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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a thoughtful read, focusing on the impact of racial tensions through the latter half of the 20th century. It explores the many different ways one's skin tone and culture affect how they interact with the world - and how the world interacts with them. It's painful and raw and messy, with realistic, troubled relationships.
It finishes with my favorite kind of ending, one that doesn't tie everything up neatly with a bow. It's relatable in the fact that sometimes you don't get the answers or resolutions you want, no matter how much time you spend longing for them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Transphobia
A brief mention of the AIDS epidemic
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
Really great listen. If given the chose to be anything you wanted to be but at a cost what who would you become. This story about two people sharing the same DNA but living totally separate lives was remarkable
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
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:
Yes
Excellent book, I loved every character’s storyline and the way the chapters transition in focus from character to character while circling around the same plot line is honestly so engaging. Would recommend to anyone interested.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Violence, Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed The Vanishing Half. Interesting exploration of race, especially discrimination within the black community. Great trans representation. Powerful exploration of relationships and truth. I learnt a lot from reading it.
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
May even be a 5, but always hesitant to rate that high if it doesn't feel immediately right.
Still, this is stunning. Characters are so distinct and real. Bennett does an incredible job structuring the story, showing us each character in detail as their lives spiral out from a single event. The way it jumps back in forth in time could be confusing, but it instead creates enormous tension in those first parts as we wait to hear from Stella. You never lose track of where the characters are and the expansiveness of the storytelling is always creating intrigue about what will happen next.
Nobody here feels perfect or simply like a type. Every woman involved is defined just as much by her secrets as the parts of herself she shares openly. Even more satisfying, the plot points never feel rote.Even something like Stella and Desiree's reunion or Kennedy's finding out don't go in the easy, emotionally satisfying way we'd expect . No revelation is easy or fulfilling. No reaction totally heals years of hurt.
This has quite a reputation and it more than lives up to it—perhaps exceeds it even.
Still, this is stunning. Characters are so distinct and real. Bennett does an incredible job structuring the story, showing us each character in detail as their lives spiral out from a single event. The way it jumps back in forth in time could be confusing, but it instead creates enormous tension in those first parts as we wait to hear from Stella. You never lose track of where the characters are and the expansiveness of the storytelling is always creating intrigue about what will happen next.
Nobody here feels perfect or simply like a type. Every woman involved is defined just as much by her secrets as the parts of herself she shares openly. Even more satisfying, the plot points never feel rote.
This has quite a reputation and it more than lives up to it—perhaps exceeds it even.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
AMAZING book with such complex characters! There wasn’t so much of a plot as it was just true chronological storytelling. Totally understandable why there is so much hype for this book!! (:
“You could cover a lifetime in eleven miles”
“You could cover a lifetime in eleven miles”