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My Dark Vanessa

By: Kate Elizabeth Russell
Narrated by: Grace Gummer
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Publisher's Summary

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 DYLAN THOMAS AWARD  

An instant New York Times and Sunday Times best seller.

A Stylist Best Book of 2020.

An era-defining novel about the relationship between a 15-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 15 years old when she first had sex with her English teacher.

She is now 32 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, My Dark Vanessa goes straight to the heart of some of the most complex issues our age.  

Includes a bonus conversation with Kate Elizabeth Russell, Grace Gummer, and Jessica Williams (editor of My Dark Vanessa). 

©2020 Kate Elizabeth Russell (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

"The book everyone will be talking about." (Louise O'Neill)

"...a package of dynamite." (Stephen King)

"Compulsive. I burned through the first half in such a fever that I lost sleep, I missed meals...a lightning rod." (Washington Post)

What listeners say about My Dark Vanessa

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great but very dark and depressing

It was interesting to see the aspect of grooming from a victims perspective that is not the norm. Engaging but at the same time many horrible scenes that were hard to stomach.

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3 people found this helpful

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WOW

A truely confronting book that can be hard to read at times and triggers so many emotions!!

cannot recommend enough!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking. Excellent discussion book.

I couldn’t stop reading the first half of the book. The second half was a little disappointing given how good the first half was. It was both fascinating and frustrating having the narrator defending her abuser so vehemently. It would be a great book to discuss with others as there are so many provocative moments in the tale.
The voice narration was excellent. I hope that she does other audible books in the future.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Compelling and challenging

This is an excellent book and a must read in the time of post-#metoo.

The narrative challenged me and compelled me along.

Highly recommended.

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HAUNTING AND NECESSITY

NUANCED. UNCOMFORTABLE. POWERFUL. BOLD.
That’s how this book was described. This book is nothing short of that description. We follow Vanessa when she was just 15 years as she is sexually assaulted by Mr Strane - her English teacher. Flash forward 17 years on, we see their story develop and how the trauma has drastically impacted her life. Being sexually harassed or sexually assaulted is something that sticks with you. You start to see the persons face everywhere. Paranoia becomes second nature to you. You’re constantly looking over your shoulder. Vanessa’s story points that out too. A reality for so many of us women. It also highlights the relationship a victim can have with their abuser. And how that can be such a complex and gut wrenching relationship to have. In this book, she comes to terms with the fact that what she thought was the greatest love story ever, turned out to be nothing more than a man taking advantage of younger girls and abusing his power. It’s a sickly world, but nonetheless this is a reality many of us live with. Russell’s stunning debut novel was excellent. Her writing is captivating and I found myself unable to put this book down. This is the kind of book that will make you think about your own experiences from different angels. This is the kind of book that will haunt you and that you’ll catch yourself thinking about years from now. In a time where standing in solidarity with one another and believing sexual assault victims when they become brave enough to tell their story, this book has never been more crucial and vital. A must read for all!

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  • Overall
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Wonderful

Beautifully written and expertly narrated, this work will stay with you even if you have no experience of the subject matter. The self examination of the main character is poetic and thoughtful, so much so that I wondered at myself for not doing more deep diving into my own psyche. The time you spend with this work will not be wasted.

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Heartbreaking Captivating

This was a beautifully written depiction of a terribly sad tale. I completely get why a lot of reviews say this is a controversial story, which makes it even better in my opinion. Starts interesting conversations about important topics.

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Insightful.....

What an interesting perception this book is written from.

Authoress has such Emotional intelligence! Written with Elegance and sensitivity, Extremely perceptive and thought provoking...

It makes me want to have a discussion around this usually Dark subject matter..

Loved the prose , descriptions and language... Loved the Maple Leaf comparison to her Hair.... 🍁

Narrator was perfect for the role of Vanessa, from young sulky impressionable teenager to complex adult Vanessa who in the end was able to shed the suffocating skin of ‘S’... and not be Defined by the Prince of Darkness....

Compelling Read...







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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wow

This was really well written but I found it a bit too heavy for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

loved this book
hooked from the first page.
thought provoking and dark
the narration was thoughtful and we'll paced.
definitely a must read.

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