#kate elizabeth russell and vanessa wye you two will always be loved

[esotericswiftie]

thank u mother

[queenofhearts-444]

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell.

For starters, WTH?!

I honestly am so speechless at this novel. Let's take this slow so I don't get ahead of myself.

One: It is SO well researched, which is so appreciated. But it makes sense. The author claims she'd been working on it for 20 years... *Deep breath*

Two: The subject matter is controversial and probably always will be *Rightfully so* and the reviews were so mixed, which didn't deter me in the slightest. Just because someone tells me not to read something doesn't mean I will listen. I will always gain my own opinion on something.

And it isn't often that I read a novel that completely changes my mind about something, but this did. My thoughts on feminism shifted drastically, and it shifted a current romanticism to age gaps I had recently discovered. *Nothing like 15 and 42, but you understand my point-I hope-*

Three: The storytelling was astounding. I didn't know going into it that it would be sad, but it delivered perfectly. I was choked up more than once during this read, and that is always impressive for me. *I'm extremely emotionally unavailable.*

I saw a lot of myself inside Vanessa Wye. As this is perfectly anonymous, I will explain further than I would on Goodreads.

*Her need to be recognized, seen, and appreciated hits close to home for me.

*Her absolute and unwavering opinion that she isn't a victim and wasn't abused is also self-explanatory.

There is definitely more, but I can't think, and that brings me to my next point.

Four: This book absolutely made me spiral. With changing my mind and also being such a heavy story to consume, I was partially numb and partially distraught. I was confused emotionally and had a headache.

I have read many dark things but this has got to be at the top of my list. The fact that it is fiction is soothing but the other fact that there are women and young ladies out there who have been through this is absolutely nauseating.

Would I recommend this? Yes. Without a doubt.

hope my first post wasn't boring. Love you or something.

[mediaevalmusereads]

My Dark Vanessa. By Kate Elizabeth Russell. William Morrow, 2020.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: new adult fiction

Part of a Series? No

Summary: 2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?

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.

***Full review below.***

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, inappropriate relationship with a minor, statutory rape

Overview: I decided to pick this book up because of the hype and I was curious. While I myself am not a victim of sexual assault or anything remotely close to what this book is about, I was still interested in seeing how Russell explored victimhood through fiction. To my surprise, I found this book engaging and hard to put down. It's not because this book is overly shocking or romantic in any way - it's very disturbing, and will break you heart many times over. Rather, I found the way Russell constructed the idea of victimhood to be incredibly nuanced, and showing us the psychological effects a perpetrator can have on a young girl made me question things I thought I knew about abuse. So, for all those reasons, this book earns 4.5 stars from me.

Writing: I found Russell's prose to be fairly easy to read and accessible, and though it effectively described the psychology of our protagonist, it wasn't very capital-L literary. It's a kind of style I associate more with new adult fiction, though I'm not sure if that label is appropriate here. Even so, the choice in style is effective in part because this story is told from the first person perspective of Vanessa Wye - the teenager who is assaulted by her teacher. If this book had been any more literary, I don't think it would have felt quite as immediate or real, so I have to give Russell credit for making her form match function, so to speak.

I also liked that this book was split into two timelines: past (2000) and present (2017). Both are narrated by Vanessa, and I liked that the two were somewhat in conversation, showing the ongoing effects of trauma. It made for a messier narrative - things don't "wrap up" for Vanessa, and her story doesn't necessarily "end" when her abuse ends. It felt very true to life while also being a clever way of breaking up the timelines to make things feel a little less linear.

Also, just a small note: I really appreciated that Russell made the sex scenes as unsexy and subtly disturbing as possible. It's difficult to portray sex as both repulsive and addictive to a character, but I think Russell succeeded in showing us just how much Vanessa felt like she needed it while also refraining from making sex feel erotic and titillating for the reader. In my opinion, this hammered home the idea that the sex wasn't consensual and that eroticism wasn't the point.

Lastly, I really liked the intertextuality with Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. Vanessa obsessively reads Lolita and often quotes it, but not because she identifies with Dolores in any way. Rather, she connects with the book in part because it wad given to her by her teacher; she obsesses over it, tries to find herself and Strane in it, but misses the point of the novel entirely, much like a lot of people do in real life. Personally, I really liked it; it showed that Russell's use of the book went further than "Dolores and Vanessa are the same" and made me as a reader think more about the way stories of abuse are told.

