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serendipity730's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
phoeberach's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
imaginefishes's review against another edition
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
5.0
The book delves into topics of racism and racial segregation, but my main takeaway from the story was about one's desire and attractedness to the possibility of change and metamorphosis. I deeply enjoyed the writing style and characterisation used in the story, and as the separate stories of each individual began to intertwine with each other, culminating in a grand intersection in the final few chapters, I teared up a little. Strangely enough, what stuck out to me most were the parents of the twins, and the two very different deaths they experienced, one more violent and the other more melancholic . I find this book, although fictive and possibly a little unrealistic, reflects well our human desires to be something more, or even to be someone else. I'm glad the book ended the way it did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Gaslighting
Minor: Dysphoria and Bullying
chanidev's review against another edition
5.0
Identical twins Stella and Desiree grow up in a small, deep south town obsessed with light skin. When they run away as teenagers, they start to drift apart. One continues to live her life as white, with a white family, kids, neighborhood, life. The other continues living as Black, marrying "the darkest man she could find." As a result, the twins' respective daughter (cousins to each other) look nothing alike.
In a story that spans decades and many cultures in America through space and time, we follow the four main characters through their lives and identities.
Amazing prose, had me crying by the end!
https://ucplbookchallenge.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-vanishing-half.html
In a story that spans decades and many cultures in America through space and time, we follow the four main characters through their lives and identities.
Amazing prose, had me crying by the end!
https://ucplbookchallenge.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-vanishing-half.html
tboss's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
sarsarsarsarsar's review against another edition
5.0
This was remarkable. I would recommend everyone give this book a read. Really well written and powerful.
I thought it touched on a bunch of perspectives and told a story of a dark time without outwardly placing any blame/accusations - resulting in the (white) reader not being defensive or challenging the events -> letting the reader really focus on listening and learning. Everything get so personal, I really felt like I got to know the characters and feel their struggles third hand. This story opened my eyes a lot.
Some books around racism/transitioning have so much anger and pain (completely justified) but it makes it hard to read and really learn (usually i just get sad), this book did a great job expressing these emotions and still getting the story across with a uniquely positive spin, albeit controversial and extremely devastating (aka I’ll give up everything for freedom)
I thought it touched on a bunch of perspectives and told a story of a dark time without outwardly placing any blame/accusations - resulting in the (white) reader not being defensive or challenging the events -> letting the reader really focus on listening and learning. Everything get so personal, I really felt like I got to know the characters and feel their struggles third hand. This story opened my eyes a lot.
Some books around racism/transitioning have so much anger and pain (completely justified) but it makes it hard to read and really learn (usually i just get sad), this book did a great job expressing these emotions and still getting the story across with a uniquely positive spin, albeit controversial and extremely devastating (aka I’ll give up everything for freedom)