Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

177 reviews

books_tea_blanket's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.75

I really liked a lot of the language the author used to describe the characters and their relationships. You could see their motivations for the decisions they made, and how drastically different their lives became as a result of their choices. The primary theme of the novel is identity, and the author wrestled with how identity is formed, how it’s expressed, and how it makes you feel. Throughout the book there’s contrasts of dark and light, white and black, poor and rich, love and lies, and more broad themes of life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, and Medical content

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia

Book has a lovable trans character and has scenes involving queer characters in the 1960s-80s

samanthaleereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Medical content

kriskelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

oliviapincin's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Dementia

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Grief, and Dysphoria

Minor: Sexual assault

ltsang08's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

nina_mk's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

midslibrary's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Death of parent

erinvasut's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

savreads28's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism

lilydarcie's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I’ve put off reading this book for a long time and I regret not picking it up sooner. The story was so magnetizing I couldn’t put it down, I had to continue turned the pages to see what would happen next.

I love the intricacies of the multi generational family and how brilliantly their stories were laid out, explored and overlapped one another. 

The exploration of girlhood through to womanhood was done well, along with the mother, daughter and sister relationships. The commentary on race was jarring to my sheltered Australian life, however I recognize that is a reality for many. 

My only criticism is that I felt it ended abruptly, but perhaps that was just me yearning for more! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, and Abandonment