Reviews with content warning for Violence - Open water

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Open water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

109 reviews

baielleebooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5

Really magnificent at the sentence level; lyrical, moving and referential. A sonorous love story coloured with vital renderings of trauma, masculinity, and tenderness, and a poignant exploration of what it means at the soul level to inhabit a Black body in a world made hostile and prejudiced.

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grxcequinn's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

3.0

Not a huge fan of the writing style, it was definitely very poetic, just too repetitive. Very like a Frank Ocean song (he even got a little reference!)

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biobeetle's review against another edition

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challenging 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? Yes

4.5

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bibliomich's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

I'll start by saying that Caleb Azumah Nelson's writing is absolutely beautiful, and I would happily read more of his work. Because of the beautiful prose, I enjoyed much of Open Water, though overall there was something about the pacing that didn't quite work for me. The book felt like it either needed to be a shorter novella that really honed in on the themes or a longer book with more plot points. It fell somewhere in the middle, and I found myself both wanting more and also feeling like there were scenes that didn't quite fit. I know lots of readers loved this one, and I can absolutely see why. Overall I would recommend this book if you're looking for a poetic piece of literary fiction.

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nicoless's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

In this nightmare, there is only water lapping at your feet, nipping at your heels. Show me your scars, the monster asks. Show me where the snake wrapped itself around your arm and sunk its teeth into soft flesh. You roll up your sleeves and show him the holes littering your limbs. Come out of the shadows, he says. There’s no solace in the shade. Show me where it hurt, he says. Don’t wait for the water to rise. The water won’t save you. You look down and see a warbled reflection in the ripple of the black depths. God has many faces. Many voices. A song in the darkness. Have faith. Suck at the snake’s bite, spit out the venom at your feet. To swallow is to suppress. To be you is to apologize and often that apology comes in the form of suppression, and that suppression is indiscriminate. Spit it out. Don’t wait for the water to rise. Don’t apologize. Forgive yourself.

Life is, sometimes, a nightmare in which I am drowning. And the demons that belong to hell are mine then. I wonder: why do I take that ownership?.
In Open Water Someone's truth is repeated in crescendo until it upsets me, because, if to be me is to apologize and often that apology comes in the form of suppression, and that suppression is indiscriminate; when someone tells me their truth (again and again) as if it's mine -and it is-, it's inconvenient.

-I'm trying not to drown out here, while drowning inside.

I've known most of these feelings, but some of these heart wrenching experiences were foreign to me until recent; "You have known him by many names, but today he was Daniel."

This poetic prose is an exploration of the Inner Being; Trauma as a result of Police Brutality; as well as Love and Relationships of a Black experience.
I'm grateful to dive into this flow of Pain, Fear, Love, Rawness and Rhythm.

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raebennison's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

My God. I'm not being dramatic when I say this book has changed my outlook on so many things. Love, being seen, music, and an insight into the black identity.

You never learn their names but that doesn't matter.Their love and the end of their relationship is so poetic and beautifully written that it almost felt like I was in the relationship myself.

I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It is a must-read. I've never read love captured like this, but it's exactly how it feels.
Also reading with Caleb Azumah Nelson's playlist 'open water' really enhances the book.

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ssolov's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

2.5

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kap7818's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative medium-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? No

5.0

This book blew me away. It’s written in a stream of consciousness style, but gives you a really deep insight into the lives of black people and their experiences. I loved this book. It gave me a new understanding and perspective.

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sadhbhprice's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-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

4.75

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af666014's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

A really beautiful reflection of experience as Black in the UK - I liked the interwoven themes of joy and also sadness. The style, while beautiful, was hard to read at times.

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