A review by hardkaapi
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

dark informative mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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? No

4.0

A highly anticipated read, The Vanishing Half is the story of two twins, Desiree and Stella, raised in the small black community of Mallard. The twins become famous as they leave their town with no explanation. Their individual journeys cover themes of racism, abuse, love, family and separation. The six part book ends up becoming a multi-generational tale similar to Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing, but with more YA aspects. It has strong, diverse and well-planned characters (100 points for the LGBTQ+ representation) where even the "unlikable" ones have rock solid motivations. I really enjoyed the pacing of the different stories and non linear timeline, because it allowed every subplot to be explored fully without deviating from the main storyline. 

Though you expect the return of the twins, I found their mother's mental illness to be a very nice touch. I did feel that the book plateaued after the halfway point but redeemed itself at the end. Early, Jude and especially Reese are wonderful characters, I loved the progressive nature and the ending was definitely satisfying