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sunflowerjess's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The third and final installment of Lisa Cline-Ransome's trilogy - I loved it and I think it was my favorite of the three. There was a lot of superb character development and insights into Clem and his family, and his interactions with Langston and Lyman. You'll find yourself cheering Clem on as he faces his fears and tackles middle school.
jehansen127's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
sherri22's review
4.0
Being Clem is a companion/3rd book in the Finding Langston trilogy. After reading the first book I wanted to jump to Clem instead of Lymon. Clem's character surprised me. I thought I had an idea who he was but having a book of his own has deepen his character for me and the more I sit on it, the more he grows.
My reading of the trilogy started with the first book, Finding Langston. It is a great opener into the world these three contemporary books are set in. There are author notes of each book explaining the time line/the event that our fictionalized characters are living through. With Clem, his father died during the Port Chicago disaster in July 1944. I wish the history from the author's note was somehow explained to our main character, so the reader (me) who knows nothing of this historical tragedy would understand this overlooked event of American history better.
Both Leaving Lymon and Being Clem have made me go on a research hunt, a non-fiction tbr rabbit hole.
Finding Langston✩★✩
Leaving Lymon✩★✩★✩
Being Clem ✩★✩★
My reading of the trilogy started with the first book, Finding Langston. It is a great opener into the world these three contemporary books are set in. There are author notes of each book explaining the time line/the event that our fictionalized characters are living through. With Clem, his father died during the Port Chicago disaster in July 1944. I wish the history from the author's note was somehow explained to our main character, so the reader (me) who knows nothing of this historical tragedy would understand this overlooked event of American history better.
Both Leaving Lymon and Being Clem have made me go on a research hunt, a non-fiction tbr rabbit hole.
Finding Langston✩★✩
Leaving Lymon✩★✩★✩
Being Clem ✩★✩★
megnews's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
booksbeyondtime's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.5
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, and Death of parent
alenka's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Quick disclaimer - I have not read the other two books in Cline-Ransome's trilogy! Both Leaving Lymon and this final book, Being Clem, are described as companion novels to Finding Langston. This story of course follows Clem AKA Clemson Thurber Jr., whose father is killed during the Port Chicago disaster when he's just nine years old. Clem's father left for the Navy when he was only five, so he has few memories of him. However, the loss is devastating for Clem's mother, who falls into a depression that her sisters and daughters help drag her out of. Unable to find work as a secretary - a job for which she went to college and is extremely qualified - Clem's mother is forced to work as a maid. Clem grows up somewhat under his beloved father's shadow, struggling to feel like he will ever be brave enough or big enough - both physically and metaphorically - to follow in Clemson Sr.'s footsteps. Clem dreams of joining the Navy in order to do so, but when swimming lessons become available he discovers that he's terrified of water because of the disaster that killed his father.
This story has a slower pace and a somewhat unconventional structure, focusing on Clem's emotional arc rather than coming to a specific climax at the 2/3 point. The characters are all wonderful - Clem's sisters, Annette and Clarisse, are unique characters who carry their own grief very differently. Annette is very much like their mother and holds a lot inside, trying to be as focused and helpful as she can. Clarisse is the opposite - forging her own path regardless of what others want for her, seeking affection and attention from others. Clem's intense schoolteacher aunts contrast his wild and outgoing Milwaukee family, but all are loving and create a community that Clem adores. He takes lessons from his cousins, his friends - both the friends that are bullies and the friends that are bullied - and learns that bravery and fear can exist side by side.
Having not read Finding Langston, I struggled at times with the pacing/structure. The story does NOT drag, I really do think my issue is that I read a companion novel without having read the first book, so I didn't have familiar anchors to be excited about. I knew Langston and Lymon were characters I was meant to know since their names are in the titles of the other two books, but I wasn't eagerly waiting for them to show up. Without these sort of anchor points, there were times where I kind felt like nothing was happening? Not that the emotional arc of Clem's growth wasn't compelling, it was just hard to stay engaged without having that background framework from the other two books.
I have returned to add another thought - the Author's Note at the end, in which Cline-Ransome provides more historical context for all the events reference in the story, is really good! However it made me want more of that context to be baked into the novel itself. When Clem mentioned his mother constantly going to NAACP meetings, I thought at some point she might take him with her to see why she was going, but she never does - she never even really talks about them. Clem experiences so much of these events at a distance, which makes sense considering how protective his family is, but it made me feel like I was missing a cool sneak peek into those events.
