Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

68 reviews

s3lin's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Rape, Dementia, and Death of parent

Minor: Hate crime and Dysphoria

aliasbooklover's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Violence, Physical abuse, Outing, Medical content, Gun violence, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, and Alcohol

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Transphobia, and Xenophobia

decklededgess's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

trigger warnings: racism, violence, hate crime, murder, homophobia, body dysmorphia, alcohol, domestic abuse, sexual content, rape and sexual harassment


This book really pics up once you hit Jude’s POV so that’s about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through the book. It’s raw and sad and so full of heart and all different kinds of love. Didn’t expect to love it so much!!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

I didn't know I'd like it so much when I first picked it up. Loved every bit of it. 5 stars from me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, and Medical content

Minor: Blood

grichmond's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape

mynameisjule's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and Racism

greymalkin's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Well written with complicated characters.  Most of the characters weren't very likeable for me which made it hard to love this book, but their lives were still fascinating enough to propel me along as a reader.  The first half was slower, but the second half picked up with a lot more forward motion for the characters.

The  themes of the book (finding oneself, feeling like half a person, lying to those you love, abuse of many types, the painful emptiness of missing someone or something) added a downbeat melancholy that was a little bit.  However, I am very happy about the inclusion of Reese's character.  I kept worrying that it was going to be a "bury your gays" horrible twist, but happily that was not the case.  I love that he and Jude were allowed to be happy and romantic and openly loving and weren't punished for it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Rape and Murder

tildakoussa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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: Bullying, Death of parent, Dementia, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

katsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

"You could drown in two inches of water. Maybe grief was the same.”

“She hadn't realized how long it takes to become somebody else, or how lonely it can be living in a world not meant for you.”

“The only difference between lying and acting was whether your audience was in on it, but it was all a performance just the same.”

“A body could be labeled but a person couldn’t, and the difference between the two depended on that muscle in your chest. That beloved organ, not sentient, not aware, not feeling, just pumping along, keeping you alive.”

I have so many feelings about this book. I don't know if I feel confident in articulating them. This book followed the lives of twins Desiree and Stella and their respective daughters, Jude and Kennedy. They are raised in the town of Mallard,  a town for light-skinned "colored" people. When they get older, they make choices that will influence the rest of their lives and that of their daughters. This story obviously had a ton of commentary on colorism and what it means to "pass." I was really glad I had the chance to buddy read this because it was helpful to chat through some of the heavy themes. I think the title of this book is really spot on because it can be applied to so many different pieces of the novel. Ultimately, it's a book about identity. What does it mean to be Black? White? Man? Woman? Daughter? Mother? Family? I fully understand why this book has received all the hype it has in the last year or two. It is a powerful narrative that definitely feels like it will become a classic that is analyzed in classrooms for a long time. I would recommend going into this novel a little blind. What I've written here is basically what I knew about it when I went in and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience the story without any preconceived notions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery