It’s not easy to review a book that has so many layers. This book follows the very ordinary day-to-day lives of a family but it is far from ordinary in itself.

It covers very complex family dynamics, issues with race and gender identity. Brit Bennett wrote all of this beautifully and has an amazing way with words.

I think the book was very raw and honest, showing how easily relationships can be made and broken. The fine line between protecting people you love and lying to them and how blurry that can become when you think you’re doing the right thing.

It’s hard to discuss without including spoilers and I think that everyone will come out of reading this with entirely different interpretations and focal points. For me, it was absolutely the family experience.

I will no doubt make edits to this review as I continue to digest it all but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you to Tandem Collective UK and Dialogue books for a gifted copy as part of #thevanishinghalfreadalong on Instagram.