Welcome to Litsy!

This is a book I am going to be thinking deeply about for ages. It is not a book for everyone. TW for pedophilia, rape, a host of other topics. Some people find this story of a woman looking back on her abusive teacher too disturbing to read, I went in with a lot of caution.
This would be an excellent bookclub read if you could get the right group together. There are so many issues to discuss. From the actions of all of the characters to 👇

An extremely disturbing book that I could not put down! Fifteen year old Vanessa‘s relationship with her teacher is today‘s Lolita on steroids. Russell did an amazing job of putting me in Vanessa‘s head as a 15 year old and continuing into adulthood.
#Pop23 ~a book about forbidden romance

August #bookspin with @thearomaofbooks

#bookspin - My Dark Vanessa
#doublespin - The Blade Itself

This feels a bit fortuitous since I just got a notice yesterday that The Blade Itself had just came in and is ready for me to pick it up! I have MDV on my TBR bookcase.

#VolumesandVocals @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#LoveYourself - Bieber

Jumping between two timelines, My Dark Vanessa follows a seemingly average woman who is forced to relive her years in boarding school as a 15-year-old romantically involved with one of her teachers. As multiple sexual assault allegations are filed against this teacher, Vanessa considers her past relationship with him and questions how it could possibly be considered grooming. We follow Vanessa's thought process both as a 30-year-old grappling with

I have a major book hangover.

This was disturbing, I felt physically sick at parts. It made Lolita look like a Disney film. My Dark Vanessa portrays the vulnerability of young girls and shows how easy it is for them to be taken advantage of by someone in a position of power.
It raises the question - is someone a victim if they don't feel like a victim? In my opinion, yes, they are.
I feel raw.

Trigger warning- child sexual abuse, grooming, PTSD

I did not need a reason to despise this man more than I already did. Then this happens. 😡

I was uncomfortable every step of the way with this one.

Vanessa is a 15 year old who is in love with her English teacher. She feels seen and adored.

Mr Strane is a pedophile who sees an opportunity to groom a lonely girl with a darker personality.

This unsettling book brings up lots of questions. Is a person a victim if they don't feel that they are? How does childhood trauma affect a person in adulthood?

Well done but truly disturbing.

#readingbracket2023 #fiction

Still thinking about this book after finishing it earlier this month. It was an easy choice for winner this round.

This book made me uncomfortable, angry, sad, and a gamut of other emotions. It was such a a heavy topic delving into something traumatic yet horribly believable. I thought the author did a great job fleshing out the story and ultimately ending on a note of hope.

#botm
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Listening to this one on audio. Halfway through. To say that it unsettles me puts it mildly. #mydarkvanessa #audiobooks #libby #library

absolutely loved this book

Book 16

I‘m really looking forward to get started on my first book of the very exciting #nywd2022 list I got from @LapReader 🥰 this is the first one I‘m going to try as I already owned it but I‘m going to try to do more from the list throughout the year when I can get my hands on them!

I‘m going to make a start on this as soon as I finish Night Film - though as that‘s 600 pages long I‘m not sure exactly when I‘ll be done!

Dark indeed .A novel about a teacher & his young student,in an inappropriate relationship. It could be one of the best fiction examples of how trauma can continue to influence someone long after an event . Lots of TWs

#99
WOW...

My Dark Vanessa is a very dark book as in the title. This book put me in a lot of disturbing thoughts. The book is written in the 2-time span 1st when she was 15 and 2nd when she was 32 .while getting to know about Vanessa life sometimes you will feel pity and next time you will hate her. I was really mad at the character. There comes a time when this book destroys your mind and you can't think straight. Overall a very hard book to digest.

The author tells a story that also provides an important social commentary on this key issue.

It shows the complexities surrounding abuse and the relationship between the victims and abusers.

I was disappointed in this book though after all the hype. It takes inspiration from Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov but it's certainly not a masterpiece.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3927886790?type=review#...

