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A review by documentno_is
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There are a lot of interesting themes touched on within this book, but I can't help but feel the novel did itself a disservice by trying to cover so much. Certain topics felt grazed but never fully delved into and I can't help but feel it did a better job talking about race than about being trans and it almost avoided the intersection altogether.
From a novel/story perspective i felt all the characters were well written, everyone had their own story and motivations and Bennett spent enough time with each character to have them all feel fleshed out without only having one main. Some characters were obviously more sympathetic than others but I felt Bennett did a good job spotlighting the characters that were less easy to empathize with and spent time explaining their motivations.I felt like Reese could have been focused on more, and was sort of eclipsed as a side character for Jude's growth and life.
I really liked how Bennett interwove the thematic element of lying and performance into this story about "passing" and how even the characters who were not so explicitly misinterpreting who they were put on faces for each other in different ways. In the way that I felt Bennett accurately conveyed different emotions and motivations of characters and the complexity of their stories I also feel Bennett somewhat failed to take a side or really make any thematic statement with this novel which leaves the reader wondering what to make of it all. Stella's choices obviously harmed all those around her, but we are ultimately left in the same place we began with her story? She is somewhat content to live in her choices.
I liked this book, it handled themes in interesting ways and had a really solid story to back up the topics it clearly wanted to touch on. Still I didn't find it to be such an interesting perspective on this topic that I felt too changed or moved. I think the novel's introductory approach held it back from its potential.
From a novel/story perspective i felt all the characters were well written, everyone had their own story and motivations and Bennett spent enough time with each character to have them all feel fleshed out without only having one main. Some characters were obviously more sympathetic than others but I felt Bennett did a good job spotlighting the characters that were less easy to empathize with and spent time explaining their motivations.
I really liked how Bennett interwove the thematic element of lying and performance into this story about "passing" and how even the characters who were not so explicitly misinterpreting who they were put on faces for each other in different ways. In the way that I felt Bennett accurately conveyed different emotions and motivations of characters and the complexity of their stories I also feel Bennett somewhat failed to take a side or really make any thematic statement with this novel which leaves the reader wondering what to make of it all. Stella's choices obviously harmed all those around her, but we are ultimately left in the same place we began with her story? She is somewhat content to live in her choices.
I liked this book, it handled themes in interesting ways and had a really solid story to back up the topics it clearly wanted to touch on. Still I didn't find it to be such an interesting perspective on this topic that I felt too changed or moved. I think the novel's introductory approach held it back from its potential.