Hello bloggers! My apologies for my being behind on book reviews, but I’ll do my best to catch up. In the meantime, one of my recent reads was Kate Elizabeth Russell’s debut, My Dark Vanessa.
In the year 2000, 15-year-old Vanessa Wye starts a new year at her school. While she’s always been the type who liked being by herself—even when she was always advised to get more involved in extracurricular activities—things gradually change for her when she’s drawn to Jacob Strane, her 42-year-old English teacher. The more often she starts spending time with him after class lectures, including her working with him for the school’s literary magazine, the closer they are to giving in to temptation. During their affair, suspicions arise on school grounds. Students are gossiping, the staff are concerned yet seem to look the other way, and Vanessa and Strane are wondering if they ought to continue with their affair.
In 2017, Vanessa is a hotel concierge. Although she and Strane are still in contact, everything is complicated. And it all gets worse when Vanessa finds out that Strane has been accused of sexual assault by Vanessa’s former classmate. With the story of the assault blowing up all over social media and the news, Strane’s reputation is tarnished. Now Vanessa has to decide: speak up about her past affair to save lives, or stay silent for the sake of Strane. Matters become difficult as she thinks back to everything that started the whole mess. Vanessa feels she can’t betray Strane. After all, he was the first man to make her feel special. Yet he was downright manipulative, implying that his actions were her fault. It all makes Vanessa wonder if Strane was never the man she thought he was.
This is a highly recommended read, in my opinion. I can’t speak for other readers, but I didn’t feel the least bit sorry for Strane. Actions lead to consequences and that was the risk he was willing to take. The affair may have been consensual, yet this charming teacher knew how to make this young, naïve girl feel at fault for his actions. Then came the scare tactics, whether Vanessa chose to confess her affair or to keep quiet. I have many more opinions on this topic, but I’m afraid I’ll spoil the story, so I’ll just advise you to read the book and decide how it all could have gone down. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!
*I received this early copy in an Instagram giveaway. All opinions here are my own.
My Dark Vanessa will be available on March 10, 2020.
About the author: Kate Elizabeth Russell was born and raised in eastern Maine. She holds an MFA from Indiana University and a PhD from the University of Kansas. My Dark Vanessa is her first novel.
Just a Thought 