I think this is going to be one of my top books of the year. I loved Bennett's debut, The Mothers, and was excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Vanishing Half (thanks Riverhead!).

While the summary of this story says this is a book about the Vignes twins, it is much more than that. The twins are two of the main protagonists, bur it is also a story about relationships between women: between sisters, mothers and daughters. The mother-daughter relationships are so complex and strong in this story, each feeling real and true to the characters.

Even more than relationships, though, this is a story about identity. How does outward appearance define a person's life? How do you reconcile an outward appearance with what you feel you truly are inside? These are questions that several characters, notably Stella, Kennedy, Barry, and Reese, all grapple with throughout the book, leading to different reflections on race and gender.

Bennett is a master with words. I found myself highlighting many insightful and beautiful phrases throughout the story, ones I'm sure I'll come back to again and again. I loved the representation in her characters, too, including her portrayal of the two LGBTQ+ storylines. These characters didn't feel like token representation, but were important pieces of the message of this book.

My only warning with this book is the timelines. While the story is split into distinct timelines, there are times within those that the story flashes forward or back without much warning. Because of this and of Bennett's writing, I found this to be a book I wanted to take my time with, so I could fully capture all the nuances of the story. Immediately upon finishing, I wanted to pick it up again so I could savor the story once more.

TW: racism (including a violent scene early on); racial slurs; death of a family member; sexual assault of a minor