Book Review: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
If one truth seems more pertinent now than perhaps ever, it is that life is short and we have to treasure our time. It is thus that I am abandoning My Dark Vanessa. I battled past the halfway point, through page after page of uninspired prose, searching for the spark that ignited other readers' enthusiasm for this book. Alas, it remained concealed to me. The story felt predictable at every turn, and though the message I believe the author means to impart is valuable, I think there are a multitude of other books that do it better. I felt there was something pretentious about My Dark Vanessa, perhaps in part because it has been so hyped up, that prevented me from connecting to the story. I am generally not a fan of boarding school stories (why do they always have the worst characters?) and this one was clearly no exception. I'm sorry to write a negative review, but take comfort in the fact that most readers seemed to like this book, and my snark won't hurt it:-) I always appreciate a lot of work goes into a book, but reading is so very subjective. Onwards and upwards!
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