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"The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett is a powerful exploration of identity, race, and the complexities of familial bonds. The novel centers on the lives of twin sisters, Stella and Desiree Vignes, who grow up in a small, Southern Black community. When Stella chooses to pass as white, it sets the stage for a profound rift between the sisters, leading them down starkly different paths.

Great story - suspenseful and gripping but not like a thriller.

“There were many ways to be alienated from someone, few to actually belong.”

I enjoyed this book a lot and the many interesting themes that were present like “passing” not just in the racial/colorism context but in gender presentation too. There were layers upon layers to this book and I want a part two🤣

#SpringSkies Day 6 #Twins
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

"A body could be labeled but a person couldn‘t, and the difference between the two depended on that muscle in your chest. That beloved organ, not sentient, not aware, not feeling, just pumping along, keeping you alive."

I finally got around to reading The Vanishing Half almost three years after I got my copy, and I loved it.

Twins raised in a small town that values fair skin, even when light skin cannot protect them from racism. Two teen girls run away from home, but one gives up everything to pass and the other, after pain and heartache returns home. Two halves taking two paths that have unforeseen consequences for them and their families. A fascinating premise and intriguing characters made The Vanishing Half a 4 ⭐️ read for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️I did enjoy this book very much. But it wasn‘t as insightful as I needed it to be because of three lack of character development. I needed the author to go deeper into the twin experience more to really feel it. However I still recommend.

This was good. It was told from different points of view and also different years (primarily the 60s through 80s). It as a bit surprising where Stella ended up. The switch of viewpoints and timelines was easy enough to follow. I kept hoping for a twist or something, but that didn‘t really come. I also expected a sort of “big reveal” at the end that didn‘t happen, but maybe that‘s more true to life? Cont in comments...

What an engrossing book. All the characters were fascinating, and the way they crossed paths and diverged again was so well done. And the way the cycles of behavior tracked from mother to daughter! Wish we had had more Stella and Kennedy at the end, but ultimately, whatever. (Also: REESE!!) #historicalfiction #literaryfiction

I had high hopes for this author‘s second novel and it far exceeded them. Complex characters and a twisting plot that repeatedly surprises. Cannot recommend enough. 👍👍

I thought the beginning of this book was slow, but after the cousins meet... I loved it from there on out! #14 #2023

"You could drown in two inches of water. Maybe grief was the same."

Quick read - 4.5 ⭐️

Relaxing!!

March-April fiction
Didn‘t finish any fiction book in march 🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️.

Powerful
#pick #thevanishinghalf #britbennett

The story was beautifully written. I don‘t read book résumés therefore I was pretty surprised by the storyline. The story of two black lightskin twins, one decides to live as a white woman and another as a black woman. Different lives, different struggles and different journey. A mix of colorism,gender and sex identity and racism.

#authorofcolor #magicmarch @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Co-worker let me borrow this book. I haven't heard anything about it yet. I'm already in the middle of a bunch of book- so yeah I'll add it in to the mix 😬🤯😅

Identity, Prejudice, Privilege, Choice(?) and Consequences.
All credit to the author, given the subject matter I did not expect this to be as smooth and engrossing a read as it was for me. It definitely could have made for a brutal time, but even as it wove through various times in multiple lives, I felt like you had space to contemplate the characters' choices without feeling steeped in tragedy porn. ⚠️Racism, Colourism, Internalized Racism,Abuse

Definitely had this phase: is it a general privileged-20-something stupidity that gets knocked down by life?

Rich in knowledge: makes me happy.

Oof, self-hatred fed by prejudice as thesis statement.

There‘s nothing like reading a good book on the beach! This story really sucked me in, and I loved all the twists.

I finally finished this book from #LMPBC #15 😄

Though it was a slow read for me, I did enjoyed it. I was engrossed with the characters and I really wanted more. The ending was a bit unsatisfactory for me but it did not affect how I felt about the book.
4⭐️

This will go out next week.
@Readergrrl

I really enjoyed the format of this book, kept me wanting to read more and more. It wasn‘t what I expected, but it was better. I would definitely recommend it to anyone

Read most of this in November, it‘s my #doublespin for Nov. I was concerned I wouldn‘t like it after the hype when it was published, but it quickly drew me in. The different lives people choose, the different ways they “pass”, & how the characters connect we‘re all interesting. Really good book.

Got some good finds at goodwill today. Stoked to read them both! Also stoked to have hard copies. My last 5 reads have been ebooks!

Good story, the characters were well developed and I really enjoyed the story. Was a book club pick. I am looking forward to the discussion about this one.

A beautiful novel dealing with race, identity and gender issues and past-related trauma. At age 16 two identical twins leave their small hometown and one of them, Estelle, abandons her sister in an attempt to erase her haunting past and live as a white person. Despite the sisters being separated by distance and the different worlds they each live in, their daughters' lives become interlaced and Estelle can no longer ignore her past and origins.

Just letting my team know that I received the last book. I'll start reading it tonight so it can go back to its original owner soon.

#LMPBC15 @BookishBelle
@Kimzey @Readergrrl
#GroupT. @suvata

When Stella takes on a new identity in California, or her daughter Kennedy leaves for New York, or Stella‘s sister Desiree runs away from her hometown, they each pursue a kind of freedom, a new potential. For the less sensitive, running is easy and leads to a comfortable life. The journey is tougher for those who can‘t help but turn around toward those they love, who choose not to forget.

I really enjoyed this book. It was emotional and such a good story. I wanted to know what happened next. I‘m so glad I decided to read it even though it was a little difficult for me. I‘m thinking that since I already have the next read for #LMPBC #Round15 #GroupT, I will read ‘I Am The Messenger‘ asap and get them in the mail together. This is my last week at a job I‘ve had for 14 years so I‘m prob not making it to the PO until next week anyway.

I‘ve been absent recently. Life has been heavy. I‘m not sure this read is going to help but it‘s next on my TBR. I received it Saturday for #LMPBC #Round15 #GroupT. Here goes ladies! @Kimzey @vonnie862 @Readergrrl

Storygraph September wrap-up. Not a great reading month - I read only 2 books that were 4⭐️ and everything else was pretty middling. It was really only in the second half of the month that I got into a better reading groove.

Thank you @DimeryRene for letting me borrow this one! A beautiful, devastating book about sisters and race. This one will stick with me for a while…

4⭐️ This one has been sitting on my TBR since I picked it for my #BOTM back in 2020 (gasp!). I‘m so glad I finally got to it because this is an excellent book. Following the decades-long consequences of the decisions that twins Stella and Desiree Vignes make upon escaping their tiny Louisiana town, The Vanishing Half depicts the diverging paths of the twins and their daughters from 1950s Louisiana to 1980s Los Angeles.

My #audiowalk led me to a local coffee shop and bakery. Not pictured is the ham and cheese croissant I already devoured. I‘m trying to finish this book, plus one other before the end of the month. I want to be able to start fresh for #Scarathlon in October!

This book has been languishing on my TBR for so long, I put it in my book bag so that it could be my go to if I have some downtime. I‘m waiting for an oil change now, and am taking the opportunity to finally dig in!