The Vanishing Half

for most of the book it was a 2 star read for me. I went into the book thinking it was one thing and it it was entirely different than everyone else has told me so i was a bit thrown off. I didn't connect with the characters until the very end.

I bumped it up to a 3 star because i finally connected with the characters and i let the story sink in.
Idk why i didn't like this book as much as i expected, the plot and story of this book is right up my alley but maybe i went in with too high of expectations

a poignant, hopeful, and thought-provoking story of twin sisters that chose to live very different lives.

We follow Stella and Desiree's stories along with their daughters. I loved that their daughters' perspectives were included because it shows us how each sister's decisions affected the upbringing of their children and eventually, their children's lives as adults.

There are a lot of heavy topics in this book and sometimes it felt too much and the focus was shifting from racial identity, but it did make the book feel more realistic as one doesn't ever go through life dealing with just one thing.

This book follows the lives of two twins born black, but exceptionally light-skinned; one twin lives her life as a black woman, marrying a black man and having a “blue-black” child; the other lives passing as a white woman, marrying into WASP-y aristocracy and having a white child. The book unfolds as a fascinating meditation on identity, the social construct of race in America, and the inescapable bonds of family and history. Bennett paints a clear picture of the catch-22 black women face in America: to live life unencumbered by racism – to be truly free – a black woman must conform to whiteness; but in “playing” white, she is shackled by denying her identity, her culture, and her history, such that she will never truly be free.

I enjoyed this book both for the concept and the way it was executed; it was hard to put down. The writing is clean and while not lyrical, I found myself struck by the imagery and simile. I love that the cast of characters includes a trans man; not enough trans people are given this kind of real estate in fiction. In that same vein, I love that this book celebrates different, non-traditional loves: the love between a black woman and white trans man; the love of a man and woman together long-term, but never truly cohabiting or marrying; the love between sisters and daughters and mothers; the love for friends and protectors; and the love we feel purely out of transference. All in all, this is a quality work of fiction in all senses – plot, character development, concept, writing – and I would definitely recommend it, with a heavy side dose of thought and reflection on traditional thinking of race & relationships in America.

One sentence synopsis... ‘The Vanishing Half' follows the lives of the Vignes twins whose paths diverge and intersect in various heartbreaking ways after one sister makes the decision to erase her past and pass as white.

Read it if you like... ‘Girl, Woman, Other', ‘Homegoing', or 'Little Fires Everywhere'.

Dream casting... HBO paid seven figures for the rights to develop it into a limited series. I'd cast Kiki Layne as studious Jude and Elliot Fletcher as her trans boyfriend Reese.

I can see what all the buzz is about this book. It will stay with me a while for sure. Themes of race and identity, sexuality and identity, family and identity, secrets and identity - see a pattern here? Desiree and Stella are black twins born in a town in the south that values light-colored skin above all. They leave and each lead separate lives. The reader is left to wonder, which was a better life? Which was worse? How do you measure such things? This is a really well-written, deep story with many layers. Would be great book club choice to discuss.

“Stella's mouth curved, like she was going to smile or cry, her face, somehow, caught in between. Like a sun shower. The devil beating his wife, her mother used to say, and Jude imagined it every time she heard her father rage. The devil could love the woman he beat; the sun could burst through a rainstorm. Nothing was as simple as you wanted it to be.”

“Her death hit in waves. Not a flood, but water lapping steadily at her ankles. You could drown in two inches of water. Maybe grief was the same.”

It's been a while since I was speechless with how beautifully written a book was written but I am so glad it was The Vanishing Half that took that place for me since it's been on my TBR for one of the longest times.

Exploring the topics of race, identity and belonging, it's hard to not immediately become absorbed by what you're reading on each page. It touches on the ultimate privilege that white people had and still do have in society.
It touches on these subjects with a blunt honesty that I appreciated and I feel like we need to see more of that.

I loved that towards the end of the story it began to focus on the journey of the two daughters. One of which was able to grow up with many opportunities due to her passing as white compared to the other daughter who didn't get to do that and had limited opportunities. I found it incredibly interesting that it was the daughter who grew up with less that had more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I think it's going to be one that I will be thinking of for a very long time.

2-stars only for the huge hype and awards this book got.

Being generous but it was so sloooowww. #snailbook. I read the reviews and I wasn't the only one who experienced the slowness this book has.

https://tenor.com/view/frustrated-stitch-lilo-and-stitch-mad-angry-gif-5685259

How I felt^^

I skimmed through the last 50 pages for so. The book writing and format weren't for me.

I need a break from e-books from the library and actually read my tbr physical books sitting on my desk. Onto the next book! :D

I have complex emotions about this book.

From the first few pages, I sank into the narrative of the book. There was something so comforting and familiar about the writing. It made it easier to read some of the more difficult aspects of the book. However, as thought-provoking as this book was for me, I felt removed from the characters. This is not to say that there were not complex or nuanced, they definitely were; I just couldn't connect with them the whole way. I loved this book though, and will still be thinking about it in the months to come.

4.75
Oh wow when it ended I wanted to cry, coz I enjoyed being in this world and it felt like I was saying bye to a person who was so close to me.
Also one of the easiest 4.75 stars!! And another thing, if you know me..I HATEEE long chapters in books with a passion but in this I was just flying thru it coz this book was AMAZING!

The book is divided into 6 parts and the author narrates the story in multiple POVS. Which I found really interesting because we got to look at the situation from all of the characters perspectives.

The book touched on many important topics which opened my eyes to many of the situations we face in our day to day lives.

Fav characters: Jude and Reese for sure!

This hit me hard; there was a lot going on. The setup – leaving your life behind to pursue a new one – is a launching point for a powerful exploration into the ways that lies and secrets end up shaping our lives. Sometimes taking over. I'm someone who has (mostly) passed for white in the U.S., also someone who carries secrets. I recognized some of the choices Bennett writes about. I like to think that I never abandoned anybody; and that my confidences are for the protection and care of others, not for my own gain; but that's the whole point, isn't it? How we lie to ourselves to self-justify? I hope to carry these thoughts with me.

The writing: it's beautiful. Bennett's language is sumptuous, her dialog natural, her characters complex, interesting, multidimensional. They feel real, and I cared about them – even the unsympathetic ones. The story went places I wasn't expecting. I finished reading and felt a strong urge to start it back over again.

I had heard so much praise for this book and, at first, I was concerned that it was not going to live up to the hype because it took me at least 70-ish pages before I started to really get into it. I think maybe I just didn't click with Desiree's POV, because once it switched over to Jude's I got to that “oh my god, I can't put it down” groove. That is when it really picked up for me and then I really began to enjoy the story. Having all the different characters' POVs gave the intertwining stories a lot of dimension and I almost felt like I was right there with them. There were characters I loved (Jude, Reese, Early) and others that annoyed me (Blake, the twins), but they were all believable and I could imagine them as real people, actually doing these things. All in all, this was a great read and the story with the grandmother towards the end brought me to tears. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because I felt it spent too much time on Desiree at the beginning and I just didn't care for her that much.