Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

114 reviews

_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

_mi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Abandonment

laerkelikesreading's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Sexual assault, Dementia, Grief, Abandonment, and Dysphoria

cyndi1966's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective relaxing 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: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Classism

writer_egreene's review against another edition

challenging dark informative 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

turidt's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Dementia, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Murder

euhfubeuh's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.25

Why did it end like that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Stalking

imaginefishes's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

The book delves into topics of racism and racial segregation, but my main takeaway from the story was about one's desire and attractedness to the possibility of change and metamorphosis. I deeply enjoyed the writing style and characterisation used in the story, and as the separate stories of each individual began to intertwine with each other, culminating in a grand intersection in the final few chapters, I teared up a little. Strangely enough, what stuck out to me most were the parents of the twins, and the two very different

deaths

they experienced,

one more violent and the other more melancholic

. I find this book, although fictive and possibly a little unrealistic, reflects well our human desires to be something more, or even to be someone else. I'm glad the book ended the way it did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Dementia, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying and Dysphoria