Reviews

This is a magnificent short book. The writing is painful, sharp but beautifully. Like being stabbed by an artistically embossed icicle. It looks like a novella but it reads like a poetry collection. I was reminded, as a result of its emotional rawness, of 'By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept' by Elizabeth Smart.

It's the story of K, a child of immigrants from Ghana, who lives in Tottenham. Although he's fostered in the countryside at one point. K goes through the wringer: racism, poverty, violence, addiction, self-harm, suicide attempts, mental health issues. And it is laid out in all its painful reality. There is no sugar coating here.

This seems to be based on Derek Owusu's own experiences, which makes his willingness to lay everything out for us to see feel even more powerful. This isn't an easy book to read, but it is absolutely worth reading.

grace_holden1432's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

thebobsphere's review

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4.0

It looks like I’ve had a good novella filled week. This time it’s Derek Owusu’s debut book, That Reminds Me. Once again, as many of the books I read this week, TRM challenges what fiction actually is.

The story is told in page long fragments: The main protagonist, K, is abandoned by his mother in order to live in a foster family, only to return to his mother again. In the process, he goes through all the trials of growing up: love, drugs and later on, in order to reflect the fragmented style of the book, breakdown. All is told in a poetic language.

Although fiction, That Reminds me feels like a personal account. The language is strong and hits that emotional core. The reader feels k’s sense of abandonment and longing and his dalliances with the opposite sex.

As with Open Water Derek Owusu also talks about the role of a black young man in British society. Although there are more references to Grime and street culture (the book is published under Stormzy’s Merky imprint). This is a book about masculinity but, as seen, masculinity does not mean machismo or violence but the more sensitive side of the male psyche.

That Reminds Me, although has it’s dark moments, has many beautiful scenes. It’s proof how beautiful language can help convey these feelings but keep a strong aesthetic sense at the same time. A singular novella and for a debut it’s quite a striking one as well.

readsbyl's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

blairmahoney's review against another edition

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3.0

Interesting narrative composed of prose poems that at times sound like slam poetry. Oblique narration that I couldn't quite connect with.

mushypeasonearth's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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