Plot: The plot of this book follows Vanessa Wye at two points in her life: in the 2000 timeline, when she is 15 years old, she engages in a sexual relationship with her 42 year old English teacher, Mr. Strane. In 2017, when she is 32, she tries to navigate her emotions after multiple girls come forward accusing her teacher of abuse.

The 2000 timeline was very disturbing, to put it mildly. The interactions between Vanessa and her teacher, Mr. Strane, are sure to make any reader uncomfortable, and the way Vanessa excuses his behavior breaks your heart. Personally, I found it to be a good example of how abuse can actually work; it's not just that Strane takes advantage of Vanessa sexually, it's also that abusers can get into the minds of their victims and make them believe they are responsible, in a way. So while there is the physical component, which is unsettling in itself, there's also emotional manipulation, gaslighting, etc. and other subtle ways that Strane digs his claws into Vanessa's psyche, and i found those moments to be the most terrifying, in part because Vanessa at 15 can't identify how they are wrong.

The 2017 timeline was likewise very thought-provoking. In it, we learn that Vanessa is still in contact with Strane and is still loyal to him, refusing to call herself a victim. What I liked about this timeline was the nuanced way it portrayed psychology; while Strane's other accusers go around making public statements about abuse, Vanessa can't even call what she experienced "abuse" because of how attached she is. It really made me think about how we portray victimhood and what we assume the attitudes of victims will be.

Characters: Vanessa, our protagonist and narrator, is easy to sympathize with. She's fairly lonely and isolated in addition to feeling overwhelemed by school, and while this makes her fairly relatable to any given reader (who hasn't felt these things at some time or another?), it also makes her a target. Being so distant from her peers and her parents means that she is suceptible to the attention and praise that Strane gives her, and personally, I felt that Russell did a brilliant job in her portrayal. I also liked that Vanessa didn't necessarily come from a neglectful household (though one could argue that there was neglect, in a way), thereby avoiding the idea that only "certain kids" get abused.

Strane, the teacher who takes advantage of her, is eerie in how well he manipulates not just Vanessa but everyone around him. As an adult, it's quite easy to see all the red flags: we see him give Vanessa inappropriate compliments, we see him gaslight her, we see him demand things of her, etc. But because the story is told from Vanessa's perspective, we also are privy to how Vanessa sees him - as someone who treats her like an "adult," who shows interest in her interests, etc. In my opinion, this makes the portrait of a predator more complex and shows us that we can't just assume all abuse is easy to identify. Strane isn't some cartoon villain who just treats Vanessa badly; he also makes her feel good, which makes him incredibly dangerous.

Supporting characters are likewise fairly compelling and nuanced. Vanessa's parents are fairly distant, but her relationship with each of them feels different. Her dad seems to want to avoid talking about things and rocking the boat, while her mom is more combative, putting a strain on the way they communicate. Vanessa's ex-best friend, Jenny, is also an interesting character in that she seems to be trying to do the right thing, but her efforts are not appreciated. Other characters serve their purpose and lend texture to the setting, but I never felt that any of them were wasted.

TL;DR: My Dark Vanessa is a harrowing look at the complex psychology of an abuse victim. While some readers might be put off by how graphic and disturbing this book can be, Russell demonstrates incredible skill through her ability to depict nuance, inviting readers to reflect on issues for themselves rather than feeding them the answers.

[chapterswelove]

Happy Friday! I’m almost done with my fourth book of the #contemporaryathon, I’m sure if you had watch my video last you have heard me talk about this book a lot! 😁 but it’s you haven’t then read more below. • • • My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. Expected publication: March 10th 2020 by @williammorrowbooks • • • • • 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. 2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher. 2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed? 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. • • • • • • #mydarkvanessa #kateelizabethrussell #dark #thriller #adultthriller #fiction #darkromance #psychologicalthril https://www.instagram.com/p/B8jIa1zANqO/?igshid=1tenzfe74bpml

[the-reading-closet]

Hello there and welcome to the blog of closet reading, I was lucky enough to get my blogging hands on a book that is currently a hot potato within the blogging world, and one that I predict will be one hell of a hit when it’s released in January 23rd next year. The book I am on about is of course My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, it is the hard-hitting novel that can be described as a modern day version of  Lolita. I’d like to thank Matt Clacher of 4th Estate Books for sending me a glorious proof. If this necessary read tickles your bookish pickle, you can pre-order your very own copy here! (It’s been endorsed by Stephen King – “A package of dynamite”, that’s how completely superb it is!)

