I overall enjoyed this book. I was engaged throughout the story, and I found it relaxing to read a book that wasn't seeking to create a massive adrenaline rush in the reader. There are no huge twists, no gut-wrenching drama, it is simply a story. Despite liking the easy-going nature of The Vanishing Half, this book did leave me wanting more. Brit Bennett touches on a lot of topics in this book - racism, domestic abuse, queerness, and classism - among others. I finished this book and felt I had read a story, but didn't feel overly moved to reflect on anything in particular, I felt unsure of what I was to glean from the story. I wish she had explored these topics in more depth.

I was pleasantly surprised by the trans story line in the book, and really loved Jude and Reese's relationship. I wish we had gotten more from Reese's story line in particular, but considering the four different narratives/story lines that we flipped back and forth between, I'm not really sure that was possible.

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable story about identity and the ways our communities shape us.