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A review by m4heeen
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.5
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I found her writing style engaging and the initial premise of the book was interesting, but then it all got so... random?
I think the author was trying to explore so many different societal nuances (..?) i.ecolourism, passing for white, being transgender, and inter-racial relationships , but she got so caught up in how much she was trying to stuff into this book, none of it was ever deeply explored.
Kennedy as a whole just pissed me off, I don't know how much of that was intentional, but I couldn't stand her. Maybe it's just impossible for me to tolerate characters who get everything handed to them. She was so unapologetically spoilt it got on my nerves.
I also don't understand what she was trying to convey with that whole Frantz relationship. She talked about Kennedy having childhood crushes on Black men, and the way in which she spoke of them made them sound less like people and more like objects..? Maybe not objects but definitely not people she felt equal to. I think their entire relationship was just mutual fetishisation. Kennedy had always wanted to date Black men but never could, and Frantz was on his fourth White girl. I also found it odd that Bennett added the fact that Kennedy would call Frantz the n-word during sex (per his request). I know it's a very real thing but I just can't understand what she was trying to convey with it.
Another thing, I found it incredibly unrealistic how quickly Stella and Desiree's relationship returned to normal for the moments they were together in the diner. It felt like a lot of the time she was just trying to avoid dialogue between characters because she couldn't figure out what anyone would say in a situation like that.
I think most of my gripes from this book just come from my confusion and lack of understanding. If anyone does actually see this and has actually read the book, please provide me with some explanation.
I think the author was trying to explore so many different societal nuances (..?) i.e
Kennedy as a whole just pissed me off, I don't know how much of that was intentional, but I couldn't stand her. Maybe it's just impossible for me to tolerate characters who get everything handed to them. She was so unapologetically spoilt it got on my nerves.
Another thing, I found it incredibly unrealistic how quickly Stella and Desiree's relationship returned to normal for the moments they were together in the diner. It felt like a lot of the time she was just trying to avoid dialogue between characters because she couldn't figure out what anyone would say in a situation like that.
I think most of my gripes from this book just come from my confusion and lack of understanding. If anyone does actually see this and has actually read the book, please provide me with some explanation.