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sydapel's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
laurareads87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content warnings: racism, discrimination, police brutality, grief, death of a parent, drug & alcohol use
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
sandwiiche's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
this story is about the struggles of immigrant families, and how they strive to build a new place they can call home. it's a story about loss, the grievance of loved ones, but also the loss of purpose and connection. the story truly heroes the idea that when all else fails, when words cannot express one's thoughts and feelings, it is through the language of song and dance that allows one to voice their heart's truest emotions. it is the space created by music, by letting yourself get lost in the rhythm that gives an individual the opportunity to feel, to open their heart up to the wounds of the past, the joys of the present, and the hopes for the future. ultimately, it is a narrative about the journey to discovering one's identity whilst navigating the rollercoaster of life.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Racism, Police brutality, and Alcohol
smurfettereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
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
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Racism and Police brutality
kirstym25's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
madelinedalton's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
I think that Small Worlds largely repeats what Open Water did, not in a good way, and then stacks more characters/topics on top of that. I struggled to differentiate characters in the beginning because Nelson emphasizes flowery prose and big-picture emotions over characterization and dialogue in his writing. In my eyes, Open Water did not have this problem because it was shorter and had a more centralized focus.
All of that said, the ending wrapped things up really nicely and tied all the themes together. I was just a little checked out by that point, so I couldn't fully appreciate it.
Graphic: Police brutality and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
safiya's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Racism and Police brutality
clairew97's review against another edition
- 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
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
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Police brutality, and Grief
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Mental illness, Police brutality, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content