Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Vanishing Half

The book delves into topics of racism and racial segregation, but my main takeaway from the story was about one's desire and attractedness to the possibility of change and metamorphosis. I deeply enjoyed the writing style and characterisation used in the story, and as the separate stories of each individual began to intertwine with each other, culminating in a grand intersection in the final few chapters, I teared up a little. Strangely enough, what stuck out to me most were the parents of the twins, and the two very different

deaths

they experienced,

one more violent and the other more melancholic

. I find this book, although fictive and possibly a little unrealistic, reflects well our human desires to be something more, or even to be someone else. I'm glad the book ended the way it did.

Content Warnings

ienbdri's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

rachelblair's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

Content Warnings

dandan10's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

accidentalfolklore's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

4.25 Stars: Exceptional - A truly exceptional book that deserves to be celebrated for its originality, depth, and impact. It pushes the boundaries of storytelling and challenges readers to think deeply about the world around them. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates the power of literature to inspire, educate, and entertain.

Great book that had me invested in the story and characters. The ending is a little flat as others have mentioned. That’s because this story is more about the characters and how people grow over time. Thing about something like the Color Purple, Fried Green Tomatoes, Where the Crawdads Sing. I get the same vibe from those books where you have a rich world and characters who are enveloped in it with feeling separate from it. I loved the addition of an LGBTQ+ character. Im on the spectrum but a different one. I felt it was done very authentically but I’ll let people who identify in that category speak on how well it was portrayed. I’m being vague only for spoiler purposes since I wasn’t expecting it but loved how it was introduced and evolved with story progression.

Content Warnings

rarasreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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

This book centers on two Black twin sisters, Stella and Desiree, whose paths diverge over time as one sister passes over as White while the other does not. Spanning decades and various cities, we follow the lives of not only the Vignes Twins but also that of their children as they navigate their own challenges.

I found the writing and story engaging and expansive in relation to the content covered. This book compels one to reflect on race, gender, colorism, family, and the overarching theme of identity from an individual and societal perspective. However, I believe the very breadth of the topics serves as a slight drawback as the author was unable to illustrate it all in as much depth. This did not do justice to several of the characters’ narratives.

I also felt like the twins’ dynamic and their story was not as central to the plot given how much the book weaves between multiple storylines and POVs. I was ultimately not impressed by how the story unfolded for Stella and Desiree as the ending felt lackluster and much more to be desired.

I still think this is an important read that additionally makes a great selection for book clubs.

Content Warnings

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

I was pulled in right away! Its been a long time that a foreword has made me say “oh this is going to be a great book” 💜

A beautiful story that I didn’t want to put down but also wanted to take my time with it! I marked a lot of passages with quotes that struck me or made me think.

Chapters could be a little long for my taste but I didn’t always mind it. I was intrigued and captivated by the well-developed, complex characters! I especially enjoyed the switching POVs and spanning across years/decades to follow the twins and the family. There were times I hated characters and other times I sympathized with them.

I’ve never read a book quite like this and I’ll definitely be reading more from Brit Bennett!

Content Warnings

meganm1587's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

Content Warnings

More...