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michaelion's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Passing is a thing that happened and I'm sure there are still many, many quadroons and hexadecaroons walking around without a clue. I've always felt sympathy for the people who passed, and this book definitely gave me a new / another understanding. (I mean, who can be mad at you for wanting better for your life and your family?) To be moved so much by a book show just how good it is. That being said though I do not feel sympathy for Stella!
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, and Gaslighting
Minor: Terminal illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Blood, Deadnaming, and Medical content
theskyboi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Desiree and Stella Vignes are two identical twin sisters who grow up in Mallard, a town too small to have ever made it onto the map. Perhaps too big for their britches or too ambitious for their surroundings, they let out for greater destinies: Desiree as a Black woman and Stella passing for White.
At the center of this novel lies the struggle that Desiree faces in trying to find her long-lost twin, yet there are so many interlocked stories that sprout from this search. Jude, Desiree's daughter, inevitably sparked my interest with her lifelong journey of love and self-discovery.
Although I will refrain from revealing too much of the intrigue contained between the covers of this magnificent book, I will say that I was delighted to read a story that so effortlessly weaved its way through the intersecting identities of its characters: Black, White, trans, gay, and cis.
Bennett's care for these characters shines brightly on every subsequent page, and the attention that she paid to crafting such a satisfyingly connected, intergenerational exploration of identity formation was much more than I could have ever hoped to find.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Outing, and Sexual content
itsheyfay'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
4.5
Graphic: Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Racism, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Death of parent, Classism, and Medical content
Moderate: Alcohol, Mental illness, Misogyny, Outing, Classism, Death, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
sib_reads'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
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Outing, Racism, Dementia, Grief, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Transphobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Medical content, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Blood, Drug use, Classism, Cursing, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexism, Animal death, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
aliasbooklover's review against another edition
- 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
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