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aliciawithoutkeys's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Police brutality, and Racism
thewordsdevourer's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
I am disappointed to say that Small Worlds was not for me, which is unfortunate as I really enjoyed Nelson's debut novella. This novel was a slog to get through - I wanted to DNF it several times - because of the uneven pacing and overly contemplative story, which at times chose to focus on the most boring minute details over the meat of the plot. Meanwhile the writing, which I had found so poetic and enjoyable in the author's previous work, did not stand out to me. The sum of the uninteresting parts thus created a book that I did not particularly enjoy, despite the very real themes and relevant issues it raised and explored.
I am disappointed to say that Small Worlds was not for me, which is unfortunate as I really enjoyed Nelson's debut novella. This novel was a slog to get through - I wanted to DNF it several times - because of the uneven pacing and overly contemplative story, which at times chose to focus on the most boring minute details over the meat of the plot. Meanwhile the writing, which I had found so poetic and enjoyable in the author's previous work, did not stand out to me. The sum of the uninteresting parts thus created a book that I did not particularly enjoy, despite the very real themes and relevant issues it raised and explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Police brutality
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content
belarna's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
I listened to the audiobook for this read and I can’t recommend it enough. The author narrates it and this alone made me feel so immersed in the story; this is truly a transportive book when listened to. It takes a little bit to get use to the prose and the pacing felt a little slow to me, but the audiobook feels so personal it was worth pushing through any doubts I had. This is a beautiful story that explores conversations of grief, immigration, love, race, and growth.
I truly don’t think anything could beat the audiobook experience. The last chapter especially, hearing the emotion in Caleb’s voice made me tear up. Truly a beautiful audio experience. If you plan to pick up this book and have the audiobook on hand, I 100% recommend listening to it to enhance your experience. This is definitely something I recommend for those that love literary fiction.
3.75⭐️, a captivating slice-of-life story and a stunning piece of literary fiction.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of an audio-arc in exchange for a honest review - all opinions in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Racism
booksjessreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
4.5
I appreciate Caleb Azumah Nelson's work so much. The prose is so lyrical, smooth and conveys the deepest of feelings. I really liked how certain words and phrases were repeated in subsequent chapters so that the themes and emotion were carried throughout the novel in a smooth and effortless way. I loved the flow of the plot and it did not feel unnatural and did not feel like we were being forced down a particular route.
It was a lovely slow-burning plot and I have not been able to sit down with a novel as patiently as I had with this one for a while. Recently, I have felt really rushed with my books, and just want to get through something and couldn't wait to get onto my next read. I had no such feeling with this. I devoured every page and was excited to take my time, which is a rarity.
Perhaps one of my most favourite bits about this book, was not only the description and appreciation of food in this novel (honestly, I have never been so hungry reading a book in my life), but also how vividly I could picture everything. It is rare that I picture images from reading, but I felt the prose allowed me to picture what was happening, and elicited a lot of emotion. It was certainly brilliant for that.
Also, I think it is important not to compare this novel to Open Water. I went into this book at first with Open Water at the forefront of my mind but I quickly abandoned that because this book is different and deserves to be appreciated in its own right. There is something familiar in the tone of the writing (although the second-person isn't really used at all in Small Worlds), but this novel just feels different and is different. I don't quite know how to explain it.
Caleb has become an auto-buy author for me. I can't wait to see any other novels that he writes!
It was a lovely slow-burning plot and I have not been able to sit down with a novel as patiently as I had with this one for a while. Recently, I have felt really rushed with my books, and just want to get through something and couldn't wait to get onto my next read. I had no such feeling with this. I devoured every page and was excited to take my time, which is a rarity.
Perhaps one of my most favourite bits about this book, was not only the description and appreciation of food in this novel (honestly, I have never been so hungry reading a book in my life), but also how vividly I could picture everything. It is rare that I picture images from reading, but I felt the prose allowed me to picture what was happening, and elicited a lot of emotion. It was certainly brilliant for that.
Also, I think it is important not to compare this novel to Open Water. I went into this book at first with Open Water at the forefront of my mind but I quickly abandoned that because this book is different and deserves to be appreciated in its own right. There is something familiar in the tone of the writing (although the second-person isn't really used at all in Small Worlds), but this novel just feels different and is different. I don't quite know how to explain it.
