Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

35 reviews

zara89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Dementia, Death of parent, and Classism

vasha's review against another edition

mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

This book started out not bad; the first few chapters are a depiction of the 1950s/1960s in Mallard, a very small Louisiana town inhabited by Black people who are obsessed with light skin; they introduce Desiree and Stella, twin sisters whose identities are tangled up in each other. The writing style is pleasant and unobtrusive and the story keeps moving forward. Desiree  is the protagonist of the first section, and she makes for a pretty passive one. I wish we'd seen more of her interactions with her daughter Jude (she shocked Mallard by bringing home a very dark child); that would've been about the most interesting thing about her. Her boyfriend, a traveling bounty hunter, is possibly my favorite character in the book, though, and there are some nice bits about their cautious relationship and Jude's ambiguity about accepting him. Stella, who decides to become white and hide her origins, comes to the fore later in the book; she's very unpleasant, but at least compelling to read about!

As the book went on, I liked it less and less. It's not much of a work of historical fiction: the author only evokes the most obvious, familiar cultural touchstones in the journey from the 1950s to the 1980s. And some things struck me as anachronistic. For example, some young people in the 1980s are shown unselfconsciously using the word "Negro." They were born about the same time as me; the author's twenty years younger, so let me correct her: that word was already antediluvian in the 80s. The cast of supporting characters, too, is stock, as are details of the life of a bored housewife or of a college student (frankly, the latter is completely unbelievable). 

Now, the one thing that bugged the holy hell out of me: the depiction of Jude's boyfriend Reese, who's a trans man. There is practically not one page he appears on, where him being trans, and things about his transition, aren't mentioned, and everything he's depicted doing is in relation to that. I eventually started a "drinking game": oh, Jude's going to apartment-hunt with Reese, or talk to him about her mother, or whatever; will the author bring up Reese's surgeries, scars, etc.? Yup.... This is objectivization, maybe fetishization, whatever, not good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Deadnaming

adverb17's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Sexual assault, and Dementia

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

rustmaiden's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

lolaslalaland's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing slow-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

5.0

 I do not often read literary fiction, mainly because I tend to not feel very entertained, but sometimes I find books that keep me engaged because I feel a lot of emotions. This was one of those books. 

Twin black twin sisters born in a small town in the South pushing the bounds of what they can get away with, one running away from an abusive marriage, and the other running away from being Black. As time goes by, their daughters meet. I don't really know how else to talk about this book because it was really just about following these women across time and witnessing their life, the ups and the downs. I think what I especially loved about this book was the perspective it gave on family, and racism, and relationships, and just life in general. I felt heartbroken at time and at others I felt warmed and almost understood by this book.

If you plan on reading this book, first of all, I highly recommend it, but I also suggest listening to the audiobook. The narrator was phenomenal and I truly felt like I was transported into the book as I listened. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Cursing

this_is_lee's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious slow-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

This was such A beautiful book. The story follows two intricate characters and the ways that their paths diverge, cross and meld. It is hard to read at times but it is incredibly worth it in the end. 
Very enlightening. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Addiction, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

laurendenton's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Medical content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Dementia, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Cursing, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol

megan_bbender's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-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

3.0

To be honest, I am a bit conflicted on how to rate this book. I found that the beginning was very slow and hard to follow along. When it started to pick up I thought the book was going in a great direction. When it got good it really was good and I couldn't stop reading, but it always seemed to fall back into long, boring, meaningless paragraphs. There never seemed to be a plot even though the book suggests a specific one the whole time. I was always expecting something to happen and it just never did. It was very anti-climactic and to say the least... the ending was worst than disappointing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

marissasa's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

This multi-generational family book is unique and engaging, and unlike any story I've read before. The concept of identical twins splitting off and living vastly different lives that are complete opposites of each other, and their choices impacting the lives of their daughters in deep ways, is so fascinating on its own and Brit Bennett pulled it off in writing effortlessly and beautifully. Every character felt so fleshed out, flawed, and real, from the main family members to their partners and the side characters supporting them along the way. It was satisfying to read diverse and intersectional issues these characters went through being handled in such a well thought out way, and the author's writing really elevated her story with colorful language and noticeable but skillful use of literary devices. I was engaged throughout and found myself reading faster at times because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I loved the idea she put forward that there comes a point when you have been lying for so long that it becomes true for yourself because it is the reality you've chosen to live and believe. Once this story's television adaptation is ready I will be watching it the day it comes out! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

sjduncan's review against another edition

emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Racial slurs, and Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Dementia

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Dysphoria