Reviews with content warning for Murder - Passing

"As far as I can see, you’ll just have to endure some things and give up others. As we’ve said before, everything must be paid for."

This is an incredibly dark, bleak book that wasn't at all what I was expecting it to be and which I found to be an equally fascinating and highly uncomfortable read.

Irene and Clare are both very intriguing, layered characters and, through them, the story really gets to the heart of complex, toxic, and ultimately tragic female friendships. It's really a story much more about such friendships, about the fragility of marriage and relationships, and about societal and gendered expectations (and the mental distress these can cause), than it is about race and 'passing' (though there are still of course important conversations on these topics).

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about the very abrupt ending, but I was certainly floored, and ultimately I do think it's actually a really great ending and definitely one that I won't forget. The story as a whole in fact will definitely stick with me; it covers so much ground in so few pages and is just brutal and brilliant, and unfortunately remains so relevant.

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giselareads's review

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challenging mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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indiaautumn's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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loverofeels's review

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dark mysterious reflective

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

4.5

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readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition

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challenging reflective 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? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read this before I watched the film and before I read The Vanishing Half, as I'd read that Brit Bennett was inspired by Passing. This is a really thought-provoking novel that examines racial passing, female friendships, motherhood, jealousy, and the Black community in 1920s Harlem.

The novel is set from the perspective of Irene Redfield, whose old friend Clare Kendry reappears in her life suddenly after many year apart. Irene is surprised to find out Clare is passing for white and her husband John doesn't know she's Black. Where Irene treats race as a marker of identity and a key factor in deciding which social circles you can move in, Clare brushes it off like something that doesn't affect her. She wants to spend time at Black social gatherings in Harlem not to be with other Black people like her, but for the excitement of the events.

Irene feels, at times, confined by her race, whereas Clare doesn't seem to be bothered by it and is unconcerned that her husband might find out that she's not white. She seems to breeze through life not worrying about the consequences of her actions and even doesn't seem bothered by the idea that, should her husband discover her race, she might lose her child.

Clare's easygoing nature and charisma ignite feelings of jealousy in Irene and this all comes to a head in the novel's dramatic and staggering conclusion. I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend Tessa Thompson's narration of the audiobook.

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nadia's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I did not expect this classic to turn into a page-turner, but I found myself intrigued from the very beginning and there's a lot of tension running throughout this short book!

If you found the themes of Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half interesting , then this is definitely one for you. There's lots to unpack and discuss, and I recommend episode 200 of The Stacks Pod if you'd like to delve deeper!

A great book to read in a day, that'll leave a lasting impact.

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karingforbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-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

The story is straightforward and simple, the writing is solid and enjoyable. There is a feeling that as a white person reading this, I’m missing something, but that’s to be expected and the foreword explained some of it. I don’t know that on its own, this would be a five. However, it discusses race and gender and marriage and their intersectionality in such a way that this book will stick with me for years to come. It’s a glance into passing, which isn’t something we talk about or acknowledge much. It’s an intriguing book

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kellyofcali's review

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book still feels so modern and timely, especially when read in contrast to The Vanishing Half (not to say that book is not those things, just that they are interesting companions). It is hard to like the characters, and creates conflict with a potentially unreliable narrator, but it speak beautifully and painfully to themes of racism that are still sharply true today.

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