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rebekah_florence's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Caleb has to know that EVERYTHING he touches turns to gold. How on EARTH do I go from wanting to shake some sense into the Dad in 2/3 of the book to sobbing about his backstory in one Azumah-Nelson style second person chapter?! PLEASE đ I love the way that he infuses music and food within the lives of his characters. The music that fuels the main character and his community has its own life within the story. If I was able to put the book down, I would have dedicated time to chronicling the music via playlist.
The only critique that I have for the novel is that I wish he would have found different phrasings to describe the pockets of community, moments of joy, or intense experiences our main character came into contact with other than âsmall worldsâ. The first time it was used hit hard but after that, it felt unnecessarily repetitive.
So many of the characters move from lost to found throughout the novel and their transformations are so glorious to watch. What is for you will never leave you. What is for you will find you. What is for you will come back to you. I canât wait for his next release. Until then, this will stick with me â¤ď¸
The only critique that I have for the novel is that I wish he would have found different phrasings to describe the pockets of community, moments of joy, or intense experiences our main character came into contact with other than âsmall worldsâ. The first time it was used hit hard but after that, it felt unnecessarily repetitive.
So many of the characters move from lost to found throughout the novel and their transformations are so glorious to watch. What is for you will never leave you. What is for you will find you. What is for you will come back to you. I canât wait for his next release. Until then, this will stick with me â¤ď¸
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation and Police brutality
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Death of parent
peggy_racham's review against another edition
4.5
"Weâre all haunted in some way. All my dance moves are my fatherâs."
As Connan Grey said "I truely am my parents child."
Some things can not be helped.
As Connan Grey said "I truely am my parents child."
Some things can not be helped.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Drug use, Police brutality, Violence, Death of parent, and Racism
rworrall78's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
For me this was one of those books that really comes together in a final closing scene of real beauty and joy.
The biggest message is about space, space to be, to love, to eat, to dance, to make music, to live. It debts delves into the racism, violence and oppression visited on Black bodies and Black lives by white supremacist thinking, media and policing.
So for that brilliance and I love it. Also for building such real characters.
Until the end the looping images weren't landing with me, so they seemed pleased with their own cleverness; a cleverness that just wasn't evident to me until the end. So I maybe love it more in hindsight than I did while I was reading it.
The biggest message is about space, space to be, to love, to eat, to dance, to make music, to live. It debts delves into the racism, violence and oppression visited on Black bodies and Black lives by white supremacist thinking, media and policing.
So for that brilliance and I love it. Also for building such real characters.
Until the end the looping images weren't landing with me, so they seemed pleased with their own cleverness; a cleverness that just wasn't evident to me until the end. So I maybe love it more in hindsight than I did while I was reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Slavery, and Racism
Moderate: Police brutality, Death of parent, and Drug use
Minor: Child death
rinku's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol
jouljet's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Racism
aducharme4'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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, and Death of parent
ekg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
sakisreads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
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? No
4.5
⨠Gifted â¨
Caleb Azumah Nelson does it again đđź Small Worlds encapsulates so much love and especially during the second half, I found it hard to put down đĽš
Of course Joyâs death hit me hard and made me weep, but we still manage to grieve and love her â¤ď¸ Everything in this book is so human which I think is one of its biggest attractions!
I âonlyâ give it 4.5 stars out of 5, because although it was phenomenal, nothing has done it for me quite in the same way that Open Water has since I finished that đ Still brilliant though and highly recommend reading Small Worlds, thanks â¨
Caleb Azumah Nelson does it again đđź Small Worlds encapsulates so much love and especially during the second half, I found it hard to put down đĽš
I âonlyâ give it 4.5 stars out of 5, because although it was phenomenal, nothing has done it for me quite in the same way that Open Water has since I finished that đ Still brilliant though and highly recommend reading Small Worlds, thanks â¨
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Death of parent, Police brutality, Racism, Death, and Hate crime
theblushbookworm'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
I enjoyed this character study of introspective Stephen over three summers. The son of Ghanaian immigrants to the UK, Stephen is sweet and musical. Azumah-Nelsonâs writing style is musical as well, carrying a nice rhythm. Phrases are repeatedly used like the verses in a song. I particularly liked the phrase âtwo Black crownsâ. I think that imagery is so beautiful. The second summer was my favorite, and the first summer was a bit dense for my preferences. But âOpen Waterâ is an undeniably good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Grief, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism and Violence
Minor: Colonisation
divyab's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Police brutality
Minor: Alcoholism