A review by briannethebookworm
What Momma Left Me by Renée Watson

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

This is my second Renée Watson book, and she is 2 for 2 for me now! This was a middle grade book in that there was no profanity or sexual content, but there were still heavy topics addressed. Serenity’s slow reveal of secrets was heartbreaking and also kept me reading. As a teacher of students of Serenity's same age, I kept imagining my own students going through what her and Danny were experiencing, and it reminded me to give kids grace since we never know the battles they’re fighting at home. Many of the chapters opened with Serenity writing poetry for one of her classes, and I loved that aspect of the book. There were many times during reading that my heart stopped because I was so shocked and sad about what was happening. A scene between Serenity and her friend, Maria, made me tear up at the end. Despite experiencing more adversity than kids their age should, Danny and Serenity were resilient and worked to heal their emotional wounds and continue to support each other through it all. Emotional and hopeful at the same time, I was very moved by this book and look forward to reading more from Renée Watson.
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