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lahars_little_library's review
challenging
emotional
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
3.5
This book is wonderfully written. I loved the exploration of race and identity and hate that I was sick on the night of my book group. I know it would have I spired some great discussions. Only 2 things lowered my rating of this book. I don't tend to enjoy generational novels and prefer having one strong main character throughout the book. The Vanishing Half focused on four women in one family. That's just not my preference. Secondly, there were some strong content triggers for me in this book. I should have looked up the content warnings ahead of time. If neither of these things bother you or is truly a gripping story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Racism, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Medical content, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
lemoon99's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
It was written well. Yet there were many parts that were lacking. The end was eh. It felt as if it end characters in the middle of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Transphobia
Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
starlight_1313's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Dementia, Sexual content, and Death of parent
elanilanella's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Emotional abuse, Dementia, Classism, Bullying, Rape, Gaslighting, Addiction, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
annieogg's review
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Dementia
Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Minor: Dysphoria
Many triggering topics are discussed, but it's in a very thoughtful, constructive way. There is no sensationalism.glammster's review
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
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 lynchingyliana's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
3.25
*big sigh*
characters I liked: jude, reese, desiree, early, barry
characters i didn't like: kennedy, blake (had to look his name up cuz i couldn't remember lmfao)
and i honestly am on the fence about Stella
i'm not gonna say too much about the plot itself. the ending fell flat to me but at the same time, endings don't have to be the craziest, most exciting thing you've ever read. i really wish that stella had at least gone to the funeral but realistically, she's been past any possiblity of truly going back to mallard for years. i really liked desiree, i thought her relationships with jude and early were very sweet, although i was totally worried after reading about her ex husband. i thought, "here we go again, making the dark skinned man the villain" but then we were introduced to early and he's such a good man imo, so i see early and sam as kind of that obvious fact that there are good and bad people everywhere yk? i mean, it should be obvious but clearly a lot of people don't think that way.
i was really surprised when we were introduced to Reese. I've heard a lot about this book since it came out but no one ever really talks about him. From a cis pov, i thought his character was treated fairly well. we were thankfully not subjected to any hate he might've received in his life for being trans. i was happy that we got to see his happiness with jude.
fuck stella's husband, he's a piece of shit. and honestly fuck kennedy too. she gave me bad vibes throughout every scene she's in. i couldn't stand when it was said that she would call her boyfriend the n word because he asked her to like what the actual fuck is that?! i also totally agreed with Stella when she was thinking about how bullshit it was that kennedy was given absolutely everything she could've ever needed and instead of taking advantage of her privileges and advantages, she just threw them away. it's one thing to be passionate about the arts and want to pursue acting and another to end up on ACADEMIC PROBATION when you have every possibility to just fucking make it through high school. especially when jude had to work her absolute ass off to reach medical school and started way, way below kennedy. I just really couldn't stand her and she never even ends up doing anything that she seems to find particularly fulfilling, we just see her be a selfish brat and then just continue being fake for the rest of her life. i'm 100% on the kennedy hate train tbh.
i did really like jude though. I thought it was really sweet and heartbreaking at the same time how desperate she was to find Stella, for both herself and desiree. her and reese are so good for each other and i love how supportive they are towards each other too.
stella...idk. i feel so bad for her because of the sexual harassment and abuse she dealt with when she was working for the Duponts. half of me understands her motives for choosing to live as a white woman but i really just can't get behind her hatred for Black people after she makes that decision. it just feels so icky to me that she was okay with leaving her family and ESPECIALLY desiree, who she very clearly had such a strong love for (i mean, they're twins). and i cannot for the life of me understand WHY she would marry her husband when she literally said she feels scared around him sometimes because he looks like the assholes who lynched her dad. like?!?! it was just really sad to see the way she internalized the racism that she witnessed in mallard so i have a hard time disliking her but i can't say that i like her very much either.
this book was just so so heavy. it was definitely good and i think it was well written but yeah just pretty sad. and honestly the trigger warnings list is gonna be so long.
characters I liked: jude, reese, desiree, early, barry
characters i didn't like: kennedy, blake (had to look his name up cuz i couldn't remember lmfao)
and i honestly am on the fence about Stella
i was really surprised when we were introduced to Reese. I've heard a lot about this book since it came out but no one ever really talks about him. From a cis pov, i thought his character was treated fairly well. we were thankfully not subjected to any hate he might've received in his life for being trans. i was happy that we got to see his happiness with jude.
fuck stella's husband, he's a piece of shit. and honestly fuck kennedy too. she gave me bad vibes throughout every scene she's in. i couldn't stand when it was said that she would call her boyfriend the n word because he asked her to like what the actual fuck is that?! i also totally agreed with Stella when she was thinking about how bullshit it was that kennedy was given absolutely everything she could've ever needed and instead of taking advantage of her privileges and advantages, she just threw them away. it's one thing to be passionate about the arts and want to pursue acting and another to end up on ACADEMIC PROBATION when you have every possibility to just fucking make it through high school. especially when jude had to work her absolute ass off to reach medical school and started way, way below kennedy. I just really couldn't stand her and she never even ends up doing anything that she seems to find particularly fulfilling, we just see her be a selfish brat and then just continue being fake for the rest of her life. i'm 100% on the kennedy hate train tbh.
i did really like jude though. I thought it was really sweet and heartbreaking at the same time how desperate she was to find Stella, for both herself and desiree. her and reese are so good for each other and i love how supportive they are towards each other too.
stella...idk. i feel so bad for her because of the sexual harassment and abuse she dealt with when she was working for the Duponts. half of me understands her motives for choosing to live as a white woman but i really just can't get behind her hatred for Black people after she makes that decision. it just feels so icky to me that she was okay with leaving her family and ESPECIALLY desiree, who she very clearly had such a strong love for (i mean, they're twins). and i cannot for the life of me understand WHY she would marry her husband when she literally said she feels scared around him sometimes because he looks like the assholes who lynched her dad. like?!?! it was just really sad to see the way she internalized the racism that she witnessed in mallard so i have a hard time disliking her but i can't say that i like her very much either.
this book was just so so heavy. it was definitely good and i think it was well written but yeah just pretty sad. and honestly the trigger warnings list is gonna be so long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Racism, Physical abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, and Dementia
Minor: Sexual content, Deadnaming, and Violence
astha_shah's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Written so beautifully. Usually omniscient narrators throw me off, but this book executed it extremely well. The characters are so great because they don't make the perfect choice all the time and they don't always learn from their mistake, just like real people, but you root for them all the same. Love love loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
clarxvizconde13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, and Violence
radlizareads's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Violence and Sexual violence