 Reading My Dark Vanessa was an extremely difficult and unsettling read. Russell doesn’t just tell a story; she dissects the decay beneath the surface of a power imbalance, carving into the marrow of consent, memory, and grooming until you’re left raw and unsettled.
Vanessa, the protagonist, is both victim and unreliable narrator of her own life. She’s fifteen when her teacher, Strane, begins his predatory “romance,” but the brilliance of the novel lies in how Russell captures the long echo of that abuse. The way Vanessa clings to the idea of being “special” even as her adult self unravels under the weight of truth. You want to shake her, you want to protect her, and sometimes you even want to believe her rationalizations, which is the exact trap Russell sets: she forces us to experience the seduction and the horror side by side. I had to put this down a few times. The book holds a mirror to the way society excuses powerful men and shames girls for their own exploitation. It makes you complicit in Vanessa’s struggle, and that’s the point. It’s supposed to be uncomfortable. The language is sharp, the atmosphere suffocating, and the emotional honesty is almost unbearable at times. At the end, you don’t walk away with neat answers or triumphant catharsis. Instead, you’re left with jagged edges, anger at Strane, grief for Vanessa, and maybe a gnawing reflection on the blind spots in your own perception of abuse. Dark, devastating, and unforgettable, My Dark Vanessa is less a novel than an autopsy of trauma, and reading it feels like opening wounds you didn’t know you had. It's a great book, but it's very upsetting. This book is available for download as an eBook or audiobook. Ask us for interlibrary loan if you prefer a physical copy. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian
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 I’ve read a few of Frieda McFadden’s thrillers, and while I always appreciate the wild ride she takes the reader on, I usually find her protagonists a bit exhausting. It's like I'm being held hostage by someone with no chill and a lot of secrets, very superficial, materialistic, and frankly naïve people. That said, The Teacher was a standout for me. Easily my favorite of hers so far.
The pacing was sharp, the tension was just the right amount of unhinged, and the characters were compelling enough that I didn't feel the urge to throw my Kindle across the room (a genuine concern with some of her more frustrating narrators). Best of all were the twists, those classic McFadden whiplash but with extra polish. And that final twist in the last couple of pages? Perfectly nasty. Totally blindsided me in the best way. If you’re new to McFadden or looking for a gateway into her particular brand of domestic chaos and psychological suspense, this is the one I’d recommend. Get the book at the library or download the audiobook with your SPL card. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  In Mean Spirited by Nick Roberts, the spooky twist isn’t a haunted house or a possessed person, it’s a possessed dog.
The main character, Matt, is a high school English teacher who’s also a heavy drinker and not over his ex-wife, now a successful vet. They co-parent their young son, who’s been begging for a dog. One day, Matt spots an obituary for one of his former students, a kid he really liked. Tragically, she took her own life, and her mother passed away on the scene from a heart attack. Remembering he still has one of her poems buried in his attic junk, Matt thinks her family might appreciate it, so he frames it and heads over to her memorial. Just as he’s about to leave, a starving, thirsty dog wanders up with her address on its tag. It’s her dog. Knowing his son wants a dog, Matt decides to take it home. That’s when things start going south for him, his family, and even some other folks. Fair warning: there’s violence, some animal harm, and Matt’s struggles with alcoholism are front and center as he starts to see the damage it’s doing to his life, beyond just dealing with a haunted dog. Nick Roberts’ books always have enough creep factor to make me think twice about turning off the lights, even though I’m pretty hard to scare. They also usually hit you with some real emotional depth. I know whenever I pick up one of his books, I’m in for a good read. Aimee, IT Librarian Interested in this book? Click here to reserve it in the catalog! |
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