A review by thewordsdevourer
Open Water, by Caleb Azumah Nelson
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
initially a midly middling--albeit exquisitely written--read, open water is elevated to new heights by its last couple chapters, for they finally bring great clarity to the main character and weave the bigger story into illuminating focus.
one cant talk abt this book w/o mentioning its writing--introspective, poetic, and...soulful? the use of imagery is also excellent, especially in its meditation on love and the self. it's the best kind of writing for me: no fancy words, yet able to articulate the deepest thoughts, feelings, and ideas through mere masterful use of words and their structure. i sighed out of sheer awe and was left stunned at times, and have never in my life highlighted so many sentences in a book.
the story itself, however, leaves a bit to be desired. there's nothing wrong w/ having no plot, but the first half seems like an endless, repetitive loop that goes nowhere, bereft of any development. i was a lil baffled at how the two main characters end up being besties out of nowhere, then proceed to act nothing like actual best friends (w/o secret romantic feelings) do, then deny being romantic even though both of them know how the other feels. like whats the point?
nevertheless, the last 20% or so brings so much clarity to the main character, shedding light on his lifetime of racial trauma and his resulting behavior. we always hear abt how black folks' constant, incessant mental stress as a result of racism literally destroys their physical well-being, and this book does a frighteningly great job--esp for a non-black person like me--at portraying the aforementioned in all its enraging, devastating reality.
all in all, an exquisitely written book (w/ a great cover) that simultaneously celebrates black culture and comforts black folks, though the story aspect leaves something to be desired.
one cant talk abt this book w/o mentioning its writing--introspective, poetic, and...soulful? the use of imagery is also excellent, especially in its meditation on love and the self. it's the best kind of writing for me: no fancy words, yet able to articulate the deepest thoughts, feelings, and ideas through mere masterful use of words and their structure. i sighed out of sheer awe and was left stunned at times, and have never in my life highlighted so many sentences in a book.
the story itself, however, leaves a bit to be desired. there's nothing wrong w/ having no plot, but the first half seems like an endless, repetitive loop that goes nowhere, bereft of any development. i was a lil baffled at how the two main characters end up being besties out of nowhere, then proceed to act nothing like actual best friends (w/o secret romantic feelings) do, then deny being romantic even though both of them know how the other feels. like whats the point?
nevertheless, the last 20% or so brings so much clarity to the main character, shedding light on his lifetime of racial trauma and his resulting behavior. we always hear abt how black folks' constant, incessant mental stress as a result of racism literally destroys their physical well-being, and this book does a frighteningly great job--esp for a non-black person like me--at portraying the aforementioned in all its enraging, devastating reality.
all in all, an exquisitely written book (w/ a great cover) that simultaneously celebrates black culture and comforts black folks, though the story aspect leaves something to be desired.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, and Police brutality