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sharkemoji's reviews
79 reviews
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
3.0
Overall, this was a good book that I would recommend, but at specific instances it felt both ridiculous and lacking in nuances necessary for such comparisons between white passing and cis passing.
The daughters felt like more of a focus than the actual main characters of Stella and Desiree, who were in my opinion much more interesting. The lack of Desiree after Jude leaves for college was a bit disappointing, and Kennedy was honestly rather annoying. Stella was given almost no interiority beyond woman who lied about being white, and the sort of reflections on white housewife oppression is seriously lacking in any sort of depth or reality. I don't know. It felt like a book that wanted to do too much, that included trans and queer characters as a way to add more complexities rather than because they actually should be there... it was enjoyable but I didn't find it as.... satisfying as I hoped. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Jude was interesting and had depth, but she was about it. Kennedy felt like she had depth but she didn't really have anything other than like. idk. my mom doesnt make sense to me.
The daughters felt like more of a focus than the actual main characters of Stella and Desiree, who were in my opinion much more interesting. The lack of Desiree after Jude leaves for college was a bit disappointing, and Kennedy was honestly rather annoying. Stella was given almost no interiority beyond woman who lied about being white, and the sort of reflections on white housewife oppression is seriously lacking in any sort of depth or reality. I don't know. It felt like a book that wanted to do too much, that included trans and queer characters as a way to add more complexities rather than because they actually should be there... it was enjoyable but I didn't find it as.... satisfying as I hoped. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Jude was interesting and had depth, but she was about it. Kennedy felt like she had depth but she didn't really have anything other than like. idk. my mom doesnt make sense to me.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
3.0
this book was... an experience.
the mother was evil... she is so obsessed with "helping" people and yet what does she do? who does she help? how does any of that outweigh the destruction she does to her own family. ruin your kids lives but its okay because you go to india to help the poor?
it does make me think about the illusion that so many people are obsessed with creating, that they are somehow poor despite living in abundance, and the sort of... hypocrisy that exists in philanthropy. that there are some people who inherently need help, or that there is no way to move between class ethically. idk if this makes sense.
i liked this book but also i hated it so much.
the mother was evil... she is so obsessed with "helping" people and yet what does she do? who does she help? how does any of that outweigh the destruction she does to her own family. ruin your kids lives but its okay because you go to india to help the poor?
it does make me think about the illusion that so many people are obsessed with creating, that they are somehow poor despite living in abundance, and the sort of... hypocrisy that exists in philanthropy. that there are some people who inherently need help, or that there is no way to move between class ethically. idk if this makes sense.
i liked this book but also i hated it so much.