Review: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet 

If there is one book you read in 2020, it must be this one. It was extremely hyped so I made sure to get a copy and when I finally dove it, it was completely not what I expected at all. I will be the first person to admit that I am not the ~biggest~ fan of character driven novels. I want to know WHY the story is being told, so sometimes, I can get a bit lost in them. But wowwowow…I am so glad I gave The Vanishing Half a chance! 

Synopsis: In this generational story, we follow the lives of twin sisters from a small, southern, Black community. When they run away at age 16, the paths they choose lead them to wildly different lives: one returns to their small hometown with her own daughter, the other disappears across the country to leave a totally different life, passing as white. Though separated, the lives of the twins are fully intertwined as their daughters meet in the future. 

What I Liked: 

  • The hypnotic story telling—HOURS would go by while reading and I’d have no idea. I was totally pulled into the story telling and needed to know what happened next. 

  • The Characters—I really liked the Stella and Desiree’s daughters’ storylines. I think I was more interested in them to be honest! I love thinking of how our choices could effect the future and this book certainly makes you think about that in depth. 

  • The Message—This book is incredibly important for so many reasons. It discusses racial prejudices and colorism mainly, but it also speaks to love, family, success, and sacrifice. 

What Didn’t Work: 

  • Honestly, nothing! All I needed to do what adjust my brain into thinking “the is a character driven novel” and I was golden! 

TW/CW: domestic abuse, hate speech, misgendering, death of a parent, n-word, cancer, hate crime (lynching), racism. 

Character Authenticity: 5/5 Steam: 1/5 Overall Rating: 5/5