The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer - Book Review

Publication Date: 9th May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Good premise with a not-so-interesting lead character 

Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying (and death) than living people. It started in kindergarten, and as an adult, Clover chose to be a death doula. She lives in NYC, in the same apartment she shared with her grandfather since she was a six-year-old. 

Clover’s job and purpose are to help the dying pass their last moments in peace and stay with them until their last breath. Her purpose is her life, and a thirty-six-year-old Clover has nothing else to do. Until the wish of a dying old woman sends her on a trip that could change her life forever. 

It’s time Clover finally examines her life and decides what she wants. But this is easier said than done. 

The story comes in Clover’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts:

The book has an intriguing premise and a character with a profession I haven’t read before. I like that the story has many light moments despite the heavy topic. 

Thanks to many friends, I went into the book with low expectations and a good idea of what to expect. Yet, it didn’t improve my enjoyment levels (at least, I didn’t feel too annoyed, so that’s something). I did like a few quotes/ introspections. 

I think the story would have worked better with a limited third-person POV than Clover’s first-person POV. She isn’t a character to like almost until the end, which makes it hard to connect with her experiences or regrets. 

The chapters alter between past and present, giving glimpses into Clover’s childhood and life with her grandpa. We can see that he is her idol, and his loss makes her turn their home into a shrine of sorts with all his items intact and in their positions.  

There are enough scenes to show the role of a death doula. However, the novelty of the profession is pretty much overpowered by Clover’s characterization, which, let’s say, is not the best. 

I wonder if the MC traveled across different countries wearing an invisibility cloak. Even an introverted person has to interact with people when traveling, especially when it’s to learn the death rituals in other cultures. These aren’t the kind of things they share unless you ask. Thus, when Clover acts super stiff with anyone who is not dying, it feels more like she wants people to be perfect and fit into the slots she created for them rather than accept that they are all flawed humans and that not everyone we meet has to mean something to us. 

The other characters are almost stereotypes, though Leo manages to shine in his limited space, and Claudia is a ray of sunshine. Sylvia is the exact opposite of Clover, and Sebastian is the average guy we see all around us. 

There’s a love track towards the end, which seems unnecessary but throws light on interesting patterns. I don’t agree that the love interest is a way of Clover coming out of her shell or exploring the world. Instead, she is going back to the same pattern as her childhood. Hugo is much like Clover’s grandpa, and in a way, that’s what propelled her out of her self-imposed loneliness. So even the character development isn’t as good as it seems. 

Despite the issues, the book has its moments and makes us ponder our choices, decisions, and regrets. It can be thought-provoking if we push the MC to the background and focus on the lessons found in the ‘confessions’ and ‘regrets’ notebooks. 

To summarize, The Collected Regrets of Clover is a decent debut novel with interesting elements but manages to distance the reader with an irregular character arc. 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley