Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

31 reviews

marabdelmageed's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Dysphoria, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

ggwillmott's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I loved the characters in this book, and how their relationships with one and other was really what drove the story. The discussion of race and white-passing was so vivid, and the trans representation was great too. I loved how almost all the narrative perspectives were from women but none of the story was centered around the fact that they were women. The dialogue was natural and well written -- a real sense of the different settings throughout the novel. 
However, I didn't find the language particularly beautiful in its style, it was more just realism than anything particularly decadent. I'm sure this was a very intentional choice, as it would have quite changed the personalities of the characters should they have started speaking in beautiful, elegant speeches; however I do think its worth noting that the linguistic style of this book did not feel particularly interesting in itself. But this did suit the plot and the characters well so definitely did not detract from the book as a whole -- if anything it really added to the realistic and vivid sense of character and place. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent

balfies's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.5

An intergenerational story about mixed race identical twins, where one chooses to pass as white and the other stays black.

Identity, self, selves, race, gender, double consciousness, doubled consciousnesses, women, sisters, cousins, twoness, aloneness, pretending, authenticating - all warp and weave over and through each other through the different women in this novel. A really beautiful study of character, and of what character means.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Dysphoria

aliasbooklover's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I didn't know I'd like it so much when I first picked it up. Loved every bit of it. 5 stars from me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Alcohol

Minor: Blood

f18's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Hate crime, Racism, Dementia, Death of parent, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

colorism

jellyf8r's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Drug use

clea's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Grief, and Dysphoria

Minor: Misogyny, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

booksandcat's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

kelly_e's review against another edition

challenging reflective 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

Title: The Vanishing Half
Author: Brit Bennett
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 
Pub Date: June 2 2020

T H R E E • W O R D S

Reflective • Powerful • Necessary

📖 S Y N O P S I S

At the age of 16, twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes, run away from home in search of a better life in the city. Ultimately drifting apart, one day Stella disappears, and the sisters' lives take very different paths. Desiree, fleeing an abusive marriage with her daughter, ends up moving back to their small hometown. Meanwhile, Stella creates a completely different life passing as white, her true identity hidden from even her husband and daughter.

Spanning five decades, The Vanishing Half explores the lasting influence of the past on a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, all while providing an in depth look into why sometimes individual's feel compelled to live as something other than what they are. It considers family, race, identity and belonging.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Vanishing Half was a book club selection, and I'm grateful it was because it sparked lots of fascinating discussions. It's just one of those books that makes you think and question. There are so many powerful themes throughout. First off, the theme of family is key to the plot, and explores the bonds over time and distance. Secondly, shedding an identity - the mere fact that Stella felt it necessary you make the choice she did is heartbreaking, yet eye-opening to the harsh realties of race. It drives home the privileges that come with looking, speaking and acting a certain way. Lastly, Brit Bennett has delivered a phenomenally written novel with exceptional character growth. The characters really came to life while reading, and the different journeys each character leads based on their decisions. While the story is slow to develop, here it seemed necessary to allow the reader to reflect on life, and challenges us to consider the harsh realties faced by people of colour. I particularly liked that everything wasn't tied up all neat in the end. This felt a whole lot more authentic to the realities of life. The twin concept is used to perfection, and conveys how each person is truly their own being, with Stella and Desiree's lives being completely different.

The Vanishing Half is an important and timely exploration of racism and colorism delving into the influence and hold the past has on generations of people. The topic of transgender identity takes a backseat throughout the story, but is all too important addition to this powerful story. While I didn't love it as much as everyone else, it's easy to see why it is such a success. It's certainly a unique take on historical fiction and a worthwhile read.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of multigeneration family sagas
• those who enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing and Ask Again, Yes
• Book clubs
• readers looking for an own voices or BIPOC read

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"She didn't like talking about Sam to Early, didn't even want to imagine both men existing within the same expanse of her life. Besides, Jude wasn't like Sam either. She was, in a way, like Stella. Private, like if she told you anything about herself, she was giving away something she could never get back."

"A body would be labeled but a person couldn't, and the different between the two depended on that muscle in your chest. That beloved organ, not sentient, not aware, not feeling, just pumping along, keeping you alive."

"'Well, maybe that's your problem,' Kennedy said. 'You tell yourself no before anyone even says it to you.'" 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Dementia, and Death of parent

abandonment, colorism, discrimination, lynching