Madeline
For me, My Dark Vanessa is to teacher student relations as The Hate U Give and Such A Fun Age was to the Black Lives Matter movement. Neither I understood because I was not a victim of either; however, all three of these books made me say “oh, this makes so much more sense to me” like never before. I knew I had a strong belief but could never understand it to the point I could articulate my beliefs, if asked.
The Premise
My Dark Vanessa bounces back and forth between a women’s young adulthood and her teen years. Early in the story we learn about her love affair with a teacher thirty years her senior. The entire book she is justifying his actions stating that they were in love. By the end of the book, she begins to doubt what she has been telling herself.
Second Guessing Leaving Lolita On My To Read List
As much as I enjoyed My Dark Vanessa, it was a tough book to get through. Reading these types of stories in the newspaper is one thing, reading the sexual details is a whole nother ball game. The details of their relationship forms the character of the teacher as a subtle but horrible monster, praying on young girls and manipulating them into thinking that they are capable of making adult decisions.
Final Thoughts
As the title and the cover suggest, this is a dark book. If you are looking for something dark and twisted, this may be the book for you. However, if American Royals is more your style, stay far far away. I personally loved it, but please send me something light next!
