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readsbylaura's review against another edition
4.0
"I've often thought that being a light-skinned black woman is like being a well-dressed person who is also homeless. You may be able to pass in mainstream society, appearing acceptable to others, even desired. But in reality you have nowhere to rest, nowhere to feel safe. Even while you're out in public, feeling fine and free, inside you cannot shake the feeling of rootlessness. Others may even envy you, but this masks the fact that at night, there is nowhere safe for you, no place to call your own."
More like 3.75 stars than 4 stars.
Review also posted at Little Pieces of Books.
What We Lose is a thought provoking and emotional story about a young woman battling with loss, sadness, grief, and finding herself all over again. It's something beautiful to read along with the naturalness of the prose that flows smoothly together.
While I found the voice and writing style of Clemmons prose strong and beautiful, I'm not sure that I am fan of the style. It was slightly confusing because the timeline seemed to jump all over the place and trying to piece together when everything was happening kind of made me lose a sense of emotion that the story was trying to convey. But I will say that the way the story reads and how it was written was very unique and a part of me did like that despite also not liking it.
One thing that I am disappointed in was the lack of talk about being biracial. I got a sense that it was going to be something talked about throughout the story, but we get one good quote and that's about it. I understand that the story is a lot more than that, but the part of me that wants a story to relate to when it comes to being Black and White and biracial identity is very sad about it all. Aside from that, What We Lose is definitely a story that everyone should pick up. The prose is so beautiful and natural that you can't help be captivated by the voice that Clemmons created.
alyssiatsmith's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
canadiancat's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
An interesting read about grief and loss.
mollz12's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Beautiful piece of literature. It is a collection of short stories that show the growth of the main character.
The back and forth between her mother’s death and her growing is magical and heartbreaking.
It’s a unique piece.
The back and forth between her mother’s death and her growing is magical and heartbreaking.
It’s a unique piece.
chillcox15's review against another edition
5.0
Legit blown away by this one. I didn't have any preconceived notions about What We Lose when I picked it up, and I found myself instantly captivated by the form this novel takes, as an essayistic, fragmented, nonlinear (maybe?) autofiction. There's a much more conventional version of this same coming-of-age story that I would have slogged through or put down halfway through when it was due back at the library, but Clemmons has such a light-footed command of craft that I could have easily read this whole thing in one sitting. It's by serendipity that I read this and Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib's essay collection back-to-back, considering they both deal with the premature loss of a mother and the complex questions of black identity in America.
zaporiah's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing read about love, loss, and healing from grief.
between_2worlds's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent