A review by madelinedalton
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced
  • 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

I wish I had liked this more. The first 60 pages of the book were really hard to get into, and I found myself constantly having to re-read passages because I missed something. I hate it when books make me feel dumb. But it got better after those first 60 pages and then I enjoyed the reading experience. It’s overall an interesting story, but I just felt really emotionally detached from it all. I think the writing style sets up a distance between the reader and the characters. I wish the twists and secrets had elicited a strong emotional response in me, but they didn’t, and that’s a bummer. Also, the time jumps and perspective shifts were sometimes confusing, but it didn’t bother me too much.  
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