Reviews with content warning for Grief - Open Water

Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

99 reviews

oz2021's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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cass_cgallegos's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.25

I had a hard time getting into the second person POV at first, but it was used perfectly. Caleb puts the reader into the shoes of a young, Black man and leads us into an experience of joy, love, fear, and deep sadness and it was, at least in my opinion, essential that the book be written that way. This MC laughed with his friends, and cried alone in the dark. He fell in love and grappled with his reality of “[praying] every day that this will not be the day.” We existed in the fullness of his life with him and that’s important because Black men are never given permission to show these parts of themselves. They are told to be small, to fit a part society wants them to play, to hide away and suppress and ignore and never, ever cry or be weak. And all the while, more Black men and boys are dying, and more pain and grief are accumulating.

I loved that this book has honest depictions of grief and pain and fear, and also joy and love and life in equal amounts. This isn’t just a story of how a Black man endures trauma. This is a story of how a Black man lives in the truth of systemic racism and the hope for joy despite it.

What a stunning story. What an important one.

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annick's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Highly recommend. With patience you reveal the beauty in the lyrical heartbreak of this prose.

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jpreads6's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective 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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aliciae08's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.75

I can’t begin to describe just how gorgeous this novel was.

It took me a while to really get into it. I found myself easily distracted during the first half of this book. I expected it to be a quick read, but that was my mistake. It was a slow burn.

By the end, I felt seen. I felt seen for the novel’s protagonist—a Black man who falls in love with a Black woman. At it’s core this is a love story, and about finding ones way back to home. It perfectly demonstrates just how love and fear and hopefulness and despair can all exist in one person, and how we might hold space for that in someone else.

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vanesst's review

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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katewhite77's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I Get Now Why This Book Is So Beloved.

The way it plays with language to convey meaning is exquisite.

I first started reading this book on the page but could not get into the rhythm of the narrative, and it languished on my 'currently reading' pile for months. However, yesterday, I switched formats to audio and just let Caleb's silky tones wash over me. I listened to the book in two sittings. I don't think this is the sort of book that you should stop start with as part of it's charm is the narrative beat Caleb has created.

The novel tells the story of an unconventional relationship and in so doing, covers themes such as racism, death, grief, and intergenerational trauma but does it in such a gentle, inventive, and beautiful way.

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