Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

887 reviews

paidays's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Dementia

liloopie's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.5

This book was a bit intriguing but a sad as well. Due to the prejudice and racism of the time of the twins one twin Stella makes a very drastic but different life choice than her sister Desiree. The decision by Stella is so drastic that it separates them forever in a way that decides the fate of both. I found this book to be heartfelt but also heartbreaking.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Domestic abuse and Homophobia

artemy_se's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs

Colorism

maryconney's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Slavery, Medical content, and Alcohol

helhas3letters's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

Engrossing, perceptive, beautiful. I cried floods of tears at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, and Alcohol

_sarahleb_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

Ultimately, this was a pretty good book that touched on various important topics. However, I felt like it often just scratched the surface of these issues. I think it could have benefited from discussing some of the topics in more depth. I really appreciated the trans representation, but it all seemed very vague. I recognized that he was more of a side character than a main character, but I think I would have really enjoyed them discussing the experience of trans men, especially in that period of time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

aubreyrae_m's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Classism

Moderate: Medical content and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Dementia, Grief, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

I throughly enjoyed this book. From beginning to end the author had me totally enraptured. 

I felt for both of the Vignes sisters. As you follow one twin who decided to live as a black person and the other who decided to live as a white. I ended up feeling for both and the ending of this book felt appropriate as well. 

The author made such smart decisions in writing. It is so well done! My only critique is that I want more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

mid_reads_books's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

In 1978, in small town called Mallard, twins sneak out of their house, hoping to finally leave and see what the rest of the world looks like. But when the girls start building a life of their own in New Orleans, the differences between the two sisters start showing, eventually leading to their separation.

Years later, we discover the aftermath of their decisions, not only for themselves but also for their daughters, as each of them try to make it through this world. 

I had expected to really love this book. Generally, I'm a huge fan of multi-generational historical fictions that center around identity, family and love. This book had all that and I also appreciated the trans representation here. The writing was beautiful and the characters were all interesting. The way identity was explored in it really allowed me to think more about my own relationship with the various elements of my identity and I really enjoyed that. 

This book started falling short of my expectations a little over halfway through though. At first I really found the vague, detached writing style intriguing because it gave this air of mystery to the story. As it progressed, I had hoped for a more in-depth approach of each characters' thoughts and it didn't happen. For a book that is so centered around the theme of identity, that was a little disappointing. 

The book is written in an ominous point of view that makes it easy to switch from one character's focus to another and stylistically, I thought it was a really interesting choice but in terms of execution, it ended up impeding on the book's potential because it ends up being very surface level.

In a way though, it really cemented that feeling of detachment that every character experiences. It helped carry the concept of the "vanishing half", not only as twins growing apart but also characters struggling to fully grasp their own identity as there is always a part of them that they're running from or trying to (re)connect with.

I'd still consider it a nice book despite all and would highly recommend if those themes interest you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Ableism, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Death of parent

ezinner's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Transphobia