(#partner @williammorrowbooks) Holy moly, y’all, this book was wild! CW - pedophilia, rape, sexual assault, grooming, etc. Some of my favorites (@ab_reads, @jobis89) read and loved this book, so I jumped at the chance to get an advanced copy. They were right, this book is so compelling, I could not put it down.

MDV tells the story of Vanessa Wye, who became involved with her much older English teacher starting in 2000 when she was just 15. The story flashes back to Vanessa’s time and boarding school and the beginning of their relationship, and jumps forward to 2017, when another student has come forward to accuse the teacher of sexual assault.

I haven’t read Lolita, but I imagine this is a lot like Lolita from the victim’s perspective. This book references Lolita and Nabokov a lot. In the flashbacks, we see how the teacher groomed Vanessa to believe this is what she wanted, that she was in charge, and that all of this was her choice. In the flash-forwards, we see how this relationship has defined her entire life, and the hold the teacher still has on her, as she believes he truly loved her.

This book does not shy away from it’s depictions of abuse. It’s extremely unsettling, and obviously a difficult, sickening subject matter. It’s just raw, gripping, and emotional the entire time. A very powerful book.

If you can stomach the content, I’d highly recommend this one. I could not put it down. Also check out reviews from @ab_reads and @jobis89, as they are what convinced me to pick this one up.