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A review by flybybooks
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
5.0
This book covers lots of topics over a span of about 50 years, more intensely about 20.
Especially in depth descriptions of racism, colorism and Prejudice were prominent. While I personally can't speak on their accuracy or appropriateness, I'm sure there are own voices reviewers here who can, so I'll leave that to them. :D
Therefore I'll talk about some other points.
This book had representation, and lots of it, which of course, I loved.
There was a transgender character that didn't feel like a caricature, a character in the drag scene who felt genuine as well as a multitude of LGBT characters.
The author touched on the aids pandemic and activism, on Martin Luther King and other prominent points in history in a way that not only helped put the story in to context but also felt a little like how someone might put the coronavirus pandemic into their journal, not often the Centerpoint of a story but with obvious influence. The world felt three dimensional because the author included these details that were just slightly outside of the direct lives of the Characters.
This book also felt like a study on perspective and motive. How do different people see the world? Why do people do terrible things? Does that make them bad people? These questions were often implied in her writing and answered in part by the feelings evoked by her characters and storyline.
Another thing I loved is the inner conflict that arises about roots, identity and who we were versus who we become. I can't really elaborate without spoilers, but it's very well done.
There's only one thing I must warn about: this book is heavy. I needed to take breaks to digest certain bits, which was important to really learn and grow with this story. That's not a bad thing, I'd just not quite expected it.
I really do highly recommend this book. It drew me in and held me fast.
Especially in depth descriptions of racism, colorism and Prejudice were prominent. While I personally can't speak on their accuracy or appropriateness, I'm sure there are own voices reviewers here who can, so I'll leave that to them. :D
Therefore I'll talk about some other points.
This book had representation, and lots of it, which of course, I loved.
There was a transgender character that didn't feel like a caricature, a character in the drag scene who felt genuine as well as a multitude of LGBT characters.
The author touched on the aids pandemic and activism, on Martin Luther King and other prominent points in history in a way that not only helped put the story in to context but also felt a little like how someone might put the coronavirus pandemic into their journal, not often the Centerpoint of a story but with obvious influence. The world felt three dimensional because the author included these details that were just slightly outside of the direct lives of the Characters.
This book also felt like a study on perspective and motive. How do different people see the world? Why do people do terrible things? Does that make them bad people? These questions were often implied in her writing and answered in part by the feelings evoked by her characters and storyline.
Another thing I loved is the inner conflict that arises about roots, identity and who we were versus who we become. I can't really elaborate without spoilers, but it's very well done.
There's only one thing I must warn about: this book is heavy. I needed to take breaks to digest certain bits, which was important to really learn and grow with this story. That's not a bad thing, I'd just not quite expected it.
I really do highly recommend this book. It drew me in and held me fast.