Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

100 reviews

books_tea_blanket's review

emotional 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

4.75

I really liked a lot of the language the author used to describe the characters and their relationships. You could see their motivations for the decisions they made, and how drastically different their lives became as a result of their choices. The primary theme of the novel is identity, and the author wrestled with how identity is formed, how it’s expressed, and how it makes you feel. Throughout the book there’s contrasts of dark and light, white and black, poor and rich, love and lies, and more broad themes of life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, and Medical content

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia

Book has a lovable trans character and has scenes involving queer characters in the 1960s-80s

samanthaleereads's review

challenging emotional inspiring sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Racism, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death, and Racial slurs

Minor: Medical content

nina_mk's review

emotional reflective sad 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: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death, Transphobia, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Medical content, Dementia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Classism, and Hate crime

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. 

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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

ms_read's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Misogyny

Moderate: Medical content, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

psistillreadyou's review against another edition

It's so slow! And there's too many minor details about insignificant things. Where is the drama? Where's the astute commentary about colorism? I can’t do it 😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Drug use and Sexual content

savreads28's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Racial slurs, Medical content, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Racism, Death, Abandonment, Classism, Grief, and Dysphoria

norcalchris's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

There was so much to unpack in this story. It was about a lot more than the blurb advertises. 

Ultimately, I was left wanting deeper excavation of many of the topics presented and characters. It felt strangely devoid of emotion. 

Not sure it would come to mind to recommend to others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Medical content and Dementia

dqueen's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

I’ve put off reading this book for a long time and I regret not picking it up sooner. The story was so magnetizing I couldn’t put it down, I had to continue turned the pages to see what would happen next.

I love the intricacies of the multi generational family and how brilliantly their stories were laid out, explored and overlapped one another. 

The exploration of girlhood through to womanhood was done well, along with the mother, daughter and sister relationships. The commentary on race was jarring to my sheltered Australian life, however I recognize that is a reality for many. 

My only criticism is that I felt it ended abruptly, but perhaps that was just me yearning for more! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Violence, Abandonment, Mental illness, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Transphobia, Classism, and Vomit