Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

46 reviews

nina_mk's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

orlaelan's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

stefbrignac's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

elanilanella's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Classism

clairew97's review

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

glammster's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Transphobia, Dementia, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Dysphoria

Graphic description of lynching

pisces1_1318's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

4.25

The lengths some people go to fit in is baffling to me. Stella definitely deserves a major side eye.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, and Rape

littlebells's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Transphobia, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Racial slurs

lovelybookshelf's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I read THE VANISHING HALF with my virtual book club, and we had an especially thoughtful, moving discussion about it. This novel explores internalized racism, beauty standards, colorism, and passing. But Bennett also reaches into the complexity of autonomy and independence vs. familial ties and obligations. Sometimes, the path that feels right for one person can deeply hurt others. How do we navigate that? What is the "right" choice? And what influences the decisions we make for our own lives?

There's a trans man side character and...his first appearance included a few instances of deadnaming. Cis authors, you've got to stop doing this—if you'd been listening at all, you'd know this was established *years* ago. Other than that, the rep was quite good and felt accurate for the time period. (I'd like to see what trans men who've read and reviewed the book have to say.) Best of all, he wasn't a tragic character! So that was wonderful.

This story brought up some big feelings re: my own complicated family, about being/not being seen or understood. The ending was especially moving and tears were shed. Bennett's previous novel, THE MOTHERS, has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for a couple of years, but now that I've experienced her writing, I'm hoping to get to that book soon. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Medical content, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Minor: Deadnaming