Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

603 reviews

ynaiita_5896's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? No

5.0

Identical twins Desiree and Stella were born and raised in Mallard, Louisiana where the residents are obsessed with  people with light skin. At 16 years old, they run away from home, leaving behind their widowed mother. After choosing to go their separate ways, they also end up choosing completely different lives as adults. Ten years later, one sister returns with her black daughter to the same town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, despite being separated by miles and lies, their fates continue to remain intertwined.

Bennett beautifully paints a historical fiction that intelligently navigates race, identity, colourism, culture and sexuality with careful nuance — highlighting the varied layers in each of these themes through the eyes of something as ordinary as identical twins. A story written so intricately with elements of thrill, suspense and emotional intensity, that you just can't stop reading. 
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alicarty's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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ienbdri's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

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midnightrain_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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liiiizzzk's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

There were parts that were slow and a little boring but the story was rich with characters and I really loved it
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kquixotic's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

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spep98's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

It's been a while since I read a book that kept me wanted to read nonstop. I loved the structure of the book and Bennett's story telling skills. Will definitely be rereading this one day
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books_tea_blanket's review against another edition

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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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rachelblair's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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aniyapapaya10's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

Brit really did her thing with this book! I admired the commentary around colorism, sexuality, and family dynamics. All of which can be difficult for black women/people to find for themselves and I think this book really shows examples of that struggle from different perspectives. My favorite character was Jude, the daughter of Desiree Vignes. I see Jude as the beacon of hope for black women everywhere because she was labeled as unlovable from a you g age, but she found a love so strong not even distance could stop it. Really a beautiful read. The only thing I wish for is a more detailed or eventful end, but the end also feels just right.
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