{"product_id":"my-dark-vanessa-a-novel-isbn-9780062941510","title":"My Dark Vanessa: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eINSTANT \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“[An] exceedingly complex, inventive, resourceful examination of harm and power.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, Editors’ Choice\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A lightning rod . . . brilliantly crafted.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRecommended by \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today • Entertainment Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMarie Claire • Elle \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarper's Bazaar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e • \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNewsweek • New York Post • Esquire • Real Simple • The Sunday Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eand more!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eExploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming psychological fiction read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e2000\u003c\/i\u003e. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e2017.\u003c\/i\u003e 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?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, this dark academic novel 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Girls\u003c\/i\u003e and the creeping intensity of \u003ci\u003eRoom, My Dark Vanessa\u003c\/i\u003e is an era-defining work of thought-provoking literary fiction that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“It’s a page-turner studded with speed bumps that force readers to pause and reckon with two opposing narratives: Vanessa falling in love and Vanessa being exploited by a pedophile. It’s a powerful juxtaposition to be submerged into a romance and jolted back to the reality of abuse, knowing both versions of the story have truth.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHuffpost\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “A gripping, chilling and thought-provoking tale . . . Kate Elizabeth Russell's work here is era-defining in a post-#MeToo movement world.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eE!, Curl Up With the 20 Best and Buzziest Books of 2020\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Gripping and unsettling . . . a bracingly uncompromising book. It will doubtless be devoured with an ache of recognition by large numbers of women. But it really ought to be read by men.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As powerful as it is painful, and deserves its reputation as one of the defining books of the #MeToo era.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVogue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Uncanny and chilling . . . That there is no perfect victim, no perfect response to sexual abuse, is the crux of Russell’s remarkable work of fiction.”  - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Explosive . . . a significant addition to the necessary reassessments and conversations sparked by the #MeToo movement.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNPR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Exquisite . . . \u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa \u003c\/em\u003estands on its own as simultaneously specific and universal—about a young woman who believes she’s in a love story when she’s actually in a psychological horror film.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A brilliant and stunning debut, \u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa\u003c\/em\u003e is utterly truth-rattling, humane in its clarity and chilling in its resonance. An absolute must read.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa\u003c\/em\u003e is a total masterpiece of tone and point of view, even more impressive for how uninvested it seems in impressing us. It's fascinating and devastating and brilliant. I loved it.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKristen Roupenian, bestselling author of You Know You Want This: “Cat Person” and Other Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa\u003c\/em\u003e is a harrowing triumph. Complex, smart, and utterly riveting from start to finish, Kate Elizabeth Russell’s debut novel cracks open assumptions and clichés, and delivers a layered, nuanced narrative that is vital for a more thorough understanding of the extent and longevity of the damage wrought by sexual abuse. Be prepared for a pit in your stomach, a lump in your throat, and reading late into the night.\" - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLily King, bestselling author of Euphoria\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This timely, riveting debut illuminates the interplay between a child’s heartbreaking confusion and the deepest perversions of power.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePeople, Book of the Week\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“My Dark Vanessa\u003c\/em\u003e is a singular achievement—a masterpiece of tension and tone that will simultaneously grip you, horrify you, and move you. . . . With utmost sensitivity and vivid, gut-churning detail, Russell illuminates Vanessa’s struggle to see the story of her life for the tragedy it truly is. Before you start \u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa\u003c\/em\u003e, clear your schedule for the next few days—this . . . will utterly consume you.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEsquire, The Best Books Coming Out This Winter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa\u003c\/em\u003e destroyed me. This moving, ferocious story of an all-consuming relationship between a teenager and her teacher traces not just a stolen girlhood, but the aftershocks that haunt trauma survivors years into the future. Gripping, stunningly written, and important . . . I’ve been waiting for this book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJulie Buntin, author of Marlena\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eMy Dark Vanessa \u003c\/em\u003eis a hard story to read and a harder one to put down . . . a well-constructed package of dynamite.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eStephen King\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow Paperbacks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44889399361765,"sku":"NP9780062941510","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062941510.jpg?v=1730231168","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/my-dark-vanessa-a-novel-isbn-9780062941510","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}