Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

67 reviews

clairew97's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Cursing, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

jhbandcats's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

5.0

This is one of those bools that makes me say, “Wow. Just wow.” It’s a powerful story of people whose willfulness and early choices affect the rest of their lives. For whatever reason, I wasn’t fond of Bennett’s The Mothers. But I will always be singing her praises for this book. 

Bennett is able to show the difficulty and complexity of each life, showing less sympathetic characters in a way that sympathy grows for them. You wish so much that circumstances could have been different for these characters, that they hadn’t felt forced to make the decisions they had. 

The way Stella’s life plays out, ostensibly easier than Desiree’s, but with her always tense, never able to relax and be herself, living a lie and poisoning her relationship with her daughter, was just so tragic. Like lots of people who make poor decisions, Stella brought this all on herself. 

Desiree’s life is also difficult but she doesn’t have the trouble that comes from pretending to be what she isn’t. She has a loving and rewarding relationship with her daughter because she’s never had to lie. 

I read Nella Larsen’s book Passing a year ago but The Vanishing Half is the one I’ll always recommend. It’s astonishing, such a good book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Hate crime, Murder, Classism, Grief, and Racism

gabrielastbr's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, Bullying, Classism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Domestic abuse

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

Trying to find reasons not to give this 5 stars is very, very hard. I'm biased because immediately it reminded me of Toni Morrison's Paradise. Whether or not that was intentional, I'm not gonna look it up, but I love it even more for that.

Passing is a thing that happened and I'm sure there are still many, many quadroons and hexadecaroons walking around without a clue. I've always felt sympathy for the people who passed, and this book definitely gave me a new / another understanding. (I mean, who can be mad at you for wanting better for your life and your family?) To be moved so much by a book show just how good it is. That being said though I do not feel sympathy for Stella!

After what she did to Loretta and Reg?!

This one's definitely staying on my bookshelf.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, and Outing

Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, and Gaslighting

Minor: Terminal illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Blood, Deadnaming, and Medical content

cakrolik's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Classism, Grief, and Racism

Moderate: Dementia, Death of parent, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Sexism

glammster's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Dementia, Bullying, Classism, Homophobia, and Transphobia

Minor: Dysphoria

Graphic description of lynching

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

As a someone who is biracial, the themes of racial identity really struck a chord with me. I loved how Bennett explored this theme, along with passing, familial and sisterly bonds, transitioning, and so many other important topics in such an engaging way. I would highly recommend the audiobook if interested, the narration was phenomenal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Bullying, Abandonment, Classism, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, and Transphobia

monloesco's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

So happy I finally got around to read this book, it was great and really heart-touching. I would’ve liked a different ending or

at least a little bit of update on Stella and Kennedy’s lives, not just Desiree and Jude’s lives. I would’ve also liked a little more confrontation and conversation when Stella goes back to Mallard, since it felt a little bit rushed and anticlimatic.

Overall great book, a great insight on race and identity without feeling academic or lecture-like. (Shoutout a @Coby por mi birthday gift).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Abandonment and Classism

Minor: Dysphoria and Murder

lpdx's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Dementia, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Homophobia

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Transphobia

theskyboi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

When I say that this book had everything, I feel as though I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. Overall, I had such a fantastic time with Brit Bennett's impactful second novel.

Desiree and Stella Vignes are two identical twin sisters who grow up in Mallard, a town too small to have ever made it onto the map. Perhaps too big for their britches or too ambitious for their surroundings, they let out for greater destinies: Desiree as a Black woman and Stella passing for White.

At the center of this novel lies the struggle that Desiree faces in trying to find her long-lost twin, yet there are so many interlocked stories that sprout from this search. Jude, Desiree's daughter, inevitably sparked my interest with her lifelong journey of love and self-discovery.

Although I will refrain from revealing too much of the intrigue contained between the covers of this magnificent book, I will say that I was delighted to read a story that so effortlessly weaved its way through the intersecting identities of its characters: Black, White, trans, gay, and cis.

Bennett's care for these characters shines brightly on every subsequent page, and the attention that she paid to crafting such a satisfyingly connected, intergenerational exploration of identity formation was much more than I could have ever hoped to find.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Outing, and Sexual content