Fiction

Open Water

Open Water

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  • Create Date：2021-04-03 13:52:41
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Caleb Azumah Nelson
  • ISBN：0241448778
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Summary

A stunning， shattering debut novel about two Black artists falling in and out of love

Two young people meet at a pub in South East London。 Both are Black British， both won scholarships to private schools where they struggled to belong， both are now artists - he a photographer， she a dancer - trying to make their mark in a city that by turns celebrates and rejects them。 Tentatively， tenderly， they fall in love。 But two people who seem destined to be together can still be torn apart by fear and violence。

At once an achingly beautiful love story and a potent insight into race and masculinity， Open Water asks what it means to be a person in a world that sees you only as a Black body， to be vulnerable when you are only respected for strength， to find safety in love， only to lose it。 With gorgeous， soulful intensity， Caleb Azumah Nelson has written the most essential debut of recent years。

'Like the title suggests， Open Water pulls you in with one great swell， and it holds you there closely。 A beautiful and powerful novel about the true and sometimes painful depths of love' Candice Carty-Williams， Sunday Times bestselling author of QUEENIE

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Reviews

Caz ，

Intense and unwavering。 I love the way black culture is interwoven within the story。 Usually not a fan of this technique， it often feels too contrite， too obvious that the author is placing their text in a certain timeframe。 It really works here， feels so natural。

Nic ，

Caleb Azumah Nelson’s debut has received praise from most。 It’s a beautifully written novella of the relationship between and photographer and dancer。 It’s an insight into what it is to be black in Britain。 And while I enjoyed the male POV， I thought the female protagonist was a little tortured。 I also struggled with so many ambles down various threads in what was a limited space to thoroughly develop the story。 It felt like it was trying to pack too much in。 Overall， I appreciated the book more Caleb Azumah Nelson’s debut has received praise from most。 It’s a beautifully written novella of the relationship between and photographer and dancer。 It’s an insight into what it is to be black in Britain。 And while I enjoyed the male POV， I thought the female protagonist was a little tortured。 I also struggled with so many ambles down various threads in what was a limited space to thoroughly develop the story。 It felt like it was trying to pack too much in。 Overall， I appreciated the book more than engaged with the characters。 Thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the advanced copy。 。。。more

Leah Merricks ，

I felt so moved and reflective throughout reading this。 Every line was like poetry， and it brought me deeper into the perspective of what it must feel like for many black men living in the UK。 An insight into the desire to live in truth whilst feeling unsafe and fearful by staying in that place - it was difficult and unfamiliar。 It touched greatly on roots， generational trauma， identity， being black and a Londoner and mental health and masculinity。 So beautifully written。 I really look forward t I felt so moved and reflective throughout reading this。 Every line was like poetry， and it brought me deeper into the perspective of what it must feel like for many black men living in the UK。 An insight into the desire to live in truth whilst feeling unsafe and fearful by staying in that place - it was difficult and unfamiliar。 It touched greatly on roots， generational trauma， identity， being black and a Londoner and mental health and masculinity。 So beautifully written。 I really look forward to Caleb's future work。 Would highly recommend。 The whole book is art， from start to finish。 。。。more

Drea ，

Gorgeous novella - breathtaking prose about a relationship between a man and woman - it’s origin and it’s course。 Themes of identity andRacism are central。 As I’m currently following the George Floyd trial I was particularly affected by the character’s descriptions of being a black man in the world。 Magnificent。 Truly stunning。 Go read this。 Thank you to Viking Publishers for the advanced copy of this wonderful book。 I’m so grateful。

Amy ，

Thank you to NetGalley， Caleb Azumah Nelson， and Grove Atlantic for allowing me to read the ARC of Open Water in exchange for an honest review。Honestly， I had trouble reading and following this story， but plan to read it again at a later date and read with fresh eyes。 The story shows us how hard it is to navigate being different from the majority of your friends and colleagues。 We see how important friendships can be， and how they can sometimes turn into a serious relationship。 After all the fiv Thank you to NetGalley， Caleb Azumah Nelson， and Grove Atlantic for allowing me to read the ARC of Open Water in exchange for an honest review。Honestly， I had trouble reading and following this story， but plan to read it again at a later date and read with fresh eyes。 The story shows us how hard it is to navigate being different from the majority of your friends and colleagues。 We see how important friendships can be， and how they can sometimes turn into a serious relationship。 After all the five star reviews， I look forward to rereading this story with a whole new understanding。 。。。more

Liselotte Howard ，

Nerv， tänker jag。Azumah Nelson själv （eller， hans huvudkaraktär） pratar i boken mest om rytm， men jag är ute efter något mer。。。 flytande， som ändå rör sig stadigt framåt。 Nerv。Delvis beror det på andrapersonstilltalet - något jag tänker att jag borde ogilla， men som här engagerar och motiverar flödet av text。Något jag också borde ogilla är hela "urban svart livstil och konstnärliga kretsar"-hipster-viben （Ja， det är ett ord。 Nu。） Det brukar i vanliga fall alienera mig och få mig att sucka över t Nerv， tänker jag。Azumah Nelson själv （eller， hans huvudkaraktär） pratar i boken mest om rytm， men jag är ute efter något mer。。。 flytande， som ändå rör sig stadigt framåt。 Nerv。Delvis beror det på andrapersonstilltalet - något jag tänker att jag borde ogilla， men som här engagerar och motiverar flödet av text。Något jag också borde ogilla är hela "urban svart livstil och konstnärliga kretsar"-hipster-viben （Ja， det är ett ord。 Nu。） Det brukar i vanliga fall alienera mig och få mig att sucka över trendkänslighet。 Till och med de djupt känslosamma beskrivningarna av den ofrihet en svart kropp innebär är något jag annars är lite less på （Obs！ Inte för att jag är en vit bitch， utanför pga den där trendängsligheten）。Men tja。 Nerven gör det。 Språket - flödet - kärleken。Det hjälper att boken är kort （på slutet tröttnar jag eventuellt lite， trots det）。 Men ännu mer att karaktärerna （som perspektivet helt fräckt påtvingar mig som läser） är sympatiska。 Underskattat i samtida romaner - precis som beskrivningar av kärlek och vänskap som varken kompliceras eller bagatelliseras。Jag läser inte romantiska böcker。 Men jag läser gärna sånt här。 。。。more

Emily Mallon ，

This book is more than a book， it’s a piece of art formed poetry。 It holds so much emotion， it’s raw and teaches you a thing or two。 Can only describe it as stunning。 Thank you to Caleb for writing it and sharing with us。

Cheri ，

A lyrical novella that contemplates lives that confront both love and hate。 Beautifully written， it is at times introspective， and heartbreaking。 At times the prose was so lovely I found myself re-reading sentences， paragraphs over and over again， yet other times I found myself re-reading parts again because they were so difficult to internalize the hate and brutality that black people are unjustly suffering far too often。 Set primarily in London， two people who meet through Samuel， a friend of A lyrical novella that contemplates lives that confront both love and hate。 Beautifully written， it is at times introspective， and heartbreaking。 At times the prose was so lovely I found myself re-reading sentences， paragraphs over and over again， yet other times I found myself re-reading parts again because they were so difficult to internalize the hate and brutality that black people are unjustly suffering far too often。 Set primarily in London， two people who meet through Samuel， a friend of the unnamed male who is a photographer， the unnamed female Samuel’s date is a student and dancer。 The attraction is immediate。 They become friends， spending time together without Samuel。 As time passes their friendship evolves into more， a love filled with passion， a passion expressed but not openly shared in words。 After a time， navigating that transition brings up fears， and a vulnerability that seems to overwhelm him。 The traumas of his past that haunt him， and so he begins to pull away from her。 ’To give it a voice is to sow a seed， knowing that somehow， someway， it will grow。 It is to admit and submit to something which is on the outer limits of your understanding。’* Where they had been spending much of their time together， days and nights， his post-trauma fears have overwhelmed him to the point where he lacks a way to share them with her， and so he withdraws。 Hides behind his silence， unable to share his memories of the racial violence he’s seen and endured。 She， of course， unaware of his reasons， feels only the rejection， the lack of even enough feeling， caring for her feelings， to share his thoughts with her。 A story shared through elegant prose that beautifully captures their world， an honoring of these lives， the impact of systemic racism and the experiences of those who are harassed， or worse， because of the colour of their skin。 * Quote included subject to change upon publicationPub Date: 13 Apr 2021Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grove Atlantic / Grove Press， Black Cat#OpenWater #NetGalley 。。。more

Arisa Takahashi ，

Ah！ So beautifully， poetically written！ Rather than illustrating the scenes and the surrounding the book showcases the inline of our negative mind and thinking process and drowning into them。 An exquisite book that portraits how our "safe" space – love， body and identity – could be a place of fear and doubt。 Ah！ So beautifully， poetically written！ Rather than illustrating the scenes and the surrounding the book showcases the inline of our negative mind and thinking process and drowning into them。 An exquisite book that portraits how our "safe" space – love， body and identity – could be a place of fear and doubt。 。。。more

Natalie Lynn ，

One of my favourites I’ve read so far this year。 Although only short there are so many issues discussed alongside a beautifully written love story。 I hope there’s more to come from Caleb！

Octavia Lavender ，

4。5*This is a book that I've wanted to read for a while but I'm glad I finally did。 Told in second person pov it is a story of mental health， racism， masculinity and love。 It's an honest examination of what it means to be a black man in twenty-first century London。 Each word felt purposeful and at times it felt like an intrusion on the author/narrator's thoughts。I also enjoyed the song references scattered within the book that acted as a soundtrack to the reading。The lazy comparisons to Sally Ro 4。5*This is a book that I've wanted to read for a while but I'm glad I finally did。 Told in second person pov it is a story of mental health， racism， masculinity and love。 It's an honest examination of what it means to be a black man in twenty-first century London。 Each word felt purposeful and at times it felt like an intrusion on the author/narrator's thoughts。I also enjoyed the song references scattered within the book that acted as a soundtrack to the reading。The lazy comparisons to Sally Rooney do not do this novella justice and I would recommend it to others。 。。。more

lark benobi ，

Exhilarating prose。 What I mean to say is: I was exhilarated。 I could feel my heart beating faster as I read on。 I can't remember having such an immediate， visceral reaction to the first words， the first beginnings of a story， and after that it unfolded before me like a billowing curtain。 It kept getting better。 I'm grateful to be reminded that words on a page can do these things。 Exhilarating prose。 What I mean to say is: I was exhilarated。 I could feel my heart beating faster as I read on。 I can't remember having such an immediate， visceral reaction to the first words， the first beginnings of a story， and after that it unfolded before me like a billowing curtain。 It kept getting better。 I'm grateful to be reminded that words on a page can do these things。 。。。more

