Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

55 reviews

ketsia_1412's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Police brutality

Moderate: Death and Grief

Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Police brutality

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol

grxcequinn's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Death, Drug use, and Alcohol

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

biobeetle'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content and Terminal illness

matmatmatty's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This is so beautifully written, I genuinely am in awe.

It is slightly difficult to explain what this story is about - this is the story of two people, black and living in London. 

This both is and isn't a love story, but i feel this has a lot to say about the black experience and does it so well. I found some of the writing difficult at points, but so much of it was so beautiful it flowed off the page, almost like poetry. I bet listening to the audiobook would be a great experience.

Would recommend this one for sure!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, and Alcohol

raebennison's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol

ssolov's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Grief

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Slavery and Alcohol

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

reminiscences's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Police brutality, Car accident, and Alcohol