Caleb has become an auto-buy author for me. I can't wait to see any other novels that he writes!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual content and Abandonment
jasminrain's review against another edition
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? No
4.0
Open Water was one of the best books I've ever read in my life and it set the bar very high for Caleb Azumah Nelson's next novel. I cannot say that it lived up to Open Water regarding storyline and characters but the writing was phenomenal. It is so emotional and powerful - so much is said with so few words. I also loved the second-person narration and I think it adds a lot to the story. Listened to this as an audiobook and every sentence sounded like poetry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Death of parent, and Grief
laurataylor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Hate crime, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Grief
flashandoutbreak's review against another edition
hopeful
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Racism, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Deportation
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Small Worlds is another stunner of a novel by Caleb Azumah Nelson. Set in London and Ghana, it follows Stephen for three summers beginning with the break between school and university. It starts off almost in YA territory with a very tentative possible romance with his best friend, dance parties, wondering what his exam marks are going to be and whether he’s going to get the marks and scholarship to enable him to follow his music dreams. The coming-of-age storyline continues as Stephen moves from teenager to new adulthood but, bit by bit the novel adds increasing layers and depth including examinations of the realities of the migration experience, of racism, of police brutality, of lingering trauma, of lost dreams, of generational divides. The power of music and of dance, their importance in Stephen’s life - for freedom, for healing, for cultural identity, for creativity - was a strong feature of this novel and I couldn’t help but notice the parallels with Fire Rush. Music and dance are not my thing but these books really made me feel their importance to others. Food played a similarly important role for Stephen. This story is one of the more powerful and beautiful explorations of a complicated father-son relationship that I’ve read in a long time. Stylistically there’s a lot of repetition as well as a sense of rhythm which give the prose an almost musical quality. The prose itself is gorgeous and lyrical, yet hard-hitting in its truth-telling.
“I tell Mum, as another fire erupts on-screen, we’re watching a group of people who are tired of being erased, tired of being forced into where they do not fit, tired of inhabiting a restless spirit, tired of crying, tired of being murdered in the seclusion of daylight. I tell Mum, we’re watching what happens when a community feel they have nothing to lose: how they turn to protest to make their voices heard. Otherwise, what else is there to do but sit in silence? What else is there to do but wait until next time? What else is there to do but wait until it is your mother, or brother, or you?”
“I tell Mum, as another fire erupts on-screen, we’re watching a group of people who are tired of being erased, tired of being forced into where they do not fit, tired of inhabiting a restless spirit, tired of crying, tired of being murdered in the seclusion of daylight. I tell Mum, we’re watching what happens when a community feel they have nothing to lose: how they turn to protest to make their voices heard. Otherwise, what else is there to do but sit in silence? What else is there to do but wait until next time? What else is there to do but wait until it is your mother, or brother, or you?”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Police brutality
Moderate: Racism
lochanreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
A tender and beautifully-crafted narrative. One of the most heartfelt books I've read in a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Death of parent, Racism, Deportation, and Grief
kat_impossible's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
*I was provided with an eARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!*
Caleb Azumah Nelson's debut Open Water was one of my favorite bookish discoveries last year and my appreciation for his writing has only grown after reading his sophomore novel. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Small Worlds hit me even harder and has cemented him as an auto-buy author for me.
Dealing with music and family, love and loss, Small Worlds follows Stephen through various life stages in three consecutive summers. While we still get the author's signature second person POV in parts of the novel, most of it is written in first person and brings us all the closer to Stephen's world of emotions. As always, the poetic prose is just so beautiful to read, but at the same time there was an added element of repetition that really served to highlight how cyclical life can be. It also makes you feel everything tenfold - Caleb Azumah Nelson never fails to make his characters' experiences feel authentic and relatable, be it joy and laughter or pain and sorrow. It is the balance of all these elements - and the way they intertwine - that makes Small Worlds work so well.
I especially enjoyed the focus on family in this one. Family is a complicated beast and Small Worlds truly showed every facet of that. I liked the way sibling-, parental- and mother/son or father/son relationships were depicted. It felt so nuanced, layered and steeped in generational history.
I gaze at my parents, and see that a world can be two people, occupying a space where they don't have to explain. Where they can feel beautiful. Where they might feel free.
Tender, vulnerable and refreshingly open, I always enjoy Caleb Azumah Nelson's portrayal of Black culture (in the UK). This one felt special in particular to the many music references, which gave it an extra spark of life. Truly, everything this man writes is just a big recommendation from me!
Fazit: 5/5 stars! No notes - this was a stunning book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Police brutality, Racism, and Death