This story has a slower pace and a somewhat unconventional structure, focusing on Clem's emotional arc rather than coming to a specific climax at the 2/3 point. The characters are all wonderful - Clem's sisters, Annette and Clarisse, are unique characters who carry their own grief very differently. Annette is very much like their mother and holds a lot inside, trying to be as focused and helpful as she can. Clarisse is the opposite - forging her own path regardless of what others want for her, seeking affection and attention from others. Clem's intense schoolteacher aunts contrast his wild and outgoing Milwaukee family, but all are loving and create a community that Clem adores. He takes lessons from his cousins, his friends - both the friends that are bullies and the friends that are bullied - and learns that bravery and fear can exist side by side.
Having not read Finding Langston, I struggled at times with the pacing/structure. The story does NOT drag, I really do think my issue is that I read a companion novel without having read the first book, so I didn't have familiar anchors to be excited about. I knew Langston and Lymon were characters I was meant to know since their names are in the titles of the other two books, but I wasn't eagerly waiting for them to show up. Without these sort of anchor points, there were times where I kind felt like nothing was happening? Not that the emotional arc of Clem's growth wasn't compelling, it was just hard to stay engaged without having that background framework from the other two books.
I have returned to add another thought - the Author's Note at the end, in which Cline-Ransome provides more historical context for all the events reference in the story, is really good! However it made me want more of that context to be baked into the novel itself. When Clem mentioned his mother constantly going to NAACP meetings, I thought at some point she might take him with her to see why she was going, but she never does - she never even really talks about them. Clem experiences so much of these events at a distance, which makes sense considering how protective his family is, but it made me feel like I was missing a cool sneak peek into those events.
craftyanty's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? Yes
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me access to the audio book version of this book.
This story centers around Clem, an African-American boy growing up in Chicago with his mother and two sisters. Throughout the book, you get to witness as Clem faces typical coming-of-age struggles. All along the way, you will find yourself rooting for Clem to make the right decisions and come out on top. I found Clem to be very likeable, and I especially enjoyed his relationship with his sisters. Their back and forth banter came through as genuine and made me chuckle a couple of times.
The author has managed to skillfully intertwine pieces of Black History and the struggles of African-Americans throughout the story in a way that adds to the narrative and gives the reader more to learn about. From the teacher standpoint, I can easily see this book being used to spark discussion and/or research about various topics such as the Great Migration and the treatment of Blacks in the military. Her Author's Note is a great place to begin to learn more.
Although this book is the third book of a trilogy, it does well as a stand-alone as well. However, having gotten to meet Langston and Lymon in this book, I'm now eager to learn their stories by reading the other books in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will be recommending it to students and teachers every chance I get.
That said, I'd like to add a few things about the audio recording. The narrator has a great voice and is very easy to listen to, but his inflections often didn't seem quite right and that caused me to become distracted many times. Also, there are some fixes (at least three) that need to be made to the editing because a phrase was repeated, a line of dialogue was missed, etc. I hope these can be corrected before the audio book is released to the public.
This story centers around Clem, an African-American boy growing up in Chicago with his mother and two sisters. Throughout the book, you get to witness as Clem faces typical coming-of-age struggles. All along the way, you will find yourself rooting for Clem to make the right decisions and come out on top. I found Clem to be very likeable, and I especially enjoyed his relationship with his sisters. Their back and forth banter came through as genuine and made me chuckle a couple of times.
The author has managed to skillfully intertwine pieces of Black History and the struggles of African-Americans throughout the story in a way that adds to the narrative and gives the reader more to learn about. From the teacher standpoint, I can easily see this book being used to spark discussion and/or research about various topics such as the Great Migration and the treatment of Blacks in the military. Her Author's Note is a great place to begin to learn more.
Although this book is the third book of a trilogy, it does well as a stand-alone as well. However, having gotten to meet Langston and Lymon in this book, I'm now eager to learn their stories by reading the other books in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will be recommending it to students and teachers every chance I get.
That said, I'd like to add a few things about the audio recording. The narrator has a great voice and is very easy to listen to, but his inflections often didn't seem quite right and that caused me to become distracted many times. Also, there are some fixes (at least three) that need to be made to the editing because a phrase was repeated, a line of dialogue was missed, etc. I hope these can be corrected before the audio book is released to the public.
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