Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

26 reviews

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

---

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

catandherbooks's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.75

Stunning. A kind of story I would usually avoid

(romance-wise)

written in the precise way I craved to read it. Azumah's writing is tender and beautiful and I can't wait to read more from him

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Death and Racism

Minor: Blood

revoli's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, and Grief

peggy_racham's review against another edition

5.0

"Ask: if flexing is being able to say the most in the least amount of words, is there a greater flex than love?"

Second person perspective, my beloved. Never have I read a love story quite so profound and beautifly written and also tragic.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

stellahadz's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

What an absolutely gorgeous book. The writing is unique and poetic, and the main characters have depth to them despite not even having names. Open Water is a short book, but it packs a real emotional punch. Caleb Azumah Nelson captures the feeling of falling in love so beautifully; the story felt like it was being told through the memories of someone reliving their love. What kind of irony is it when an author writes so brilliantly about what happens when language fails us?

Side note: I loved all the references to Zadie Smith! I haven't read NW yet but added it to my TBR the second I saw it mentioned in this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racism, Police brutality, and Grief

Minor: Blood

lfp_reading's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Blood, and Police brutality

vanesst's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Police brutality, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Alcohol

miaaa_lenaaa'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Reallly beautifully written

---

Content Warnings

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

pkc's review against another edition

dark 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? No

4.0

If I was asked to review this story around the mid way point, it probably wouldn’t have been massively favourable. In fact, I came reasonably close to DNFing but in the last 70 pages, something happened. The core of the story unveiled itself, made itself known in a really profound way that I hadn’t expected. At just over 140 pages I hadn’t expected as much depth as I got from this book. It’s a touching and haunting look at the safety (or lack thereof) of black people  amidst the persistent thrumming drumbeat of a system that is built to oppress and violate in equal turns. The second person narrative is so well considered and any reader can become engaged in the unease and feel everything that “you” are supposed to feel. I loved the protagonist and the rich storytelling was poetic, languid and sumptuous at points.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

emfield's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Police brutality

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder