At the beginning of this book, Russell, the author, makes it clear that this is a fictional story. With that being said, I want to commend her on her ability to write such a realistic tale of an inappropriate relationship between a teenage girl and her teacher. If you have been following my reviews, I have read Lolita (the classic story of sexual grooming) and Being Lolita (a memoir highlighting a real-life relationship between a student and her teacher - written by the student, who is now an adult) already this year. My Dark Vanessa is a combination of those two novels. It has a more modern setting and is told from the perspective of the girl who was abused but it is not a true story. There are scenes in this book that are difficult to read and that is intentional. The author wants you to feel uncomfortable and acknowledge how inappropriate the relationship between Vanessa and her teacher is. Also, the aftermath of the abuse and how it affects the titular character is represented well and is not sugarcoated in any way. Most of the criticism this book has received is in regards to the horribly graphic scenes (both of abuse and recovery) it has. No matter how uncomfortable reading this book makes you, it will never even begin to be on the same level of discomfort victims of sexual grooming experience. If you suspect that there is an inappropriate relationship happening between an adult and a minor (the gender of either party does not matter), please speak out. This is an issue that is continuously shoved under the rug in the United States - and I am sure in other countries as well - and reading books like this one will allow and empower you to put an end to this kind of abuse.