Kate Elizabeth Russell is originally from eastern Maine. She holds a PhD in creative writing from the University of Kansas and an MFA from Indiana University. My Dark Vanessa is her first novel. Vanessa Wye was fifteen-years-old when she first had sex with her English teacher. you can find me on twitter @GinnyMcCoo and on instagram @kateelizabethrussell. Kate also has a website with a blog that you can check out here.

Vanessa Wye was fifteen-years-old when she first had sex with her English teacher. She is now thirty-two and the teacher, Jacob Strane, has just been accused of sexual abuse by another former student of his. 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. But now, in 2017, in the midst of allegations against powerful men, she is being asked to redefine the great love story of her life – her great sexual awakening – as rape.

I’m always quite suspicious of hugely raved reads before they are published, let alone those that are raved so much months before publication date – I know a lot of people are the exact same, but this book hugely lives up to the hype, it exceeds the hype and is a solid must read. The whole of My Dark Vanessa is written in first person from Vanessa, a fifteen year old girl who has increasingly become more aware of her body and as an adult, how her historical sexual ‘awakening’ has affected her emotionally and mentally, while still being manipulated by a person who was meant to keep her safe. The storyline is visualised unbelievable well with the use of time hopping between 2001 and 2017 – the reader knows the bare bones of Vanessa’s story but the jaw dropping shock is elevated to new levels as the plot begins to unravel with a series of difficult to swallow events.

Vanessa is a normal student who exceeds expectations in the creative writing department, she is experiencing puberty while at the same time her first taste of complete independence. Although Vanessa portrays herself as a logically individual, between the cracks you can still see the childlike nativity within her – she is still a child and the attention of her professor makes her feel that she has the lead, when really she has no clue that she is being manipulated. My heart broke as I cascaded down a steep cliff of emotions from anger, frustration and sadness. Kate Elizabeth Russell has created a hard-hitting novel that is filled with trauma and edged with hope. The quality of her writing is brilliant, she sucked me into the life of Vanessa and then spat me out, leaving me completely bereft and utterly stunned.

As I’ve already said, My Dark Vanessa is an absolutely necessary read, especially in times of the #MeToo movement, among this novel Kate has integrated the warning signs of abuse, I think this book could be used as a worthy tool to help explain various social issues, such as what sexual consent means, that the definition of a sexually abused victim has a wide range of grey areas – from grooming to the ongoing power of the abuser. This is an essential read!

I read My Dark Vanessa in multiple sittings because it was so twisted, but what you, as well as I need to remember is that this fictional tale has been developed around a non – fictional issue – Kate has written this novel in a sensitive and respectful way, I can’t fault her, not at all. The evocative and emotive essence of My Dark Vanessa will stick with me for a long while, like that heavy feeling in your stomach. This book is sadly a story of our times, but it could also be a weapon in the war against it.

Verdict – It completely blew me away! The whole read was an emotional marathon and My Dark Vanessa is a bookish force of nature. Pre – order it and scream about it from the rooftops.

Thank you again Matt for sending me a copy of this read!

I’ve also included links for those who may need them.

http://thesurvivorstrust.org/find-support/

http://www.ascasupport.org/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/child-sexual-exploitation/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/grooming/

I also find this YouTube very helpful when explaining consent, and it’s youngster friendly, so can be a weapon in eradicating this sort of abuse at the roots.

Tea and Consent

#BookReview: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell @GinnyMcCoo @4thestatebooks @MattClacher #MyDarkVanessa #Review Hello there and welcome to the blog of closet reading, I was lucky enough to get my blogging hands on a book that is currently a hot potato within the blogging world, and one that I predict will be one hell of a hit when it's released in January 23rd next year.