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marissasa's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content
sjduncan's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Cursing, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Dementia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Hate crime
Minor: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Transphobia, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexism
erd's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Death, Classism, Grief, and Rape
Minor: Drug abuse, Slavery, Stalking, Violence, Alcohol, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, and Pedophilia
None of content is over-the-top or overdone, all of it drives the story along.shelvedbysara's review against another edition
- 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
More than a story about bloodline, The Vanishing Half is also a story about the search for one's identity and the choices that make us who we are. Brit Bennet explores the complexities of gender, identity and race by writing thought provoking remarks about social inequality and injustice, systemic racism, and the legacy of segregation that continues to shape American society today. Bold, powerful, and deeply respectful of diverse walks of life, The Vanishing Half is a profound representation of privilege and the lack thereof, as well as how it impacts the lives of black people on a daily basis.
Summary
Desiree and Stella are identical twin sisters who grew up in a southern black community during the Jim Crow era (1960s). They had never left Mallard, their small town, but both felt a restless urge to escape — and on their 16th birthday, they did. From then on, their lives follow completely different routes based on the set of choices each one makes about who they want to become and what kind of life they want to lead: one decides to return to her black roots in Mallard; the other decides to live a life passing as white in Los Angeles. But no matter how far one goes, one can never fully escape their origins. Decades after the twins parted ways, their daughters’ paths intersect by chance. What will happen when they find out who the other is?
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Racial slurs, Rape, and Sexual assault
sarahofstories's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, and Sexual harassment
mairi_red's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Dementia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
marcy_the_vampireq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Hate crime, and Racism
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual assault, and Rape
nicoleserrato's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Hate crime, and Rape
Moderate: Rape and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gaslighting, Death, Medical content, and Sexual content
lifewithjoce's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Minor: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Domestic abuse
alexandra_13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I read The Vanishing Half this Christmas and it’s the book that made me fall back in love with reading. Before this one, I was reading and enjoying it but now I’ve remembered what it was to devour books and stay up late at night to finish one.
I loved the message it gave out, and as a white woman I’ve learnt a lot more about racism with it. Also, it touches a great diversity of topics and backgrounds which made the read more real.
(This last paragraph might be a little spoiler) I also really liked the ending, I expected something else but the author stuck to the reality of things in the sense that not everything can be how one hopes, which after all is the beauty of it.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape