Liana Star, Grade 12
UWC Mostar
My Dark Vanessa is the kind of book that is all consuming. It details the story of a young girl as she is groomed by a teacher whom she is in love with. It explores the idea of what “an ideal victim” looks like, and how when a victim does not fit this boundary, they find no sympathy. Kate Elizabeth Russell published her first novel, My Dark Vanessa, in 2020,at the height of the “Me Too” movement. This novel has become extremely popular since its original publishing date due to the controversy it has sparked. It has been described as “the most controversial novel of the year” by The Guardian. Its highly sensitive subject matter has led to intense debate over the appropriateness and appeal of this book. Despite the mixed opinions on My Dark Vanessa though, it still was longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, a literary prize for young writers.
My main attraction to this book is because of its controversy. It is drastically different from any literature I have previously been assigned in any of my classes or read in my free-time. This novel puts a modern spin on Nabokov’s Lolitawhile still discussing new subject matter in a modern way. I became aware of this novel’s existence via a Tik Tok describing it as a “beautifully disturbing book.” After reading the description of this novel on Goodreads, I immediately knew it was something I was going to love. I felt both disgusted and fascinated throughout the time I spent reading this book. Russell’s ability to allow the reader to relate to the main character, Vanessa, is both impressive and highly intense. I believe being a young woman makes this book much easier to process and understand, as most female presenting people can relate to the experiences Vanessa goes through, specifically in regards to interactions with older men. My entire perspective on the experiences which young adults go through in regards to their age and naivety has since been changed, as I am able to understand the type of person Vanessa is much more easily.
“I just really need it to be a love story, you know? I really really need it to be that,” says Vanessa within this piece. This line is heartbreaking within context, as it tells the story of a scared child, betrayed by an adult whom she loved and thought would be her protector. Her realization that her abuser never truly loved her nor had her best interests in mind was the peak of the novel, as it begins the descent of her spiral and ultimately crippling series of events. The eye-opening nature of this novel is truly its greatest appeal. It reveals an experience so many youth go through, yet those who do not or cannot relate to in any way are not educated on. This fact alone makes it extremely important and ideal for a youth audience interested in broadening their literary horizons.
Citations
Kate Elizabeth Russell. My Dark Vanessa. William Morrow Company, 2020.
“My Dark Vanessa Quotes by Kate Elizabeth Russell.” Www.goodreads.com, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/67044583-my-dark-vanessa. Accessed 27 July 2022.
Sturges, Fiona. “Is My Dark Vanessa the Most Controversial Novel of the Year? Author Kate Elizabeth Russell Speaks Out.” The Guardian, 13 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/13/kate-elizabeth-russell-my-dark-vanessa-interview.
Google.com, 2021, www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwicqcTWgpj5AhXcATQIHWP4BSsQFnoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.curtisbrown.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fmy-dark-vanessa-dylan-thomas-2021&usg=AOvVaw0Q2XWJX0OJMzF9oDgVj3MK. Accessed 27 July 2022.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/my-dark-vanessa-kate-elizabeth-russell-me-too-fiction
My main attraction to this book is because of its controversy. It is drastically different from any literature I have previously been assigned in any of my classes or read in my free-time. This novel puts a modern spin on Nabokov’s Lolitawhile still discussing new subject matter in a modern way. I became aware of this novel’s existence via a Tik Tok describing it as a “beautifully disturbing book.” After reading the description of this novel on Goodreads, I immediately knew it was something I was going to love. I felt both disgusted and fascinated throughout the time I spent reading this book. Russell’s ability to allow the reader to relate to the main character, Vanessa, is both impressive and highly intense. I believe being a young woman makes this book much easier to process and understand, as most female presenting people can relate to the experiences Vanessa goes through, specifically in regards to interactions with older men. My entire perspective on the experiences which young adults go through in regards to their age and naivety has since been changed, as I am able to understand the type of person Vanessa is much more easily.
“I just really need it to be a love story, you know? I really really need it to be that,” says Vanessa within this piece. This line is heartbreaking within context, as it tells the story of a scared child, betrayed by an adult whom she loved and thought would be her protector. Her realization that her abuser never truly loved her nor had her best interests in mind was the peak of the novel, as it begins the descent of her spiral and ultimately crippling series of events. The eye-opening nature of this novel is truly its greatest appeal. It reveals an experience so many youth go through, yet those who do not or cannot relate to in any way are not educated on. This fact alone makes it extremely important and ideal for a youth audience interested in broadening their literary horizons.
Citations
Kate Elizabeth Russell. My Dark Vanessa. William Morrow Company, 2020.
“My Dark Vanessa Quotes by Kate Elizabeth Russell.” Www.goodreads.com, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/67044583-my-dark-vanessa. Accessed 27 July 2022.
Sturges, Fiona. “Is My Dark Vanessa the Most Controversial Novel of the Year? Author Kate Elizabeth Russell Speaks Out.” The Guardian, 13 Mar. 2020, www.theguardian.com/books/2020/mar/13/kate-elizabeth-russell-my-dark-vanessa-interview.
Google.com, 2021, www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwicqcTWgpj5AhXcATQIHWP4BSsQFnoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.curtisbrown.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fmy-dark-vanessa-dylan-thomas-2021&usg=AOvVaw0Q2XWJX0OJMzF9oDgVj3MK. Accessed 27 July 2022.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/my-dark-vanessa-kate-elizabeth-russell-me-too-fiction
www.unitedworldwide.co