Reviews

Mare aperto by Caleb Azumah Nelson

sofiestrela's review against another edition

emotional reflective

4.5

janey's review against another edition

4.0

Beautiful and heartbreaking.

I totally get why everyone raves about it.

jodiedv98's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

linschi's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad

4.5

oceanvvaves's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

rebeccafriedman's review against another edition

5.0

So beautifully written, poetic to its core. This book explores the  experience of a black man; his love, vulnerability, anxieties, his joy, and passions in such a beautiful way. 

emoi21's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

clarbineds's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

oldschool_screenname's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is and is more than a love story and is and is more than a sad guy book. I'll definitely revisit Open Water both for its own sake and in order to build a reading/listening/viewing list from the works it references. 

The pacing was, at times, a little sluggish and the prose crossed a line in to "a bit much" for me in some places. It was still compelling all the way through in its presentation of the young artist's full range of complex emotions and experiences. It's possible that the problem lies with readers who say this book about a young Black man coming to a new relationship with himself and a world that seeks to suppress him is "a bit much." As a reader, there were places where the narrative lagged, but the protagonist is such a fully realized charachter that I'm rooting for him to express himself loudly and however he damn well pleases. 

mpeach's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol