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A review by brezzylovesbooks
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
Wow. This is the first book I have fallen in love with since The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois in 2021.
Let’s get into it… Caleb’s extraordinary talent provides the emotional depth I crave in the books I enjoy. I was hooked by the prologue: “It was strangely quiet in the barbershop.” If you understand how culturally rich a Black barbershop is at any given time, you know.
Through the characters, I was able to research paintings and rap lyrics mentioned in this book, which made me feel closer to them and their experiences and the inexplicable emotions.
This love story consisted of safety. Feeling safe in relationships is not a hard task once you find someone who “sees” you, enveloping yourself in trust, vulnerabilities, and safety.
I enjoyed reading about his role in the family dynamics. I appreciated how his experiences are revealed throughout the book as you travel with the main character, who becomes comfortably uncomfortable confronting the traumas directly and indirectly experienced.
Caleb’s writing style is poetic but not challenging to understand. There were several short chapters and paragraphs that I reread because of how lyrical his writing felt to me.
The second-person narration involves you directly in the love story. The complexities of life come out seamlessly in his writing.
Let’s get into it… Caleb’s extraordinary talent provides the emotional depth I crave in the books I enjoy. I was hooked by the prologue: “It was strangely quiet in the barbershop.” If you understand how culturally rich a Black barbershop is at any given time, you know.
Through the characters, I was able to research paintings and rap lyrics mentioned in this book, which made me feel closer to them and their experiences and the inexplicable emotions.
This love story consisted of safety. Feeling safe in relationships is not a hard task once you find someone who “sees” you, enveloping yourself in trust, vulnerabilities, and safety.
I enjoyed reading about his role in the family dynamics. I appreciated how his experiences are revealed throughout the book as you travel with the main character, who becomes comfortably uncomfortable confronting the traumas directly and indirectly experienced.
Caleb’s writing style is poetic but not challenging to understand. There were several short chapters and paragraphs that I reread because of how lyrical his writing felt to me.
The second-person narration involves you directly in the love story. The complexities of life come out seamlessly in his writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, and Car accident