Reviews with content warning for Violence - Open Water

This is one of the most beautiful, important books I think I will ever read. As someone who is not Black and has been privileged to not go through the things that the author and so many other people of color go through, this book felt so important to me as it showed me so much of my own privilege/prejudice and made me understand things more then I ever have before.

The way Caleb writes is incredible, the way he is able to put words to trauma and raw emotion is unmatched. This is a story about two people who love each other but Caleb also talks a lot about police brutality, how that has affected the main character and how it affects the Black community on a daily basis.

This is such an important book for everyone to read as it deals with internalizing trauma, racial profiling, police brutality, learning to love yourself even when the society you live in doesn’t love you/care about you. So, so important for everyone to read this so that the Black community can be seen, they can be heard and we can put an end to violence against their community and people of color in general.

Content Warnings

marise_ve's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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

5.0

Content Warnings

ritanevescunha's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? N/A

4.25

Content Warnings

thxrxsa's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

The writing. THE WRITING.

"You feel you have never been strangers.
You do not want to leave each other, because to leave is to have the thing die in its current form and there is something, something in this that neither is willing to relinquish." (Open Water, p. 15)

Content Warnings

sydapel's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

Easily both my favorite and the best book I've read this year. With some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read (had to restrain myself from underlining in my library copy), the way the author weaves desire, youth, masculinity, art and living within the Black body was awe-inspiring. I already want to re read it.

Content Warnings