Check out my full review⤴️

It‘s creepy & intense, and I am hooked, so I suppose I see why this book is considered a thriller. But it‘s also a complicated reimagining of the classic Lolita. Fascinating & uncomfortable. Listening in the car & while doing housework. #audiobook #thriller #metoo #TeamSlaughter

While this was a little on the long side, I thought this was a solid and engaging debut, and an excellent portrayal of the lasting effects of trauma. I had no idea about the Twitter feud and controversy until I read Roxanne Gay‘s review on Goodreads.

#Faceoncover 🤣🤣

#FallTreasures

Finishing up My Dark Vanessa, have a few other good reads! #mbcreadathon #mbcbookfrogsreadathon

Trigger warnings of sexual abuse and suicide. This is a difficult book to read. Vanessa is abused by her teacher and she has to deal with the emotions that go with that. It is a good book dealing with a very difficult and hurtful subject. However, the sex scenes were far too graphic and not necessary to get the point across.

Wow! This book describes so well the Pedophilic Disorder, how the mental schema operates against the victims. Also, it deals with PTSD in sexual abuse survivors. How difficult could be sometimes to speak out, a person in the trauma could see the relationship as “normal” b/c many factors working in that type of relation. I read the book using also the audio and at the end the author explains that this novel was part of her Ph.D. dissertation 4.5⭐️

#Woman
#CuriousCovers

🖤🤍

#gray
#CuriousCovers

Trying to whip through this one before my book club meets at 6:30 tonight! Wish me speedy reading!

This one has left me with bitter sadness... an unhealthy relationship ruined the life of a young girl. In a society where relationships between older man and much younger women have always been looked upon as normal and the age boundary beyond which a girl can be considered a woman is blurry, it is hard to decide whether it was the system or her teacher who caused the greatest abuse, damage and trauma to this teenager and to others like her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

CW: rape, grooming, sexual abuse

Okay so usually I would hesitate to read a book on these themes, in fact I did hesitate as in it was on the Tournament of Books longlist and I'm only reading it now. It is the story of a girl who is groomed by her teacher and eventually raped, told by going back and forth between those years and later on in her adult years when others have publicly charged him with similar behaviors.↘️

@Amiable thank you for this one 🖤my reads this week have me contemplating whether or not we can ever truly protect our children 🌊at least we have each other (& books) 🌏

I'm finally starting My Dark Vanessa, which means that it's time to draw a new TBR jar pick! So many books... 😱

I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it. Some will be old, some will be new - don't judge me, I have SO MANY books 📚

#MMMTbr

I‘m really feeling a tug to read this one... 🖤

Wow. This one‘s amazing. So many layers and really well written. So many thoughts buzzing through my head as I read. I wish I‘d taken notes and highlighted quotes (which I couldn‘t really do on audio). I really cannot wait to discuss this one at book club!

At times this is difficult to read but I also think it's a very important book to read. It shows how very easily somebody can be manipulated by another person.

Overall Rating 4¼⭐ | Narration 😍 = Amazing

This story will piss you off...but I think it‘s supposed to piss you off.

Did the manipulation come off as authentic? Yes, most of the time it did. I literally said out loud more than once while listening...he's manipulating you, girl...why can't you see it?

Did I want to reach inside the book and shake Vanessa...oh, hell yes, constantly! Both her younger & older self. ⬇

Found these at Goodwill!
#thrifted

That whole “not gonna buy any books until I read what I have” thing. 🤭

#indiebookstores #nextpagebooks #justthisone

Thank you so much @DinoMom for the book and these sweet treats for #bookcupidswap 🥰 I can‘t wait to sit down with a cup of tea and start this novel, it‘s been on my tbr for awhile 😊 you made this a great first swap experience!

Thank you @candority for organizing!

About to start this and feeling vaguely apprehensive....

A very troubling and disturbing story yet a compelling story. CW for child sexual abuse and rape so one I would be hesitant to recommend.

🎧 TW - child rape, pedophilia, sexualizing teens.

42 yr old teacher grooms precocious yet naive 15 yo student.

Her physical need to see this predatory abusive relationship as a love story was difficult to read but shows his manipulation was complete.

Well-written & narrated. A book that keeps you reading because you need closure. Good character development.

Today‘s Lolita with a side of MeToo. Now I need a support group. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/3 👇🏻