Reviews

Otwarte wody by Caleb Azumah Nelson

4m3lie's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

simplypheyie's review against another edition

2.0

Open Water is written in 2nd person POV, which made it tough for me to connect, even though it's a short book. I kept getting lost with the switches between conversations and internal thoughts—it was confusing at times. The writing is almost poetic, but the 2nd person perspective just didn’t work for me and made it harder to enjoy.

The story covers love, being Black in a mostly white community, and the struggles of a Black man dealing with his vulnerabilities and guilt. It felt personal, almost like a confession, but I couldn’t fully relate to his experience or his feelings. There were a lot of references to music, his work as a photographer, and his deep love for a woman, but it started to feel repetitive—either he’s anxious about being Black in London or expressing his love for her.

Honestly, I think literary people would appreciate this more than someone like me who reads for fun. I didn’t find it relatable or enjoyable, but I can see how it might resonate with others who have similar experiences.

gitanjalii's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i crode. it was a reflection. it was so good. ive not read a good book like this in ages. 

catrinlj's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

A beautifully written novella, reflecting on the experience of being a young Black man in modern Britain, and I quite enjoyed the unusual use of the 2nd person narration. However, it seemed to lack a bit of momentum for me, story-wise. 

jaydonreadsabook'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

4.75

cozybookattic's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

azu_rikka's review against another edition

DNF pg 67
Too lyrical, bordering on dramatic. I don't like it when guys hang around a girl, hoping to get lucky (also dont like it the other way around).
I liked the anecdotes on being a young black man in England and the soundtrack.

mune118's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

emwithpen's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.0

mariam25's review against another edition

2.0

lyrical in the worst way. i love lyricism—“this is how you lose the time war” was an instant fave, i’m loving “martyr!” rn. but this was doing the most without conveying anything new or insightful. just love and racism and loving in a racist world. i’m not saying these ideas don’t have value, because they absolutely do. but, in fiction, when your characters lack any sense of personality or motivation (esp your female main character), then your point gets lost no matter how much you try to tell me what your point is. there was potential with this one, but i also think my star rating is more generous than i want to be. so many people love this one, though. i’m not sure what i'm missing.