Didn't We Almost Have It All

You'll chuckle at the flowery metaphors, and think hard about the social commentary.

Didn’t We Almost Have it All is a difficult title to review because if you asked me if I loved it or hated it, my response would be: Both. I’ll start with what I hated, which mostly boils down to the style of writing. From Brandy’s forward onward, so much of this book is made up of (often repetitive) flowery metaphors in worship of Whitney’s talent. As the reader every single one of us has heard Whitney’s voice, we don’t need to be convinced of the power or *magic* (a word used too many times to count). But there were things I really truly loved. I loved that author Gerrick Kennedy did his research and gave us the wide view. I would not have been nearly as engaged in a constant stream of details about Whitney’s life, but the greater context of society and the music industry, the intersectionality of Whitney as a Black woman— these things were compelling. They were well thought out and well written.
This book makes a good read for fans of Whitney Houston and anyone who is hungry for more after Questlove’s Music is History