Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

36 reviews

sashagalkina's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Death and Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcohol

clairew97's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

something_magnetism's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

I loved how this book reflects on themes of identity across experiences such as race and gender. It contains nods to historical issues and generational trauma as well. 
I have finished this book and am still thinking about it, noodling if you will, continuing to find (new) meaning…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Violence, Racism, and Death

lpdx's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Dementia, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Homophobia

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Transphobia

mezzoanddolce's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

At first I honestly did not think I'd enjoy this. I got the characters mixed up a lot and didn't know what was going on, but then I got to the last 20% of the book.

Wow. This book is SO. GOOD.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Racism, Death, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Alcohol, Terminal illness, and Cursing

Minor: Medical content and Dementia

blymanor's review against another edition

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? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Grief, Dementia, Dysphoria, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol

mathildem's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

4.5 ⭐️

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was so well thought out and executed, with a premise unlike any I've read before. I'm excited to read more from Brit Bennett!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Dementia

Minor: Alcohol, Deadnaming, Mental illness, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

abbyb23's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

This is just such a beautiful book. I didn’t know about the trans rep before starting this book, but it’s so amazingly well done, especially as representation that lets a queer person be more than their identity. Bennett is truly an incredible author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Death, Hate crime, Racism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Dementia, Medical content, Alcohol, and Transphobia

This book uses the n word multiple times, both as a slur and in historical context. (The author is a Black woman). Racism is the central theme and racist actions are described in detail at many points.

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Deadnaming

spooksie's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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

OMG 
THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS???? 
I AM CRYING
SOBBING 
WTF??? 

BRIT BENNETT WHY


on a more serious note, i loved this book, altough it took me a while to get into, but the ending really does hit like a truck

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Grief, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcohol and Dysphoria