My Dark Vanessa

Kate Elizabeth Russell has knocked it out of the park with this, her first novel. It’s the first book I’ve finished within a week. This story is about damage, not love. Reading this book and following Vanessa’s story from when she was only 15 years to when she becomes an adult and on to her mid 20’s is like being on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Vanessa tells a compelling story of how she experiences what she thinks is love with her 35-yearold English teacher, Jacob Strane, but the truth is, what she is experiencing is grooming and child/teen abuse – she just doesn’t want to admit it. When reading this book, I felt all sorts of emotions towards the characters: sadness, guilt, anger, confusion and being annoyed with Vanessa lots of times because she simply is in denial. It’s a gripping story and certainly a page-turner.

Susan Knudsen-Pickles