Welcome to Litsy!

This was an incredibly complex story. From a bird‘s eye view, we can see a predator and a child get caught up in a relationship for different reasons. We can see all the justifications, all the manipulation, and all the yearning. Close up though, we can also understand how either side let it get so far. Gave me some of the same feelings as The Girls by Emma Cline. Gives understanding in a situation where it‘s easy to think, “How could she?!” 5⭐️

Storygraph stats for 2024.

3.75/5 ⭐️
Dark and haunting. I feel like Vanessa‘s trauma will stay with me a while.

“…it‘s the truth that has spooked me, the expanse of it, the starkness. It offers nowhere to hide.”

My parents stare straight ahead, their anger and grief palpable enough to taste. I open my mouth to let it all in and swallow it whole, where deep in my belly it turns into blame.

He wants to make sure he‘ll always be there, no matter what. He wants to leave his fingerprints all over me, every piece of muscle and bone.

“People will risk everything for a little bit of something beautiful.”

“… the world is made of endlessly intersecting stories, each one valid and true.”

“Sometimes it really does feel like a curse, the meaning I can attach to anything”

I thought it would be a quick read, but it was told slowly & in excruciating detail. It‘s good though: the female ADHD experience, the way her life circumstances (seemingly banal) made her a target, how she justifies the man‘s actions to herself as well as others, & that feeling of not being able to “get over it.”
Topical, but tragically will remain relevant

“I‘m careful, which is how I know my problem is mild, if I even have a problem, which I maybe don‘t.”

Book scavenger hunt - dark #hauntedshelf @PuddleJumper #flerken

There is so much about this book, but I really have no words. It was uncomfortable, but due to its topic, I knew that was going to be the case. I do feel that although the synopsis is clear what it‘s about, there should‘ve been a trigger warning. It does not hide anything. This is about abuse. Despite that, it was a good book. But it was hard to like.

Kudos to the narrator for giving me the heebie jeebies at times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first word on my list of thoughts and trigger warnings is #Controversial… gosh… this book… it‘s so heartbreaking and tragic 💔 it has ALL the trigger warnings! These are a few that I jotted down while listening/reading. This is not a complete list by any means. Read with caution ⚠️ I know I will be thinking of Vanessa often 💔🥹

The maple 🍁 leaf is mentioned many times throughout the book.

#Aboutabook
#LitsyLoveReads

Starting this one today 🖤🖤🖤

Happy Friday everyone!

As the name suggests it's dark .
The book explores nuances rather than clear-cut distinctions between right and wrong. The book delves into shades of gray .

Told between two POVs: a teenager and an adult description of an affair between 15-year old Vanessa and her 42-year old English teacher.

The book is often said to be a modern retelling of Lolita. I found myself scoffing at the book a lot of times but I guess that's what the author intended. TWs should be read before starting. The book is quite disturbing and difficult to read and even more difficult to form an opinion about. Still a pick.
4/5🌟

#Two4Tuesday ✌️

1. Ooh tough question because I would not want to change my name. I guess if I had to, I‘d pick Claire. That was my grandfather‘s middle name and he and I were really close.

2. Tagging #mydarkvanessa which I read a few years ago. Heavy subject matter but I did think it was a good read.

@TheSpineView - happy Tuesday!

Told during two separate points in time, My Dark Vanessa shows the beginning and the fallout of an affair between a fifteen year old student named Vanessa and her English teacher.

Uncomfortable ✨ Grooming✨ Denial

#currentsituation

I probably should have known better than to pick this up. I definitely preferred the second half with more of the fallout/impact of the relationship than the time at Browick but I can‘t say I enjoyed this (if one can even say they enjoyed a book about statutory rape…)

Roll 83 for #Roll100
2/2 #BookSpin or #Roll100 books for #JoyousJanuary and 5/6 overall

This book has been described as a modern retelling of Lolita. It‘s about a girl‘s relationship with her teacher, flashing back and forth from her teenage years while it‘s unfolding to her adult years, trying to make sense of what happened. Her adult years are set amidst the Me Too movement, which provides context for her to ask the questions: Was it love? Was it abuse? Am I a victim? Is that all I am? I loved the nuance & complexity in this book.

#bookreport
Started all 4
Finished My Dark Vanessa

#weeklyforecast
Continue Memoirs of Cleopatra
Finish Ultra-Processed People and Persuasion

No other #fiction I‘ve read since February managed to knock the tagged book from its top spot this year. I still find myself thinking of Vanessa. #readingbracket2023

Following @dariazeoli 's advice, this is my updated plan for #auldlangspine2024 #alspine24 @monalyisha

Have removed the Stephen King as I don't like eye gore!

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