Clemmons' debut novel What We Lose was published by Viking in 2017. The book was loosely based on Clemmons' own experience being the primary caregiver for her mother when she died of cancer, and was described by The Guardian as "highly experimental, told in intimate vignettes including blogposts, photos, hand-drawn charts and hip-hop lyrics". It received broad critical acclaim, with Vogue calling What We Lose the best debut novel of the year. Writing in The New Yorker, Doreen St. Félix situated the book as part of the literary canon of the black diaspora, noting its thematic emphasis on haunting.
