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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
finally read this to see what all the hype is abt, and the vanishing half is indeed quite a gripping read that intriguingly dissects race in america, though i wish the execution was a lil more polished.
this book's quite a page-turner, the search for the lost twin akin to a drama mystery, albeit w/ no officials. the main characters and their inner psyches are complex and developed; even when u hate their choices, u understand why they do it. the bond between desiree and stella's also believable in each twin's desire to be her own individual yet whose identity's deeply connected to another. the inclusion of the queer community is surprisingly natural and nuanced as well, esp w/ reese.
and ofc, this novel's highlight is its exploration and depiction of being black in america: racism, colorism, misogynoir, relationship to a white supremacist society. desiree's and stella's diverging lives and the consequences of that def raise a lot of thought-provoking points, all of which are difficult and uncomfortable. i also appreciate how bennett doesnt depict any group - however despicable they are - as a monolith; even the racist white ppl receive a nuanced portrayal and it makes the book much more interesting to read.
however, i do have a couple issues w/ the novel. the narrative structure, imo, is unnecessarily convoluted and confusing. not even bc of the time skips, but the random reminiscing of past events and foreshadowing phrases that aim to take advantage of the omniscient POV but ends up causing confusion and distraction instead. the multiple character viewpoints in a chapter only further compounds this issue.
the multiple POVs and timelines also mean that focus on each is arbitrary and at times unsatisfactory, cutting things off to early. as there's a lot of action happening, some characters - like desiree - are neglected and we dont spend enough time whether w/ her or in her head. the focus on plot development results in not enough focus and time on certain characters' emotions, feelings, and change.
the prose could also be more polished; currently it does do what it needs to do, but the writing comes across as too blunt or detached at times. and somehow, despite the book doing a great job of incisively examining blackness in america, i feel like it's not enough somehow, that sth's still missing, just a lil spark. basically i feel like bennett couldve taken things even further or deeper, but perhaps she aims to focus more on the characters and the 'small' story.
overall, this is a thought-provoking, insightful book that incisively examines blackness in america, though i personally think it couldve been even better.
this book's quite a page-turner, the search for the lost twin akin to a drama mystery, albeit w/ no officials. the main characters and their inner psyches are complex and developed; even when u hate their choices, u understand why they do it. the bond between desiree and stella's also believable in each twin's desire to be her own individual yet whose identity's deeply connected to another. the inclusion of the queer community is surprisingly natural and nuanced as well, esp w/ reese.
and ofc, this novel's highlight is its exploration and depiction of being black in america: racism, colorism, misogynoir, relationship to a white supremacist society. desiree's and stella's diverging lives and the consequences of that def raise a lot of thought-provoking points, all of which are difficult and uncomfortable. i also appreciate how bennett doesnt depict any group - however despicable they are - as a monolith; even the racist white ppl receive a nuanced portrayal and it makes the book much more interesting to read.
however, i do have a couple issues w/ the novel. the narrative structure, imo, is unnecessarily convoluted and confusing. not even bc of the time skips, but the random reminiscing of past events and foreshadowing phrases that aim to take advantage of the omniscient POV but ends up causing confusion and distraction instead. the multiple character viewpoints in a chapter only further compounds this issue.
the multiple POVs and timelines also mean that focus on each is arbitrary and at times unsatisfactory, cutting things off to early. as there's a lot of action happening, some characters - like desiree - are neglected and we dont spend enough time whether w/ her or in her head. the focus on plot development results in not enough focus and time on certain characters' emotions, feelings, and change.
the prose could also be more polished; currently it does do what it needs to do, but the writing comes across as too blunt or detached at times. and somehow, despite the book doing a great job of incisively examining blackness in america, i feel like it's not enough somehow, that sth's still missing, just a lil spark. basically i feel like bennett couldve taken things even further or deeper, but perhaps she aims to focus more on the characters and the 'small' story.
overall, this is a thought-provoking, insightful book that incisively examines blackness in america, though i personally think it couldve been even better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Abandonment
babymoomoocow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
This was a fun book to read. I didn’t know much going into it and was shocked by the some of the diversity. It’s definitely a book to think about especially if you’re a POC and a mixed POC at that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Abandonment
Minor: Transphobia
lovelybookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
I read THE VANISHING HALF with my virtual book club, and we had an especially thoughtful, moving discussion about it. This novel explores internalized racism, beauty standards, colorism, and passing. But Bennett also reaches into the complexity of autonomy and independence vs. familial ties and obligations. Sometimes, the path that feels right for one person can deeply hurt others. How do we navigate that? What is the "right" choice? And what influences the decisions we make for our own lives?
There's a trans man side character and...his first appearance included a few instances of deadnaming. Cis authors, you've got to stop doing this—if you'd been listening at all, you'd know this was established *years* ago. Other than that, the rep was quite good and felt accurate for the time period. (I'd like to see what trans men who've read and reviewed the book have to say.) Best of all, he wasn't a tragic character! So that was wonderful.
This story brought up some big feelings re: my own complicated family, about being/not being seen or understood. The ending was especially moving and tears were shed. Bennett's previous novel, THE MOTHERS, has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for a couple of years, but now that I've experienced her writing, I'm hoping to get to that book soon.
