What the community thinks
summary of 7040 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
View warnings
Graphic
Racism (69 reviewers), Racial slurs (47 reviewers), Domestic abuse (27 reviewers), Hate crime (22 reviewers), Grief (10 reviewers), Death of parent (10 reviewers), Sexual assault (9 reviewers), Violence (8 reviewers), Physical abuse (8 reviewers), Death (7 reviewers), Bullying (6 reviewers), Transphobia (6 reviewers), Murder (6 reviewers), Medical content (5 reviewers), Dementia (5 reviewers), Rape (3 reviewers), Deadnaming (3 reviewers), Emotional abuse (3 reviewers), Toxic relationship (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Sexual violence (2 reviewers), Homophobia (1 reviewer), Misogyny (1 reviewer), Sexism (1 reviewer), Body shaming (1 reviewer), Child abuse (1 reviewer), Adult/minor relationship (1 reviewer), Pedophilia (1 reviewer), Gun violence (1 reviewer), and Xenophobia (1 reviewer)Moderate
Domestic abuse (46 reviewers), Racism (27 reviewers), Racial slurs (24 reviewers), Sexual assault (14 reviewers), Hate crime (14 reviewers), Dementia (13 reviewers), Physical abuse (12 reviewers), Death of parent (12 reviewers), Death (10 reviewers), Transphobia (9 reviewers), Violence (6 reviewers), Grief (6 reviewers), Bullying (6 reviewers), Emotional abuse (6 reviewers), Toxic relationship (5 reviewers), Sexual content (4 reviewers), Murder (4 reviewers), Medical content (3 reviewers), Sexual violence (3 reviewers), Drug use (3 reviewers), Misogyny (2 reviewers), Sexism (2 reviewers), Body shaming (2 reviewers), Pedophilia (2 reviewers), Medical trauma (1 reviewer), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Terminal illness (1 reviewer), Rape (1 reviewer), Child abuse (1 reviewer), Stalking (1 reviewer), Adult/minor relationship (1 reviewer), Drug abuse (1 reviewer), and Body horror (1 reviewer)Minor
Sexual assault (14 reviewers), Domestic abuse (13 reviewers), Dementia (10 reviewers), Racial slurs (7 reviewers), Transphobia (7 reviewers), Death (7 reviewers), Hate crime (5 reviewers), Racism (4 reviewers), Death of parent (4 reviewers), Homophobia (3 reviewers), Bullying (3 reviewers), Physical abuse (3 reviewers), Drug use (3 reviewers), Medical content (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Sexism (2 reviewers), Child abuse (2 reviewers), Murder (2 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Toxic relationship (1 reviewer), Grief (1 reviewer), Terminal illness (1 reviewer), Addiction (1 reviewer), Rape (1 reviewer), Pedophilia (1 reviewer), and Gun violence (1 reviewer)Moods
emotional 86%
reflective 75%
challenging 37%
sad 34%
mysterious 17%
hopeful 15%
tense 12%
inspiring 11%
dark 9%
informative 8%
adventurous 5%
funny 1%
lighthearted 1%
relaxing 0%
reflective 75%
challenging 37%
sad 34%
mysterious 17%
hopeful 15%
tense 12%
inspiring 11%
dark 9%
informative 8%
adventurous 5%
funny 1%
lighthearted 1%
relaxing 0%
Pace
medium 71%
slow 16%
fast 11%
slow 16%
fast 11%
Plot- or character-driven?
Character: 76% | A mix: 20% | Plot: 2% | N/A: 0%Strong character development?
Yes: 80% | It's complicated: 16% | No: 3% | N/A: 0%Loveable characters?
Yes: 47% | It's complicated: 44% | No: 6% | N/A: 1%Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 97% | It's complicated: 1% | N/A: 0% | No: 0%Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 87% | It's complicated: 9% | No: 1% | N/A: 0%Average rating
Buy The Vanishing Half
United States
Bookshop US
Other countries
Bookshop UK
Blackwell's
The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.
From
The
New York Times
-bestselling author of
The Mothers
, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.
Buy The Vanishing Half
United States
Bookshop US
Other countries
Bookshop UK
Blackwell's
The StoryGraph is an affiliate of the featured links. We earn commission on any purchases made.
