definitely reread this one day and anything else that Kate Elizabeth Russell writes. I do enjoy the nuance of an unreliable narrator, like Vanessa. I found her to be very relatable through her ages. Not with her attempts to justify the abuse of Strane (though I understood why she was) but with her own personal struggles with family,friends, potential romances and just trying to find peace in life in general as an adult with trauma. I found myself wanting to give her a hug and be her friend. I do warn anyone with great sensitivity to the subject matter to be cautious. Don’t read if you are not feeling as though you are in a good place. 💜
Great review. You get a like 👍🏻
Okay but... it sound like a really really good book and I do wanna read it bc this is real life. But I don't think I'm able to handle it just yet. I mean I'm 18 now but I think it'll still be too much for me to bear. Maybe when I'm a little bit older...
I’m 15 and I had to read it in chunks because it was a lot so I totally get it
I’m 16 and I cried for a few days after I think I should have waited until I was older but I think now it’ll always be an important book to me.
@@Em-kd7ts I’m 14 and reading this right now and yeah… also reading it in bits
@@laurenpalmrr2272 same oml I regret reading this and im 16 as well. I wasn't ready for how traumatizing this novel is and I agree its a book that will stick with me forever. So many red flags brought up a rollercoaster of emotions I couldn't handle
Brutal book on so many levels.
until i watched this video this book had me believing that strane actually had fallen in love with vanessa and that he felt differently about her even despite the fact that he was a predator and preyed on other young girls. :// wtf
Just finished this book and it blew my mind. Loved ur review! :)
This was an amazing review! Thank u
loved it until vanessa started blaming the other victims TO THEIR FACES, something she is never held accountable for
This may make you dislike Vanessa as a person but you can’t deny it’s realistic. It’s an accurate depiction of the cycle
Of abuse
@@monicoreheartit is realistic for SOME abuse victims, especially those who end up becoming abusers. Again my issue was that she was never really held accountable for that. Not saying that makes the book morally bad or anything, but it did ruin the enjoyment for myself