A review by charity_ix
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This writing was so beautiful I couldn't give it anything less than 4 stars. The perspective the author chose to write this in made the book feel more vulnerable like I was in the main character's mind. The romance felt super intense in the beginning and I love reading about a couple who were both black. The small cultural aspects of his Ghanaian background and the discussion about racism in the U.K. that people like to pretend doesn't exist.

With that being said, I couldn't give this 5 stars because, in the last quarter or so, it fell flat.
I think their separation was not as high stakes as I imagined it and while the topics discussed were important, it felt like the book was steering in a new direction that had nothing to do with the main plot. I also just hate the classic miscommunication trope so maybe that was it.
The ending also left me a little unsatisfied. The author probably intended it this way though because in real life there aren't always happy endings.

Regardless, I would recommend this book for its amazing writing and storytelling! 
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