Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

52 reviews

cwatson1234's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Police brutality, Mental illness, Racism, and Violence

anima_vestaa's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This writing is pure truth. Heartbreaking and emotional, but beautiful in so many ways. Words always fail us but somehow Caleb made them work. I am so thankful for this work 💗

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Mental illness

anxiousbookclub's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Death

Moderate: Racism, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

sib_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Gun violence, Police brutality, Violence, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Alcohol, Blood, and Sexual content

raphynette's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent and Mental illness

dinahn's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality and Hate crime

Moderate: Death and Racism

Minor: Abandonment and Mental illness

horizonous's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Mental illness, and Racism

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death

Minor: Death

◦ Death (Minor): Grandparent
◦ Death (Moderate): Friend
◦ Mental Illness (Graphic): Depression
◦ Mental Illness (Moderate): Anxiety

aweightytome's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I cried multiple times. It being written in second pov, you immediately feel the intimacy of the characters as well as the writing. The poetic and lyrical writing style can deter you from the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 
 
“We all fail each other, sometimes small, sometimes big, but look, when we love we trust, and when we fail, we fracture that joint.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Drug use

Moderate: Mental illness and Police brutality

Minor: Racism, Hate crime, and Grief

bookbinbaby's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Found the characters a bit infuriating at times, more their resistance to how they felt about each other, but had a lot of sympathy for them both at different stages of the book. The feeling-the ache he describes and the feelings and themes of loss, grief and submission/injustice/prejudice were painful to read. It was written from an odd viewpoint for me, which put me off a lot and the dreamy prose was too much at times (again for me! Others might find it appeals) but I liked the scattering like beautiful breadcrumbs the names of art and music which could provoke and interest further exploration. All in all I am glad I read this. I feel it is a story I won't ever forget.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Grief

Minor: Murder, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Bullying

bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Mental illness