A review by hannahmg
Losing the Plot by Derek Owusu

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

 

I enjoyed the poetic writing; you can tell Derek Owusu is a poet. I felt transported and touched by his mother’s story. I enjoyed getting his perspective on things in the footnotes, however I think they were better ways of going about it. The high contrast in writing style throws me off. Going from a poetic-like prose to an everyday language, which felt more like he was talking to you and not writing was hard to digest and I personally believe without his footnotes I might of enjoyed it more, maybe with an introduction where he writes about his perspective growing up and what he saw. I enjoyed the interview with the mother at the end, showing how much this story is hers and is still maybe hard to express. Derek Owusu expressed her mother’s story. The poetic style helped transport me. 

I would love to read more of his works. I would recommend, especially if you want something touching and poetic.