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Synopsis (from Goodreads):
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.
Review:
I read this book for my online book club through A Great Good Place for Books, my favorite independent bookstore. This was a deep exploration of the lasting effects that a child predator has on one of his victims. I hesitate to even use the term "victim", only because that's not how the main character, Vanessa, would ever want to be thought of. And that's why this is such a complex and fascinating novel.
What I Liked:
Characters:The book is told through the eyes of Vanessa, who begins the story as a lonely young teen, and ends years later when she's in her mid-thirties. Throughout the novel Vanessa is a smart, creative person, full of potential. She deals with the after-effects of her abuse by engaging in increasingly risky behavior, and out and out denial of what really happened. As the years progress, the promise of a brilliant writing career dims due to her choices. It's true to life and heartbreaking.
Strane, the pedophile who targets Vanessa, is also a complex character. The author never resorts to simple stereotypes to define who he is. While never sympathizing with him, the reader can see the mental gymnastics he uses to live with his horrible deeds. This generated a lively discussion in our book club. We debated on whether or not he even knew he was a pedophile. This ambiguity was really thought-provoking.
Story:
The story jumps between when Vanessa was a teen to when she is in her thirties. We see how the teacher grooms Vanessa and the immense psychological damage he inflicts on her. Into her adulthood, Vanessa refuses to acknowledge what happened as abuse. She can't fathom the idea that she is a victim.
We also see is how, in the ere of the "Me Too" movement, that it's not always healthy for people to call out their abusers. Vanessa is not ready to face her painful past. And the guilt that others place on her for keeping silent is crushing.
Trigger Warning:
This is a difficult book to read, as the abuse depicted is truly horrifying. It made me angry and sad that Vanessa gets so messed up due to her teacher's selfishness.
Rating:
Release Date: March 10th, 2020
Author: Kate Elizabeth Russell
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Fiction
Page Length: 384 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: This is a worthwhile experience that will stay with you for a long time.
