#BookReview: What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson

Title: What Momma Left Me

Author: Renee Watson 
Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction
Pages: Hardcover, 240 pages
Pub Date: Bloomsbury YA 
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA 
Book Source: Publisher 
My Rating: 3 Stars

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Synopsis:  Rediscover Newbery Honor- and Coretta Scott King Author Award-winner Renée Watson's heart-rending debut, about one girl's journey to reconnect to joy.

Serenity is good at keeping secrets, and she's got a whole lifetime's worth of them. Her mother is dead, her father is gone, and starting life over at her grandparents' house is strange. Luckily, certain things seem to hold promise: a new friend who makes her feel connected, and a boy who makes her feel seen. But when her brother starts making poor choices, her friend is keeping her own dangerous secret, and her grandparents put all of their trust in a faith that Serenity isn't sure she understands, it is the power of love that will repair her heart and keep her sure of just who she is.

Renée Watson's stunning writing shines in this powerful and ultimately uplifting novel.


About the Author: RENÉE WATSON is the Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award-winning author of the novels Piecing Me Together, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, co-written with Ilyasah Shabazz, and two picture books: Harlem's Little Blackbird and A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. Renée is the founder of I, Too, Arts Collective, a nonprofit committed to nurturing underrepresented voices in the creative arts. She lives in New York City.
www.reneewatson.net
@harlemportland (Instagram)

“A heartbreaking and intense young adult novel. . . . Deftly conveys raw and accessible emotions. Thoughtful character development turns stereotypes on their head.” ―Foreword Reviews, starred review

“Warm, rich, and satisfying.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“The author is a natural storyteller. . . . While the events, setting, and characters of this story are definitely contemporary, the tale is timeless.” ―VOYA

“Serenity Evans is a strong African-American character who will resonate with girls who are facing transitions of their own, large or small.” ―School Library Journal

“Timely and timeless.” ―Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winning author of BROWN GIRL DREAMING on PIECING ME TOGETHER

“Watson, with rhythm and style, somehow gets at the toxicity of sympathy, the unquenchable thirst of fear, and the life-changing power of voice and opportunity, all wrapped up in Jade.” ―Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling and award-winning coauthor of ALL AMERICAN BOYS on PIECING ME TOGETHER

“An important and deeply moving novel. Highly recommended.” ―John Green, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS on PIECING ME TOGETHER

“Renee Watson is a top-rate storyteller about what impacts young women today.” ―Meg Medina, award-winning author of BURN BABY BURN on PIECING ME TOGETHER

My Review: I really wanted to enjoy this one but the voice just left me feeling weird. It felt very off to me although true to this story. This was written in the POV of a child who is dealing with secrets and her mother's death.  It almost tells the story like a journal entry which is not bad in any way but just not really for me.  I think the author did an amazing job with the voice but that this story would be better suited for someone else.  This is a story about feelings and how to process when things happen. It was a very unique and heartbreaking way to tell a story of loss. 

Go Into This One Knowing: Heartbreak, Loss of Mother and Father, Secrets, Journal Entries and Poems

 

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Posted in: 3 Stars, Bloomsbury, Jessica P., Middle Grade, Review