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A review by niaamore
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
dark
emotional
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
3.0
| Favorite Quote | The only difference between lying and acting was whether your audience was in on it, but it was all a performance just the same.
| My Review | Hmm, I have mixed feelings.
This book was inspired by Passing by Nella Larsen. The parts of this book that mirrored Passing were my favorites. I wanted the story to stay with Desiree and Stella, jumping between the two as we see how their lives were shaped by their values and decisions. Instead, a good chunk of the book follows their two daughters, who are a lot less compelling.
I don’t think the story tackles colorism all that well. We don’t see any consequences Stella faces for living a lie. I feel like Bennet missed out on diving deep into what Stella gave up in order to live her “ideal” life as a white woman. She shows no remorse for abandoning her family. In the end, I pitied her mother and twin sister. Stella is best left forgotten.
I also feel weird about the implied comparison between passing as white and transitioning. It’s a dangerous comparison, I feel.
Overall, it’s meh. I read this long after the craze has died down, so I can say with confidence, I don’t get the hype.
| My Review | Hmm, I have mixed feelings.
This book was inspired by Passing by Nella Larsen. The parts of this book that mirrored Passing were my favorites. I wanted the story to stay with Desiree and Stella, jumping between the two as we see how their lives were shaped by their values and decisions. Instead, a good chunk of the book follows their two daughters, who are a lot less compelling.
I don’t think the story tackles colorism all that well. We don’t see any consequences Stella faces for living a lie. I feel like Bennet missed out on diving deep into what Stella gave up in order to live her “ideal” life as a white woman. She shows no remorse for abandoning her family. In the end, I pitied her mother and twin sister. Stella is best left forgotten.
I also feel weird about the implied comparison between passing as white and transitioning. It’s a dangerous comparison, I feel.
Overall, it’s meh. I read this long after the craze has died down, so I can say with confidence, I don’t get the hype.