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zara89's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Racism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
smurfettereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Let me collect my thoughts….
Stephen’s life was absolutely relatable, especially in terms of culture. Unknowingly, I found myself having a deep attachment with him and his small world. Caleb’s writing didn’t help either, because I lived through every single emotion. Every word. I can’t explain further but will say that it was worth the read and tears
Stephen’s life was absolutely relatable, especially in terms of culture. Unknowingly, I found myself having a deep attachment with him and his small world. Caleb’s writing didn’t help either, because I lived through every single emotion. Every word. I can’t explain further but will say that it was worth the read and tears
I feel like I’m realizing my small world for the first time and I have a strong urge to cherish it with all my might. To savor the old memories and create new countless ones. I just don’t want to remember, I don’t want to forget. Ever
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Police brutality
kirstym25's review against another edition
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
safiya'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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality
clairew97's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Deportation
aliciawithoutkeys's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Grief
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC
I am disappointed to say that Small Worlds was not for me, which is unfortunate as I really enjoyed Nelson's debut novella. This novel was a slog to get through - I wanted to DNF it several times - because of the uneven pacing and overly contemplative story, which at times chose to focus on the most boring minute details over the meat of the plot. Meanwhile the writing, which I had found so poetic and enjoyable in the author's previous work, did not stand out to me. The sum of the uninteresting parts thus created a book that I did not particularly enjoy, despite the very real themes and relevant issues it raised and explored.
I am disappointed to say that Small Worlds was not for me, which is unfortunate as I really enjoyed Nelson's debut novella. This novel was a slog to get through - I wanted to DNF it several times - because of the uneven pacing and overly contemplative story, which at times chose to focus on the most boring minute details over the meat of the plot. Meanwhile the writing, which I had found so poetic and enjoyable in the author's previous work, did not stand out to me. The sum of the uninteresting parts thus created a book that I did not particularly enjoy, despite the very real themes and relevant issues it raised and explored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Police brutality, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
belreadsbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
I listened to the audiobook for this read and I can’t recommend it enough. The author narrates it and this alone made me feel so immersed in the story; this is truly a transportive book when listened to. It takes a little bit to get use to the prose and the pacing felt a little slow to me, but the audiobook feels so personal it was worth pushing through any doubts I had. This is a beautiful story that explores conversations of grief, immigration, love, race, and growth.
I truly don’t think anything could beat the audiobook experience. The last chapter especially, hearing the emotion in Caleb’s voice made me tear up. Truly a beautiful audio experience. If you plan to pick up this book and have the audiobook on hand, I 100% recommend listening to it to enhance your experience. This is definitely something I recommend for those that love literary fiction.
3.75⭐️, a captivating slice-of-life story and a stunning piece of literary fiction.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of an audio-arc in exchange for a honest review - all opinions in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Racism
whoisthisjan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Exquisit writing which makes you want to dive into every sentence this man puts on a piece of paper. I had to inhibit the initial impulse to devour Small Worlds immediately. So I stretched the reading experience like a good meal.
This book is masterfully crafted, with lots of love and feeling. In my opinion it shouldn't be compared to Open Water, but if you still want to - it is by no means less important. The main topics considered in this book are love concerning romantic partners, friends and family, identity, music and immigration. It's unbelievable how much one can say in a few pages.
Hands down: Caleb Azumah Nelson is my favourite modern day author.
Highly recommend.
This book is masterfully crafted, with lots of love and feeling. In my opinion it shouldn't be compared to Open Water, but if you still want to - it is by no means less important. The main topics considered in this book are love concerning romantic partners, friends and family, identity, music and immigration. It's unbelievable how much one can say in a few pages.
Hands down: Caleb Azumah Nelson is my favourite modern day author.
Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, and Death of parent
evaverm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality