RMFAO (Reading My Frigging A** Off) discussion

Hello, members. Based on 40 votes, the book that won for October Buddy-Read is If It Bleeds by Stephen King, but because there was only a difference of 1 vote, I thought it would only be fair to have the 1st runner-up on our list to have as our 2nd option for October buddy read, My Dark Vanessa
You can participate in either of the buddy reads or both, it is totally up to you.

As this is a month-long buddy read, we'll be starting the discussions from tomorrow, 2nd of October. Feel free to share your thoughts, quotes, paragraphs or anything related to the book or your opinions. Please be mindful of not sharing any spoiler at least until the 15th of the month so as not to spoil the book for others.

After 15th I'll be sharing discussion questions and everyone is invited to answer them - it'll make the thread more lively. Please do not hesitate in asking any book-related questions for discussion of your own. All discussions are welcome. We encourage discussions but not aggressive debates, so in case if you have views wildly differing from others' then please frame them thoughtfully so as not to hurt other's feelings, but that does not mean you can't share your opinion.

Following are the book details:

Release Date March 10, 2020

Blurb: Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.
2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.
2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?
Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.

Additional Information Warning:My Dark Vanessa was a national bestseller. It was selected for translation and publication in 22 countries and optioned for the screen. Reviewed positively by The New York Times, National Public Radio, The Atlantic, The Guardian], The Economist, and The Washington Post, My Dark Vanessa brought Russell into a public conversation regarding the novel's treatment of abusive sexual relationships, as well as an individual's right to privacy regarding past trauma.

Controversy: My Dark Vanessa occasioned pre-publication controversy when author Wendy C. Ortiz complained that Russell's novel had received different support from that given to Ortiz's memoir concerning a relationship with her 8th grade English teacher. Ortiz further alleged that My Dark Vanessa, which she had not read, possessed 'eerie story similarities' to her memoir. As was reported by the Associated Press, 'Reviewers who looked at both books saw no evidence of plagiarism.' Nevertheless, in response to social media comments, and in the wake of the controversy over American Dirt, Oprah Winfrey, who had originally tapped My Dark Vanessa as a selection for her influential Book Club, rescinded the selection.

I am continuing my journey with My Dark Vanessa.

Asutosh wrote: "I am continuing my journey with My Dark Vanessa."

How is it turning out to be?

I will be starting to read it today...

Started the book and so far I am not sure how I feel. I do see where it is going, but I need to read a little more to be able to form an opinion. I do love the writing though.

Wow... a completely shocking, yet compelling read. Gave me a lot to mull over. The author beautifully put forth an alternate narrative on the whole ephebophilia concept with a deftness that found wonderfully surprising.

It was a difficult read and was way more triggering than I had initially expected, but the narrative flow was so good and powerful that it was difficult to put down despite the emotional turmoil that troubled me the whole time I read this book.

I know the racism controversy attached to this book and the publication, but I would simply like to salute the author for writing such a daring book and reminding me how truly powerful literature and the written word can be.

A must-read.