Reviews

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

jules_0021's review against another edition

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challenging 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? Yes

3.75

This book was good and very different from anything that I’ve ever read. Idk but I didn’t fully ever get completely emerged in the story and it felt like something was missing. 

vikkom's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

5.0

josiemorrison's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-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

2.75

brunadrv's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

alexchiles's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.5

hannaww's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

paulawind's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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’m re-reading this book and it ripped my heart apart again. This book is a giant cry to be seen, to not be just “a Black person”, to get individuality, to be allowed to just be. This book is filled with fear, the worst kind - the everyday one. To not know whether this day is your last, just on the base of the colour of your skin? To have to suppress the anger and anguish for years, decades, to not let it ruin your life? To be free but never truly free? Devastating read but written in such heart-wrenchingly beautiful way that it will continue to have a special place in my heart 

anastasiazfrpl's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-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

tieganlucy's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 stars - So so so beautiful. The use of seasons to convey emotion and the repeated phrases and analogies used throughout the book were so gorgeous. I underlined so much of this book because the writing was so incredible. So close to a 5 star read for me but I just couldn’t award it that because occasionally it lost my attention and interest ever so slightly. But overall a stunning book.

hadestorm's review against another edition

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3.0

"to love is to be a whole, partial, a joint, a fracture, a heart, a bone. it is to bleed and heal. it is to be in the world, honest. it is to place someone next to your beating heart, in the absolute darkness of your inner, and trust they will hold you close. to love is to trust, to trust is to have faith. how else are you meant to love ?"