Although Cleage already enjoyed success as a playwright and essayist, in 1997 she ventured into novel writing with What Looks Like Crazy. Critics generally deemed her work in fiction as accomplished as her previous work in other forms. What Looks Like Crazy earned the acclaim of reviewers for its irreverent tone, relevant social issues, and well-developed characters.

A Publishers Weekly reviewer notes that "first-time novelist Cleage, without succumbing to didacticism, delivers a work of intelligence and integrity." The reviewer applauds Cleage for skillfully addressing so many issues that young African-American men and women face, including teenage motherhood, AIDS, drug abuse, unemployment, and inadequate sex education. Vanessa Bush of Booklist describes the novel as "riveting," adding that this "funny, irreverent, and hopeful novel is stunningly real and evocative." In People Weekly, Laura Jamison writes that the plot developments surrounding the quarrels with the local church can be "a...