Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

152 reviews

atthediscotech'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Racial slurs

ceallaighsbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

“That was the thrill of youth, the idea that you could be anyone. That was what had captured her in the charm shop, all those years ago. Then adulthood came, your choices solidifying, and you realize that everything you are had been set in motion years before. The rest was aftermath.”

TITLE—The Vanishing Half

AUTHOR—Brit Bennett

PUBLISHED—2020

GENRE—literary, historical fiction

SETTING—the US in the 1960’s-1980’s

MAIN THEMES/SUBJECTS—so many dualities!; sisterhood, family & heritage; country life vs city life, poverty vs wealth; colorism, systemic racism & oppression; the effects of internalized racism/colorism on the psyches of Black folks; omg trans rep!; inherited trauma

WRITING STYLE—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CHARACTERS—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

STORY/PLOT—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

BONUS ELEMENT/S—Trans repppp 🥰🥰🥰 (no one told me!)

PHILOSOPHY—⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Her death hit in waves. Not a flood, but water lapping steadily at her ankles. You could drown in two inches of water. Maybe grief was the same.”

I’m late to this beloved book, I know. Sometimes it’s really tricky for me to know which current bestseller and highly and popularly touted book is going to be something that works for me but when I found this at a local library booksale I decided now was the time.

And yeah wow. I completely underestimated this book. 😅 In spite of its relative popularity I actually think it didn’t get as much attention as I feel like it deserved. Once again I feel like I’ve read a relatively recently published book that feels more like a piece of classic literature. The themes, the characters, the writing! it’s just all absolutely *exquisite* in this story.

“This big ol’ world and we only get to go through it once. The saddest thing there is, you ask me.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TW // colorism, domestic violence & abuse, lynching, bullying (Please feel free to DM me for more specifics!)

Further Reading—

• The Mothers, by Brit Bennett—TBR
• Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
• Toni Morrison
• Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi
• Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Bullying

juliamakena's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Death of parent, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

daisiesandbees's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Body shaming, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Grief, and Drug use

gabgeh's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.5

Fantastic writing, unique concept expertly explored. 

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Content Warnings

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

jennazim'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Dementia

maartabarrales's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Racism, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Hate crime

radfordmanor's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence

seeker24's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.75

Really great read, once I started I could hardly put it down. Some points I had to reread a page or two because I’d get lost with the jumping between characters and timelines. But, in spite of that I really did love this book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

wishesandpages'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: Death of parent and Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence