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A review by apmreads
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
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
5.0
Caleb Azumah Nelson does it again. If you were a fan of the prose of Open Water, but maybe you wanted less romance and more family dynamics explored, then this is the book.
Small Worlds follows Stephen over the course of the first three summers after he graduates high school as he navigates a relationship with his childhood best friend, Del, his first semester of college, growing pains with his father, and finding what brings him joy and purpose in life. Open Water explores community,--I truly, truly love how Nelson builds community in his books. They are warm, inviting, and a big hug wrapped in light--identity, love, family relationships, systemic racism and colonialism, immigration and the pressure of first generation immigrants living in a place where they aren't fully welcome.
I think I loved this book more than Open Water because the majority of Small Worlds was written in simple present tense, mainly following Stephen during a period of growth and transition. I enjoyed that Open Water was told as "You are doing this..." but I liked that only a small portion of Small Worlds did this (a chapter from Stephen's father's POV).
This was such an emotional experience for me, and I appreciate the concept of this story. The title, Small Worlds, referring to the small worlds each of us are living in every day. The little things we're going through every minute of every hour, some feeling or being harder than it may seem on the outside. And the prose is the same as you can expect from his previous work--repeated phrases that show up throughout the book that provide emphasis or gentle reminders or themes. It was stunning. I loved pretty much everything about this, and I will be thinking about it for a long, long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me advanced reader access in exchange for an honest review. This title publishes July 18, 2023.
Small Worlds follows Stephen over the course of the first three summers after he graduates high school as he navigates a relationship with his childhood best friend, Del, his first semester of college, growing pains with his father, and finding what brings him joy and purpose in life. Open Water explores community,--I truly, truly love how Nelson builds community in his books. They are warm, inviting, and a big hug wrapped in light--identity, love, family relationships, systemic racism and colonialism, immigration and the pressure of first generation immigrants living in a place where they aren't fully welcome.
I think I loved this book more than Open Water because the majority of Small Worlds was written in simple present tense, mainly following Stephen during a period of growth and transition. I enjoyed that Open Water was told as "You are doing this..." but I liked that only a small portion of Small Worlds did this (a chapter from Stephen's father's POV).
This was such an emotional experience for me, and I appreciate the concept of this story. The title, Small Worlds, referring to the small worlds each of us are living in every day. The little things we're going through every minute of every hour, some feeling or being harder than it may seem on the outside. And the prose is the same as you can expect from his previous work--repeated phrases that show up throughout the book that provide emphasis or gentle reminders or themes. It was stunning. I loved pretty much everything about this, and I will be thinking about it for a long, long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me advanced reader access in exchange for an honest review. This title publishes July 18, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality, Violence, Colonisation, and Death of parent