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A review by jaymoran
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
4.0
Desiree and Stella, Mallard's girls. As they grew, they no longer seemed like one body split in two, but two bodies poured into one, each pulling it in her own way.
The Vanishing Half was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 so I went into this book with very high expectations, the majority of which were met.
I would describe this novel as a response of sorts to Passing by Nella Larsen, which looks at two women who meet again as adults, one of them living as a white woman who is married to a racist white man. It also reminded me a little of Toni Morrison's Sula in the way that it explores a relationship between two women and how their paths diverge so vastly later in life that they it can't be entirely mended.
The Vanishing Half is about being incomplete; a sense of loss trickling down generations, pervading relationships, and influencing the choices they make. Be it death, estrangement, change of identity, or opportunities missed, Bennett explores loss in a very engaging, realistic way, and I found myself completely immersed in this story.
Bennett's characters are nuanced, complex creations, and I don't think she was afraid of making any of them unlikeable - they're flawed and make some poor decisions, but they're not irredeemable. Without spoiling anything, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction Bennett took with the character Reese, and I think she handled his storyline very well - his relationship with Jude was also honest and extremely refreshing. I very much enjoyed Stella's section of the book, where we first reunite with her and catch up with what her life has been like since leaving Desiree. We learn about the first time she realised she could 'pass', her relationship with her husband and daughter, and how she is terrified of being caught in this lie, particularly when a black family move in across the street.
Personally, I wanted to learn a little bit more about Desiree and Stella when they were younger. I would've really loved a few more chapters about them growing up, learning a bit more about their relationship before they left Mallard, and, while I liked that the book jumped back and forth in time, there were some sections I found more compelling and wanted to read more about. To me, it felt like the novel dropped Desiree as a character the moment Jude came into the picture and I wish she had been in the book more.
Overall, I really want to read more from Brit Bennett and will hopefully pick up The Mothers soon.
The Vanishing Half was one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 so I went into this book with very high expectations, the majority of which were met.
I would describe this novel as a response of sorts to Passing by Nella Larsen, which looks at two women who meet again as adults, one of them living as a white woman who is married to a racist white man. It also reminded me a little of Toni Morrison's Sula in the way that it explores a relationship between two women and how their paths diverge so vastly later in life that they it can't be entirely mended.
The Vanishing Half is about being incomplete; a sense of loss trickling down generations, pervading relationships, and influencing the choices they make. Be it death, estrangement, change of identity, or opportunities missed, Bennett explores loss in a very engaging, realistic way, and I found myself completely immersed in this story.
Bennett's characters are nuanced, complex creations, and I don't think she was afraid of making any of them unlikeable - they're flawed and make some poor decisions, but they're not irredeemable. Without spoiling anything, I was pleasantly surprised by the direction Bennett took with the character Reese, and I think she handled his storyline very well - his relationship with Jude was also honest and extremely refreshing. I very much enjoyed Stella's section of the book, where we first reunite with her and catch up with what her life has been like since leaving Desiree. We learn about the first time she realised she could 'pass', her relationship with her husband and daughter, and how she is terrified of being caught in this lie, particularly when a black family move in across the street.
Personally, I wanted to learn a little bit more about Desiree and Stella when they were younger. I would've really loved a few more chapters about them growing up, learning a bit more about their relationship before they left Mallard, and, while I liked that the book jumped back and forth in time, there were some sections I found more compelling and wanted to read more about. To me, it felt like the novel dropped Desiree as a character the moment Jude came into the picture and I wish she had been in the book more.
Overall, I really want to read more from Brit Bennett and will hopefully pick up The Mothers soon.