My Dark Vanessa (Russell) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
At the heart of this explosive and provocative debut is the relationship between a 15-year-old girl and her 42-year-old teacher.… [A] timely tale.
Newsweek


Perhaps the most anticipated first novel of the year, Russell's riveting, timeline-shifting saga of the relationship between a high-school student and her teacher…. [It] is sure to spark conversation (and debate).
Entertainment Weekly


[A] singular achievement—a masterpiece of tension and tone that will simultaneously grip you, horrify you, and move you…. With utmost sensitivity and vivid, gut-churning detail, Russell illuminates Vanessa’s struggle to see the story of her life for the tragedy it truly is. Before you start My Dark Vanessa, clear your schedule for the next few days—this… will utterly consume you.
Esquire


This isn't your cliché trope about a high school student-teacher relationship. Kate Elizabeth Russell brings forth all of the emotion and complexity.
Marie Claire


Likely to totally blow up your group chat (A "Must Read Book").
Bustle


(Starred review) [A]n introspective narrative that fully captures the complexity and necessity of the #MeToo movement in [a] powerful debut.… It also prompts readers to interrogate their own assumptions about victimhood, consent, and agency… a frighteningly sharp debut.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review) A deeply relevant debut that the author has been writing since age 16, drawing on her own experiences, and the reading enlightens even as it chills. —Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO
Library Journal


Empathetic, incendiary, and discussable.
Booklist


(Starred review) [A] rich psychological study of the aftermath of abuse…. What emerges is a devastating cultural portrait of enablement and the harm we allow young women to shoulder.
Kirkus Reviews