From
The
New York Times
-bestselling author of
The Mothers
, a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.
The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?
Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins.
As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise.
What the community thinks
summary of 7040 ratings (see reviews)
Content warnings
View warnings
Graphic
Racism (69 reviewers), Racial slurs (47 reviewers), Domestic abuse (27 reviewers), Hate crime (22 reviewers), Grief (10 reviewers), Death of parent (10 reviewers), Sexual assault (9 reviewers), Violence (8 reviewers), Physical abuse (8 reviewers), Death (7 reviewers), Bullying (6 reviewers), Transphobia (6 reviewers), Murder (6 reviewers), Medical content (5 reviewers), Dementia (5 reviewers), Rape (3 reviewers), Deadnaming (3 reviewers), Emotional abuse (3 reviewers), Toxic relationship (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Sexual violence (2 reviewers), Homophobia (1 reviewer), Misogyny (1 reviewer), Sexism (1 reviewer), Body shaming (1 reviewer), Child abuse (1 reviewer), Adult/minor relationship (1 reviewer), Pedophilia (1 reviewer), Gun violence (1 reviewer), and Xenophobia (1 reviewer)Moderate
Domestic abuse (46 reviewers), Racism (27 reviewers), Racial slurs (24 reviewers), Sexual assault (14 reviewers), Hate crime (14 reviewers), Dementia (13 reviewers), Physical abuse (12 reviewers), Death of parent (12 reviewers), Death (10 reviewers), Transphobia (9 reviewers), Violence (6 reviewers), Grief (6 reviewers), Bullying (6 reviewers), Emotional abuse (6 reviewers), Toxic relationship (5 reviewers), Sexual content (4 reviewers), Murder (4 reviewers), Medical content (3 reviewers), Sexual violence (3 reviewers), Drug use (3 reviewers), Misogyny (2 reviewers), Sexism (2 reviewers), Body shaming (2 reviewers), Pedophilia (2 reviewers), Medical trauma (1 reviewer), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Terminal illness (1 reviewer), Rape (1 reviewer), Child abuse (1 reviewer), Stalking (1 reviewer), Adult/minor relationship (1 reviewer), Drug abuse (1 reviewer), and Body horror (1 reviewer)Minor
Sexual assault (14 reviewers), Domestic abuse (13 reviewers), Dementia (10 reviewers), Racial slurs (7 reviewers), Transphobia (7 reviewers), Death (7 reviewers), Hate crime (5 reviewers), Racism (4 reviewers), Death of parent (4 reviewers), Homophobia (3 reviewers), Bullying (3 reviewers), Physical abuse (3 reviewers), Drug use (3 reviewers), Medical content (2 reviewers), Sexual content (2 reviewers), Sexism (2 reviewers), Child abuse (2 reviewers), Murder (2 reviewers), Alcoholism (1 reviewer), Toxic relationship (1 reviewer), Grief (1 reviewer), Terminal illness (1 reviewer), Addiction (1 reviewer), Rape (1 reviewer), Pedophilia (1 reviewer), and Gun violence (1 reviewer)Moods
emotional 86%
reflective 75%
challenging 37%
sad 34%
mysterious 17%
hopeful 15%
tense 12%
inspiring 11%
dark 9%
informative 8%
adventurous 5%
funny 1%
lighthearted 1%
relaxing 0%
reflective 75%
challenging 37%
sad 34%
mysterious 17%
hopeful 15%
tense 12%
inspiring 11%
dark 9%
informative 8%
adventurous 5%
funny 1%
lighthearted 1%
relaxing 0%
Pace
medium 71%
slow 16%
fast 11%
slow 16%
fast 11%
Plot- or character-driven?
Character: 76% | A mix: 20% | Plot: 2% | N/A: 0%Strong character development?
Yes: 80% | It's complicated: 16% | No: 3% | N/A: 0%Loveable characters?
Yes: 47% | It's complicated: 44% | No: 6% | N/A: 1%Diverse cast of characters?
Yes: 97% | It's complicated: 1% | N/A: 0% | No: 0%Flaws of characters a main focus?
Yes: 87% | It's complicated: 9% | No: 1% | N/A: 0%Average rating