Publishers Weekly says:

Texas teacher Vega's horrific account of her lifetime of self-abuse alternates between an intimate diary of pain and a healing dialogue with her counselor. In piecemeal details of her years growing up the eldest daughter of an ambitious, well-educated disciplinarian father and an efficient caretaker mother, Vega portrays herself as a child so eager to please her exacting parents that she began to punish herself for her perceived (by them, but mainly by herself) shortcomings. She would hit herself until she passed out, and cut or starve herself to cause a punishing pain that allowed a release to anger and frustration she was not allowed to express. Her mother's diabetes, her parents' divorce and abandonment by her father led to mounds of guilt, and Vega's abuse of diet pills put her in the emergency room. By the time she seeks therapy she is in her mid-30s, married and no longer able to control her increasingly dire self-mutilation. Her work is cleanly wrought and raw with emotion, especially the passages that take place during group therapy with several other deeply troubled women. There is much to Vega's story that is left unsaid, though her aim is admirable and true: to share her story so that kindred readers will seek help. (May) Reviewed 4/2007

Pegasus News.com says:

The author’s overarching tone throughout the two-hundred page work is a tone of sincerity and brutal honesty... While Vega’s macabre subject matter and hauntingly honest, dark writing deserve discussion, reading Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light is truly a cathartic experience. Reviewed 6/2007

http://www.lifesigns.org.uk/ says:

Vanessa is clearly a talented writer, and I commend her strength and honesty in telling her story.  It is particularly useful that Vanessa makes it clear that the road towards recovery is not an easy one, and that self-injury is not something that people can just stop.  It is also pleasing to read an account which is not a teenaged girl’s experience of self-injury – the fact that Vanessa began self-injury at a very early age and continued into adulthood just goes to illustrate that self-injury affects people of all ages – not just teenagers!

On the whole I feel that this is a positive contribution to the existing self-injury literature.  I hope that some people might be able to get an insight into their own self-injury from reading this – particularly those who have been abused or invalidated as a child.  I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy reading autobiographies – I certainly couldn’t put it down!

Wendy Lader, CoFounder of S.A.F.E. Alternatives says:
This is the best memoir I have ever read. It very artfully articulates the thoughts/feelings and experiences I have heard from self-injurers for the past two decades."

www.lifesigns.org.uk says:
"Vanessa is clearly a talented writer, and I commend her strength and honesty in telling her story.  It is particularly useful that Vanessa makes it clear that the road towards recovery is not an easy one, and that self-injury is not something that people can just stop.  It is also pleasing to read an account which is not a teenaged girl’s experience of self-injury – the fact that Vanessa began self-injury at a very early age and continued into adulthood just goes to illustrate that self-injury affects people of all ages – not just teenagers!

On the whole I feel that this is a positive contribution to the existing self-injury literature.  I hope that some people might be able to get an insight into their own self-injury from reading this – particularly those who have been abused or invalidated as a child.  I would definitely recommend this book..."

The Centre for Emotional Well-Being Says:
"This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read...This is a well written book that provides an insight into the mind of someone battling an eating disorder and self-injury. I was impressed with Vanessa’s willingness to bare her soul and describe her life and her journey to recovery."

About.com says:
"Some of the details in Comes the Darkness are disturbing, made all the more so because Vega's style is not over the top in general...The book slowly reveals the impact of eating disorders and self-harm, gently asking the reader not to look away.

It is a tribute to Vanessa Vega that her account is infused with gentleness. Kindness toward herself was one of the hardest things for Vega to grasp in recovery. Asking that readers view her life with care is a mark of healing and hope. This is perhaps the book's most lasting gift, because it is more than an account of issues that can be horrifying. It's a call to a greater level of compassion..."

Treatmentonline.com says:
"In her memoir, Comes the Darkness Comes the Light, writer and educator Vanessa Vega bravely shares her struggle with self-harm and anorexia. The writing style, while sometimes lacking clarity, is well designed to convey the convolutions of a life in turmoil...If she, with all of her guilt and trepidation, could share her story with the world then perhaps other self-harmers will find the strength to come forward and seek help. Self-harmers often worry that their actions will be viewed with disgust and fear, but Vega shows that it is possible to both overcome stigma and change misapprehensions."

HealthNewsDigest.com says:
"Comes the Darkness, Comes the Light" is a raw, graphic, and sometimes chilling exploration of Vega's struggles. More importantly, the book is a story of hope for others who grapple with the same disorders."

Suite101.com says:
"Above all, the book gives light at the end of the tunnel and hope to those who don’t believe they have any. Vanessa shares the group therapy sessions that would change her life and reveals the hard work needed to recover. But it is possible and a read of this captivating memoir will leave readers feeling hopeful, changed and ready to begin their own journey."

Moore County News Says:
"I personally found this book to be very enlightening. It is heartwrenching and difficult to get through at timesbut at the end the sense of understanding you feel makes it well worth the time it takes to read it."