The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett ------------------------ 3.5 Stars

So, another book with the same challenges I've had with others I've read recently. I had the same problem of The Vanishing Half as with some other recent novels I read; they have an amazing and engaging start but it didn't keep the pace as the book continues.

The short synopsis on this book (which you may know as it's SUPER popular right now) is about two twins girls born to black parents. One twin has a much lighter complexion and lives her life as a white woman and the other as black. The book presents this dichotomy immediately and quickly grabs the reader's attention. In fact, the first 30-40 pages were so engaging, this book was on track to be a 4.5 or even a 5 star novel. But, alas, it couldn't sustain.

What went wrong? Well, I felt the author went away from the interesting characters she started with and introduced less interesting characters. Also, I felt the story went away from what made the book so captivating. The twin sisters diverging lives was the best part of the story, and it seemed like the author told that entire story, realized there was a lot more necessary for a novel, and then switched to a couple other characters to fill it out. I also felt the author was stuck between trying to make it as realistic as possible and it be fantastical; she does neither well. If it was the former, then some of her plot elements are beyond incredible in how they occurred. If more the latter, she shouldn't have spent such large amounts of the book making, what could have been quite interesting, interactions between the conflicting characters so mundane.

Don't get me wrong, the book is still an enjoyable read and a very strong story. I enjoyed picking it up and reading it and found the many interwoven themes - race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic issues - clear and thoughtfully presented. For as strong as the book started, it did get as close to that peak in the last 15% of the book, as the author did a great job bringing the varying characters together and concluding their journeys in and engaging and thoughtful way. I DO recommend this book for many reasons; just know that it likely won't stay on that pace throughout the whole book.