There's a trans man side character and...his first appearance included a few instances of deadnaming. Cis authors, you've got to stop doing this—if you'd been listening at all, you'd know this was established *years* ago. Other than that, the rep was quite good and felt accurate for the time period. (I'd like to see what trans men who've read and reviewed the book have to say.) Best of all, he wasn't a tragic character! So that was wonderful.
This story brought up some big feelings re: my own complicated family, about being/not being seen or understood. The ending was especially moving and tears were shed. Bennett's previous novel, THE MOTHERS, has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for a couple of years, but now that I've experienced her writing, I'm hoping to get to that book soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Classism, Dementia, Abandonment, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Dysphoria, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
Minor: Deadnaming
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Hate crime, Medical content, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Dementia
jlaz_13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Sexual assault
Minor: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Hate crime, Dementia, and Death of parent
caitlinderocker's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, Death of parent, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, and Cultural appropriation
atamano's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
ellstar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
I feel like this is one of those books where some people are going to think it's slow and dull and have a hard time connecting, while others are going to understand the underlying theme of loneliness and the struggle of trying to fit in, and the pain or the joy you experience when you find someone who helps you feel like you matter. There is such a long line of loneliness in this novel and I think some people may not understand it or may shy away from it but those who have maybe experienced even a fraction of it, may really enjoy itcolor
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Domestic abuse and Murder
zakcebulski's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
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
This is one of the easiest 5/5s I have ever given. This book is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes. It is truly one of those books where I finished reading it and I just reflect on how I am so damn glad that I am able to read as trite as that sounds.
The story of this book is multigenerational. The central characters are Desiree and Estelle (Stella) Vignes who are identical twins. They are black but are light skinned. One day the twins decide to up and disappear from their small town in rural Louisiana of Mallard which is a town which most of the townspeople are black, but, are very lightskinned.
The twins go on to live extremely different lives with Desiree living and identifying as a black woman, eventually returning to Mallard and Stella passing as a white woman and living a very affluent life.
The story also tackles the lives of each woman's respective daughter- Kennedy who is Stella's daughter and who, like her, looks nearly white and lives as such and Jude who is many times talked about being "blueblack".
The main theme of this book which is impossible to ignore is the theme of lying to one's self. This comes out mainly in Stella's character as she is so extremely closed off and guarded out of fear of her true self being discovered that even her daughter and her husband don't know much about her. This is tragic as the instilled fear of being discovered as a POC in a highly affluent white neighborhood forces Stella to hide her true identity so that she does not risk losing the life she has lied to attain and maintain. Having to forgo one's true identity in the pursuit of material wealth, or, to escape the abhorrence of racism is so sickening to think about. I think that Bennett's portrayal of Stella, in this regard, is exceptional. You get the feeling from reading her story that she is truly just barely holding everything together.
I thought that the complexity of the issues of things like colorism, which is something that I am by no means an expert on, were exceptionally well implemented as parts of the story. This is an aspect of the black culture which I do not know a great deal about, but, it is something that I am inspired to learn more about in the pursuit of being more knowledgeable and inclusive.
This book seamlessly weaves through chronological gaps and hyper complex familial ties while seeming effortless. The story is so compelling as there is a tension of "who will be found out?", "what will happen if these people cross paths?". There is so much nuance to each of the characters that it is hard to not empathize with them, and to truly want to see the best outcome for all of them. There are instances of extremely sickeningly racist behavior, and instances of white people being ignorantly racist, and, these moments are especially poignant, as they are times where a simple conversation would go to minimize so much hurt.
Each of the characters is so believable to the point wherein you can start to think about their actions and why they are doing something. I found the characters to be some of the best which I have read recently. When they experience highs, lows, trepidation, despair, worry- you feel all of that with them.
I think that Brit Bennett is an absolutely exceptional author, and is one who I am more than comfortable in saying I would read anything which she writes.
This book discusses a swath of highly important issues and the commentary offered on the concepts of colorism, racism, sexism, inclusivity, are all well portrayed and well written.
This book gets so much better the more I think about it. We are lucky to live in a world where Brit Bennett writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, Death, Dementia, and Racial slurs
grboph's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
I think this was the best book I've read so far this year. The story was unique and very well thought out, and it had some of the most interesting characters of any book I've ever read. The story was very thought-provoking and made me think about the concepts of history and identity in ways I had not before. I also really liked that it explored the motivations behind each of the characters' choices and stories in ways that really made the reader think about them. Bennett is a wonderful writer and tells the story so remarkably well. I will definitely be thinking about this book for a long time into the future. I would recommend this book to just about anyone in the world, and particularly anyone who is looking for a good historical-fiction book to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Racism, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Racial slurs, Medical content, Hate crime, Classism, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Transphobia
The twins' separation (and one's abandonment of the other) drives much of the action in this book, as does one twin's escape from her abusive husband which leads her back to her hometown. Also, many of the things that happen to the characters in this book are a result of racism, such as people denying them jobs and their father's death at the hands of a mob. Additionally, the main characters' mother dies after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.