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My Dark Vanessa cover art

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

What listeners say about My Dark Vanessa

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
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Wow!

Just straight up wow in the best possible sense. The character growth and change through the book is astounding, and the whole thing is just so well written and spoken. Nothing but the highest praise for this masterpiece!

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

Not bad but expected more

From the many bestseller lists this book appears on and positive reviews I did expect a bit more. At some points it felt slow and the characters journey is less about how far shes come and more about aging and the time gaps between scene descriptions. Would not recommend this to my peers but I also wouldn’t discourage someone set on reading it.

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

deeply disturbing but incredible

I am at a loss for words with this book. I cannot express enough how uncomfortable it was to listen to scenes of a 15 year old being groomed and gaslit and sexually abused by her English teacher. But the message the author drives home is so powerful. The way the author dug so deeply into the psyche of both the survivor and her abuser made my jaw drop. Her writing is beautiful and devastating and brilliant. the narrator gave one of the best audio book performances I have ever heard. At times, she moved me to tears.

This story was so disturbing and compelling and heartbreaking. The ending made me mad because it wasn't a super hero movie ending, it was real. I wanted justice for the victim too. I listened to the entire thing in 24 hours because it consumed me and I could not put it down. I hope the author continues to tell women's stories this way. This book is unlike anything I have ever read. I am deeply struck by this experience.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Worth the hype!

Pierces to the heart of the 15 year old in all of us. The tension between identifying with the lonely unsure romantic adolescent while simultaneously wanting to shake some sense into her made me physically queasy in parts. A visceral read to be sure but beautifully written and wonderfully narrated. When I finished I immediately went back to revisit the earlier chapters. A rare 5 star review from me. Highly recommended!

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Excellent book

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was fantastic as Vanessa. It was a very good story, well written and well researched.

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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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3 people found this helpful

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    4 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
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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
    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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