Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

105 reviews

psistillreadyou's review against another edition

It's so slow! And there's too many minor details about insignificant things. Where is the drama? Where's the astute commentary about colorism? I can’t do it 😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Drug use and Sexual content

savreads28's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism

norcalchris's review against another edition

reflective 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

3.25

There was so much to unpack in this story. It was about a lot more than the blurb advertises. 

Ultimately, I was left wanting deeper excavation of many of the topics presented and characters. It felt strangely devoid of emotion. 

Not sure it would come to mind to recommend to others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Medical content and Dementia

lilydarcie's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

I’ve put off reading this book for a long time and I regret not picking it up sooner. The story was so magnetizing I couldn’t put it down, I had to continue turned the pages to see what would happen next.

I love the intricacies of the multi generational family and how brilliantly their stories were laid out, explored and overlapped one another. 

The exploration of girlhood through to womanhood was done well, along with the mother, daughter and sister relationships. The commentary on race was jarring to my sheltered Australian life, however I recognize that is a reality for many. 

My only criticism is that I felt it ended abruptly, but perhaps that was just me yearning for more! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, and Abandonment

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

beeasinbumble's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Addiction, Medical content, and Dysphoria

elanilanella's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad 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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Classism

clairew97's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

sperigo's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

God, this book was incredible. Brit Bennett is a fantastic writer. She writes gorgeous prose, and the most compelling, well developed characters. This books follows an ensemble cast of family members, each with lives radically different from each other, as they find themselves and then eventually grapple with whether or not they want to find one another. 

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a novel longer than 300 pages, yet I couldn’t put this one down.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, and Abandonment

Moderate: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Addiction

michaelion's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.5

Trying to find reasons not to give this 5 stars is very, very hard. I'm biased because immediately it reminded me of Toni Morrison's Paradise. Whether or not that was intentional, I'm not gonna look it up, but I love it even more for that.

Passing is a thing that happened and I'm sure there are still many, many quadroons and hexadecaroons walking around without a clue. I've always felt sympathy for the people who passed, and this book definitely gave me a new / another understanding. (I mean, who can be mad at you for wanting better for your life and your family?) To be moved so much by a book show just how good it is. That being said though I do not feel sympathy for Stella!

After what she did to Loretta and Reg?!

This one's definitely staying on my bookshelf.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Dementia, Murder, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Deadnaming, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic