Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Press for an ARC of this title.

If you're coming to this book looking for a standard beginning-to-end biography, you're not going to find it here, and that's honestly for the best. This does a masterful job at looking at Whitney Houston's life and career through many different lenses - it's not quite as poetic as Hanif Abdurraqib's work in writing about music and performance, but there's a similar love of the topic that makes this shine throughout.

What a unbelievable talent with a complex life outside of her singing. I was not old enough to live through Whitney's hay day in the late 80's and early 90s but looking at past video clips I knew she was a special talent. With the good comes the bad and her drug use and her private life was her downfall. Didn't We Almost Have It All by Gerrick Kennedy pays tribute to Whitney's life and demise. Thanks to netgalley for the advanced copy,

The author said that this book wont be a traditional memoir, and he made sure of THAT. He actually opened my eyes to Whitney's downfall, if she had gone through everything that she went through in these times? where we are accepting of celebrities with mental illness, and we are very supportive, will Whitney have gone through all that she has gone through? We will never know. I liked the authors compassion in making us understand her rise and her downfall. This book shows that he's a HUGE fan of her, I am not a big Whitney fan, but she was everywhere in the gossip blogs I used to read, and I would even watch her reality tv show she has with Bobby, and even I was worried.

Anyway I liked the flow of the stories, but at times I felt like he was trying to convince me soooo badly to like her as much as he did, lol. I believe he is great at explaining what she went through, how we treated her as a society and where others have failed her. I was able to get to know her better through his words it was awesome to read. But I gave this book a chance because of the way this author writes which is amazing, but this book is for a true Whitney fan for sure.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Didn’t We Almost Have It All is about the rise and fall of Whitney Houston, and the legacy she leaves behind. The author covers her upbringing as a member of the church, and her voice training at the hands of her legendary family members including Cissy Houston (mom) and Dionne Warwick. The book follows the styles of that time and the expectations that the music industry held for black women. There were genres where the voices of black women were expected and welcome, and others—particularly pop—where their voices were absent. Not only did Whitney rise to fame with her amazing vocal talent, but she broke barriers into a genre that was impossible for black women to reach at that time. Her contributions to music paved the way for other black women, and her influence is still seen in music today.

Whitney didn’t have an easy road through success, however. Gerrick also covers rumors of childhood abuse and early drug use. Both would follow her throughout her career and at least one would lead to her eventual undoing. He also addressed rumors that she was gay, and the blame that Bobby Brown received when it came to her later drug problem. Also addressed is the difficulty in reclaiming fame in later years when a singer may not be able to still hit those high notes—an expectation audiences had for Whitney, who partially built her fame on just that ability.

I originally picked this book up out of love and respect for Whitney Houston, and also perhaps a curiosity as to how it had all gone so wrong. I finished the book feeling enlightened about the many struggles she faced, a fun visit through some R&B and pop history, and as a side note learned a new perspective on the history of The Star Spangled Banner (and will continue to cringe when everyone sings “free” (unless it’s Whitney’s recording). I really enjoyed this book, and for anyone who is a fan of Whitney, or a fan of R&B and pop music it’s definitely worth the read.

I have to confess that I was unable to make it through the entire book. For the author's credit, it is well written and he does acknowledge that the book is not a traditional biography. It is an analysis of her talent and singing ability with some general biographical details thrown in. I was disappointed and am still waiting for a definitive biography with all the dirt!

Just a lovely tribute to a talented, tortured soul that was taken way too soon. It raises questions about the part society played in her death. So many people blame Bobby Brown for her downfall but Whitney Houston had demons before she met Bobby. Good read.

What is there to say about Whitney Houston that hasn’t already been said ? Somehow this biography accomplishes to make the reader see Whitney with different eyes. The eyes of love, compassion and understanding. She deserved so much more from us. I couldn’t finish the last couple of chapters without sobbing like a baby. Then afterwards I had her hits on repeat .

Wow. Just wow. I was just born when Whitney first emerged into the music scene, so to say that I was oblivious to what was going on is an understatement. I can not get over some of the things that she went through and after reading this book, it’s clear as day why people wondered why she wasn’t living up to her ‘image’ that was portrayed to us in the earlier years. My heart breaks for her for what she went through and then to have her daughter fall victim to the same thing is not okay. The author did a fantastic job of painting the story of her life and even though I am finished with the book, it is something that is going to stay with me for a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Please read this book. You won’t be sorry that you did.

Didn't We Almost Have It All is a delicate and touching biography about one of the most talented singers in the world, Whitney Houston. Gerrick Kennedy treats this biography with so much respect, class, and adoration.

Whitney Houston will always be one of my all-time favorite artists and her life was cut short. She lost her battle with addiction only highlighting the downsides that can come with fame. Gerrick gives readers a history of her life and how she got into singing. Also, he makes readers realize how tough people were on her and how that pressure weighed on her.

Whitney faced so much that I didn't realize at the time. She had to deal with so much like racism, abuse, sexual identity, and addiction. It's heartbreaking that she had to go through so much all because she had a gift. And it made me sad that she didn't feel like she could be her true authentic self.

I give Didn't We Almost Have It All 4 stars. It is an in-depth biography of a legend. There were many highs followed by many lows. If anything, this book will remind you of the great talent she was and give you so much respect for her!

The thought of Whitney passing will never stop breaking my heart. This was such a great look at all of the beauty and complexity of this incredible artist.

Thank you, Gerrick, for writing a book in honor of the greatest female vocalist ever. I really enjoyed this advanced copy. Whitney was already one of my favorite singers and this book really gave me even more insight into her life. What a tragedy that we lost her so young.

I begin my review by saying thank you, thank you to Gerrick Kennedy for telling Whitney’s story in such an honest & sincere manner. Kennedy told Whitney’s story with such dignity & sincerity.

When Whitney Houston left us in 2012, her fans were left numb. We all knew her tragic struggles with addiction but we never realized how bad things really were for her. Many of us were left wondering what could have been had she not succumb to her struggles. Ever since I first heard Whitney sing The Greatest Love of All, I’ve been a fan!! But even as an avid fan, there was so much about Whitney’s story I did not know. Kennedy did a great job telling us Whitney’s backstory from her early days singing in the choir at New Hope & how her mother Cissy helped Whitney learn how to use her gift. Kennedy told how Whitney was modeled into a perfect image by Clive Davis in an effort to maximize her potential in pop and R& B music. Over the years, this perfect image would later haunt Whitney.

Throughout the book, Kennedy covered the full range of her story from the music industry to her personal relationships including her infamous relationship with Robyn. He also covered her relationship with Bobby. To fully understand Whitney, you must understand her complete story. In the book, Kennedy used the terms pre Exhale Whitney & the post- Exhale Whitney (referring to the movie, Waiting to Exhale). I believe if not for the drug addiction, the post-Exhale Whitney would have been her true authentic self. It is so sad, we truly never got to see her potential!!!

Gerrick Kennedy did a great job telling her story. This book brought both laugher & tears for me. Laughter for some of the fun moments in her life & tears for what could have been if we hadn’t lost her too soon. One of Kennedy's closing lines from the book will forever resonate with me "It took losing Whitney for us to reconsider her and finally see her for who she was and not who we believed she should or could have been".

If you are a fan of Whitney Houston and want a sincere & honest account of her life story, I highly recommend this book.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't get more than a 1/3rd of the way through. I don't know why I couldn't focus on it, but I just couldn't.

This biography was written with reverence to Whitney Houston. One can tell just how much research and soul was put into writing it. This isn’t a typical biography in the sense of a “birth to death” story, but one that makes us wonder what might have been. I have much more respect for Whitney Houston after reading her truly tragic story.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Full disclosure that these opinions come from the first quarter of the book. I'm not planning to finish the rest of the biography. This is a book about the author's thoughts and feelings about Whitney Houston as well as a book about the history of music than a biography of Whitney Houston. Also, the author's writing style is fairly limited to long expository paragraphs.

Thanks Netgalley for a arc copy of this book for a honest review..  
Whitney Houston was a great singer and performer she thought she had it all until she met Bobby Brown.  Looking at her interviews broke my heart she's lived a hard life. Reading this biography there were stuff I didn't know and broke my heart all over again. 4 1/2 star read 


Happy Reading Lisa 📚

If you're looking for a standard "birth to death" biography of Whitney Houston, you may be disappointed. The author makes it clear from the beginning that it will not be a typical biography.

This is a very personal overview of Whitney Houston's childhood, sexuality, career, personal life, and tragic death, but Black entertainment history (and Black history as well) are woven into the narrative.

Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase if entertainment biographies are popular.

Many thanks to Abrams and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I remember the first time I heard a Whitney Houston song. I don’t know that I understood the magic of the voice I was listening to at that age but her voice stayed with me. It lifted me up when I was down, it was powerful and strong. The older I got, I was aware of the struggles she faced when she stepped back from the microphone. How could we not? It was plastered everywhere. This biography goes way behind the microphone and into the struggles we couldn’t see. It examined how society and its pressure played a role in the falling from the top of one of the greatest voices of all time.

I gave this book a 3.5 because I found it to be a bit repetitive. I found myself going back a few pages to make sure I hadn’t lost my spot because I was reading something that I had read verbatim a few chapters before. This book kept me engaged and made appreciate the person that Whitney was and the power of her voice.

Thanks to NetGalley, Abrams Press and Gerrick Kennedy for a early copy of this book. A well written tribute to an icon.

I will refrain from giving a review of this book. It started too slowly and I just couldn't commit to it.

A fascinating study, akin to a sociological one, about who Whitney Houston was, what she represented, and the impact she left on our culture, years after her tragic demise.