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owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
"To trust is to love and she trusts you."
I loved this. The prose is so excellently written. At times I was maybe grasping for more plot than there was but I actually preferred the book as a cyclical reflection on connection, love and trauma. I think second-person narration is very difficult to get right and Caleb Azumah Nelson uses it perfectly - I wish this kind of narrative style was more common in literary fiction. In general, I wish there was more of this book!
I loved this. The prose is so excellently written. At times I was maybe grasping for more plot than there was but I actually preferred the book as a cyclical reflection on connection, love and trauma. I think second-person narration is very difficult to get right and Caleb Azumah Nelson uses it perfectly - I wish this kind of narrative style was more common in literary fiction. In general, I wish there was more of this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, Police brutality, and Death
mirireads'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Medical content, and Murder
nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
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.
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
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Drug use, Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence
lindsloveslit's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
2.75
QOTD: What do you to to cure a book hangover?
AOTD: There was nothing wrong with Open Water! It just happened to come after an absolute stunner 🤷🏽♀️ (Felix Ever After)
Objectively: the writing was done well. It's told in second person (you) and felt lyrical to me, both of which I'm not used to. However, it was still easy to follow and understand. There was rawness and vulnerability in the struggles and internal feelings shown by the main character, a Black man, and I can see why this is such a popular, well loved book.
Still? I struggled finishing it. I had to force myself to push through this one. I blame it on my book hangover, but it also bothered me not knowing the MC's name. 🫣 For whatever reason, it made it much more difficult for me to connect to them. That's probably just a ME problem though. 😅
AOTD: There was nothing wrong with Open Water! It just happened to come after an absolute stunner 🤷🏽♀️ (Felix Ever After)
Objectively: the writing was done well. It's told in second person (you) and felt lyrical to me, both of which I'm not used to. However, it was still easy to follow and understand. There was rawness and vulnerability in the struggles and internal feelings shown by the main character, a Black man, and I can see why this is such a popular, well loved book.
Still? I struggled finishing it. I had to force myself to push through this one. I blame it on my book hangover, but it also bothered me not knowing the MC's name. 🫣 For whatever reason, it made it much more difficult for me to connect to them. That's probably just a ME problem though. 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Death, and Grief
thxrxsa's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Grief, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol
garynoplastie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, and Sexual content
fee_20's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Racism, and Police brutality
Moderate: Death
sydapel's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Mental illness, Hate crime, Police brutality, Gun violence, and Grief
melanierigden's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Police brutality, and Racism
oliwiapre's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Police brutality, Hate crime, and Racism