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My Dark Vanessa

Written by: Kate Elizabeth Russell
Narrated by: Grace Gummer
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Publisher's Summary

Entertainment Weekly's Breakout Author to Watch in 2020

"Brilliant and stunning...an absolute must read." (Gillian Flynn)

"A well-constructed package of dynamite." (Stephen King)

A most anticipated book by The New York TimesUSA TodayEntertainment WeeklyMarie ClaireElle Harper's BazaarBustle NewsweekNew York PostEsquire Real SimpleThe Sunday TimesThe Guardian

One of the most buzzed-about debuts in years

An international sensation sold in 24 territories and counting

Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming listen that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.

2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, 15-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful 42-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.

Includes a bonus conversation with Kate Elizabeth Russell, Grace Gummer, and Jessica Williams (editor of My Dark Vanessa).

©2020 Kate Elizabeth Russell (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about My Dark Vanessa

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good Story - A bit slow

It was a good story and tells the trauma of abuse well. But it was really drawn out and slow at times.

I thought there would be more closure in the end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Trigger warning. You may heal.

This story was not unique but the book is.. It's been an experience for so many. The author tells this rich tale with so much conviction of lived experience, whether it was hers on not, it was someone's, a many someone's. There were moments that gripped me so hard I felt sick to muly stomach. I have recommended this to so many young women who've found themselves in this trap as children. It's been healing for me, and so many others.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Best book I have ever listened to

This book was amazing. I visualized and felt every word. The narrator was perfect for the story. Even if you haven’t experienced what Vanessa went through you will be able to relate to her story. Read/listen to it, you will not be disappointed!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Challenging listen, but highly recommended

Dark Vanessa is an uncomfortable, challenging listen that takes the listener into the shoes of a woman who was abused as a child and the consequences of the abuse. Grace did an incredible job narrating the character's voices.

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual abuse, pedophilia, and coercion.

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4 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Great story.

I really enjoyed the story. So different from what you read today and so well written.
However, I did not like the narrator at all.
I really struggled to finish this book because of it, it took me 3 months to finish this one, I would recommend this book but not as an Audible.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too dark

Just found this narrator to have such a monotone voice throughout the whole book...I found it hard to keep listening. The content was just not something I enjoyed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Haunting

This book was beautifully written, confusing, horrific to read at times. It's haunting me. It is so complex, so conflicting. Just brilliant. I'm going to buy it in print so I can lend it to people in order to discuss and unpack. So thought provoking.

Would recommend 100% though may be too hard for some.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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important messages

This book was uncomfortable to listen at several times, but I think that's what makes it so critically important to listen or read. Very balanced in the validation and" this isn't right" dilemma Vanessa faces. You think the story is over after part1, but really it has just begun. Thank you Kate for pushing this love story of abuse all the way through. such an important reflection on judgment, love, mental health, manipulation, abuse of adolescents by adults, and acknowledgment that adult relationships fall into similar traps too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing novel and perfect narrator

Loved the book! So many emotions run through you while listening to this. Definitely recommend!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow! This book is a must read.

The story is different. It is unexpected. No tidy ending and that is what makes it so impactful.

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