Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

77 reviews

autumn33344's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Transphobia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Murder, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Alcohol

eedle_cacleberry's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Transphobia

maryconney's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, Medical content, and Alcohol

helhas3letters's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Engrossing, perceptive, beautiful. I cried floods of tears at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Alcohol

_sarahleb_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

Ultimately, this was a pretty good book that touched on various important topics. However, I felt like it often just scratched the surface of these issues. I think it could have benefited from discussing some of the topics in more depth. I really appreciated the trans representation, but it all seemed very vague. I recognized that he was more of a side character than a main character, but I think I would have really enjoyed them discussing the experience of trans men, especially in that period of time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

aubreyrae_m's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Classism

Moderate: Medical content and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Dementia, Grief, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

cyndi1966's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism

writer_egreene's review against another edition

challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

sighclopss's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A very thought provoking book, I'd rate it closer to 4.75⭐ 

This was such an interesting read with compelling characters, my main let down was the ending wasn't enough for me. I could have easily read another 200+ pages! I still have so many unanswered questions! But I understand with this type of philosophical story there can't ever really be a satisfying ending. 

I found the topic of colorism/racism and being biracial intriguing. Cultural identity vs ethnic. The theme of 'passing.' It had many confronting themes, some I related too, others that helped further expand my world view. 

This was overall a complicated story, I felt like the author did the complexity justice. The writing style flowed easily, and I loved every second of reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Slavery, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Colonisation

hannahjacobsen's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really really wanted to like this book, so I picked it up again after not being able to finish it in the past. It was slow, with no clear plot order and hopped back and forth between years and storylines, which at first I thought was interesting, but I ended up just finding it more difficult to follow.

I think what ultimately left me disappointed with this book is that although it hit on so many different important topics, including racism & colorism, domestic violence, LGBTQ+, classism, Alzheimer’s and more, I felt like it barely scratched the surface of these topics and that there were so many undeveloped characters and plot lines. I expected the book to dive deeper into Desiree’s relationship with her abusive ex husband, Reese’s life as a trans man, what ended up happening with the Walker family across the street and whether Loretta ever found out Stella’s truth (I could go on and on)… but every time I thought the book was going to dive deeper into these storylines, it transitioned to a new one. 

Ultimately, I got to the end and felt like there was no closure. Stella seemingly got away with a lifetime of lies with no consequences, and we never find out where her life ends up. I suppose that’s the allure of these books to some people, but I got to the end and felt like the 350+ pages didn’t give me near enough.

I’m giving three stars for a diverse cast of characters, a unique premise and a combination of some really powerful topics.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Classism