A review by readnext
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I really wanted to like this one but unfortunately the writing style didn't work for me. It is written often as poetry, which is a form of literature I struggle to connect to. The pronounced way in which it was written drew me away from the narrative between the two main characters. As a result, I was constantly distracted, and it took me a while to finish a relatively short book. Open Water has many important themes and is beautifully written, so I don't think this review should dissuade you from picking it up! It is mostly a case of me not being able to connect with the story through the second person narration.