My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

One of my benchmarks for a remarkable book is that I feel at least several emotions while reading it and think about the story well after I close the book. The key to reading this incredibly disturbing book is either read it in one sitting and go through a few minutes of screaming or take it in small doses to fully digest it with the same number of screaming sessions. The story is one of seduction and power between a young girl at a boarding school and her much older teacher. Vanessa is both the seduced and made to feel at times, the seducer. His power and subtle mind control mess with her head well after the physical relationship has cooled. It makes you want to punch him, shake her and hug her in equal measure. This powerful debut shines a light on the need to educate young women and men about manipulation, sexual predators and the power to say no. Disturbing and haunting, Vanessa's story is both as gentle as a first kiss and as devastating as mental and physical rape. Anyone with pre-teens should read this and have that talk.