Passing

This is not only a book about passing as white and all its implications, it's also about forcing yourself into someones life. I think the biggest theme is dishonesty, in various different ways. For such a short book it is full of moments that hit hard, that show someones secret feelings as well as how they think they need to behave. Clare and Irene are fascinating characters, both flawed in very different ways, with one of the books greatest strengths being how well it lets you into Irenes head.

There’s so much negativity towards white passing people and how they used their light skin to ensure they’re safety, but it has to be jealously and colorism that influences that. They could not choose if they were white passing, and they chose to use that privilege to make sure they wouldn’t be hurt. Yes, it sucks that not everybody has that same privilege, but I’m all for people doing what they need to do to live. Also, the way that fetishization was described was absolutely perfect.