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A review by aliciae08
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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 can’t begin to describe just how gorgeous this novel was.
It took me a while to really get into it. I found myself easily distracted during the first half of this book. I expected it to be a quick read, but that was my mistake. It was a slow burn.
By the end, I felt seen. I felt seen for the novel’s protagonist—a Black man who falls in love with a Black woman. At it’s core this is a love story, and about finding ones way back to home. It perfectly demonstrates just how love and fear and hopefulness and despair can all exist in one person, and how we might hold space for that in someone else.
It took me a while to really get into it. I found myself easily distracted during the first half of this book. I expected it to be a quick read, but that was my mistake. It was a slow burn.
By the end, I felt seen. I felt seen for the novel’s protagonist—a Black man who falls in love with a Black woman. At it’s core this is a love story, and about finding ones way back to home. It perfectly demonstrates just how love and fear and hopefulness and despair can all exist in one person, and how we might hold space for that in someone else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Grief, and Violence