The Vanishing Half - Book Review

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Was not too entranced with the entirety of the book. Loved some parts, didn't enjoy many others.

Its about a pair of twins who split and how their lives turn out. The book spans 1968-1999.

The lack of grief and searing loss at the death of a father.
How little the character of the mother is known. You never get to know her.
The twins, its impossible to know one without the other. And as a reader you end up with exactly that. Not knowing either.
The character of the trans man and crossdressers felt like they were added just to make the cast eclectic. They lacked depth and any relevance.

The whole book felt like it was meant to just tick boxes to meet some criteria indecipherable to the reader.

Liked some interactions, some soft moments, and that held me to complete the book. But then I was just wondering all the while, okay, so, what is the meaning of all this!

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Apples Never Fall Book Review

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, was a bit sceptical aboutthis book matching the standard set.

Have to admit I liked this book VERY MUCH. There were some parts that worked for me and some that didn't.

I liked the whole of the Delaneys, how tennis consumed their life and how everything centred around the sport. The character of each of the Delaney siblings is so well etched, you kinda start relating some parts of some character to someone you know. For me, Joy's story was the best part. Her internal monologues, the universal mommy guilt, her seething resentment tempered with reason.

I don't care much for the non-linear narrative. The then and now keeps one hooked, but the material doesn't need this kind of a tool to engage the reader. I would have wished to know more about Savannah. Such a strong character and so little insight. And then there is this outlandish bit about ONE day's tiny events so many years ago impacting a whole lot.

Like with Big Little Lies,this book too can be adapted for screen.


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