s。penkevich ，

***playlist of all songs mentioned in the book at the end of review***‘To give desire a voice is to give it a body through which to breath and live。’To be one’s whole self in the eyes of another， to be vulnerable and understood， can be frightening。 To be denied the same can be dehumanizing or deadly。 ‘It’s one thing to be looked at，’ Brithish-Ghanaian author Caleb Azumah Nelson repeats throughout his astonishing debut novel Open Water， ‘and another to be seen。’ This poetic novel of love and life ***playlist of all songs mentioned in the book at the end of review***‘To give desire a voice is to give it a body through which to breath and live。’To be one’s whole self in the eyes of another， to be vulnerable and understood， can be frightening。 To be denied the same can be dehumanizing or deadly。 ‘It’s one thing to be looked at，’ Brithish-Ghanaian author Caleb Azumah Nelson repeats throughout his astonishing debut novel Open Water， ‘and another to be seen。’ This poetic novel of love and life illuminates the Black experience and the deeply personal terrors of existing， being oneself while acknowledging that the self is experienced differently through the eyes of everyone else。 For the narrator， this is both the struggle towards a relationship with someone he wishes to be open for， but also the deadly realities of how this same Black body makes him a target for police violence。 ‘We are all trying to live， to breathe，’ he thinks， ‘and find ourselves stopped by that which is out of our control。。。We who are Black。’ This is not， however， ultimately a novel of Black-trauma--though it casts a shadow over everything--but also of Black joy and a glorious celebration of Black excellence and artistry。 Set to the rhythm of London life and complete with it’s own soundtrack （playlist at the end of the review）， this is a gorgeous and tear-jerking will-they-won’t-they love story of two people trying to find their space in a world where violence and racism can spring like a trap at any moment。‘Language insufficient to reflect the intense mess of being this intimate with another。’While the frailties of language are a running motif in the novel， Azumah Nelson’s style is so gorgeously powerful to make you swoon in awe。 Daringly written in a 2nd-person perspective， the emotional impact is bluntly placed on you， asking you to embody the body of this unnamed principal character while they， in turn， use the ‘you’ to distance themselves from their own pain in order to look at it from the outside。 It is a great success that adds a powerful layer of immediacy and those wary of the unique voice will find themselves caught in the flow quickly and undeterred。 There are several key phrases that rotate through the prose in their repetition， building like refrains。 Some of the finest passages in the novel are loving depictions of music and the prose itself has a lyricality that will rock you tenderly in it’s rhythmic quality。 It also opens opportunities for dualities in the many themes present， showing a versatility of imagery and metaphor that embodies the contradictory aspects of life。 The prose digs at truth and allows its messages to transcend language through sheer emotional impact that would be impressive even for a seasoned author， much less a debut novel。 Featuring a photographer as the main character--the You--the novel reads almost like snapshots of moments in time， little vignettes that resonate together to form something greater than the sum of their parts。‘What is better than believing you are heading towards love？Front and center of the novel is the teased relationship between a photographer and a dancer in 2017 London， who were introduced at a party by the dancer’s then-boyfriend who was a close friend of the photographer。 This isn’t a cliched will-they-won’t-they love story--though on the surface it is still emotional gripping solely on in that regard--and finds it grit and weight in the ways their lives are firmly rooted into the larger world around them。 Something truly admirable about Open Water is the way it instills fresh life into aspects that could have felt cliched in lesser hands， such as the way London becomes a character just as present and active as the people within it。 Much of the short novel is spent cataloguing not only the clubs and bars the pair go together on their path towards each but also the routes along the Underground， Uber trips and locales around the city they love within。 ‘What is a joint？ What is a fracture？ What is a break？’ it is frequently asked， and we see how each conjoining street or connecting station is just as much a journey in their lives as each date is to their relationship。‘The gaze requires no words at all; it is an honest meeting。’Central to the novel is the concept of being seen by varying gazes。 Early in the novel， You are said to be a photographer， something he dislikes being described as。 ‘It’s like knowing that you are something and wanting to protect it，’ he explains， ‘if someone else says I’m that， it changes things because what they think about me isn’t what I think about me。’ Which is something I personally think about a lot as someone who both paints and has published poetry but would never want to be called a painter or a poet as it seems to imply a personality I don’t find true in myself。 ‘When you let people in and you make yourself vulnerable， they’re able to have an effect on you。’ This leads to early issues of intimacy between them， being afraid to let the other in knowing what that would mean。 ‘You’re scared that she might not just see your beauty， but your ugly too，’ and he is in a particularly vulnerable state reeling from the death of his grandmother and not feeling the best of himself。‘You see the policeman’s knee on her back not being seen。’The gaze also includes society， where the lack of being seen， or ‘the wearying practice of being looked at， not seen，’ can be what makes you vulnerable。 This is particularly true for Black bodies in a world where police ‘see someone， but that person is not you，’ and the flow of the novel is frequently interrupted by stop-and-searches simply for being Black on the street at night， or sudden police aggression on those around them as they are ‘plunged into someone else’s crisis， someone else’s horror，’ the narrator describes quoting Teju Cole。 Referencing writer Saidiya Hartman， he explores the way he is not seen by the police as himself but merely marked as a threat:’Rendering the Black body as a species body， encouraging Blackness which is defined as abject， threatening， servile， dangerous， dependent， irrational and infectious， finding yourself constrained in a way you did not ask for， in a way which could not possibly contain all that you are， all that you could be…’ This is a constant anxiety over him and everyone he knows， that his body marks him as dangerous and therefore easy to dehumanize or destroy。 It is why Donald Williams testimony against Derek Chauvin was so powerful when he stayed calm and said ‘I stayed in my body， you can’t paint me out to be angry。’ Perception of anger can lead to violence， and the narrator knows ‘every day is the day， but you pray this day is not the day。。。you flash the smile of a king but you both know regicide is rife。’。It is no wonder You is so quick ‘to retreat than showing her something raw and vulnerable。’ However， in contrast to the violence and the darkness， this book is also about light。 ‘Multiple truths do exist， and you do not have to be the sum of your traumas，’ he says， and while this book investigates the traumas it counterbalances with examinations of joy and love。 The music of Black artists is instrumental to the rhythm of the novel， as are references to Black film， dance， art and literature （Zadie Smith even makes a small cameo appearance， as does her book NW）。 Black restaurants， clubs and barbershops are shown with the same tenderness as home and freedom and a barber cutting hair is described with the same eloquent grace Azumah Nelson describes music。’You know you can be free here。 Where else can you guarantee Black people gather？ This is ritual， shrine， ecstatic recital。 With every visit， you are declaring that you love yourself。’ There is a freedom to be found in joy and being able to be yourself， openly， expressively in the world， ‘where you don’t have to hide。’ This is why she loved dancing， the woman explains。 ‘It’s my space。 I make a little world for myself， and I live。’ These spaces are so important to these characters who have often had to fight to have one， or to be seen， having attended mostly white schools and been stereotyped all their lives。 Taking comfort in Blackness and Black art， they are able to shine and feel free， to ‘stretch out a spine made crooked by keeping small。’ It is beautiful and glorious and these passages are where the novel shines brightest。Open Water is packed with social insight， covering a massive array of topics in such a short space without ever feeling crowded。 Possibly a work of autofiction （the framing of the novel as an apology ‘on the page’ it seems is a nod to Søren Kierkegaard， whom Azumah Nelson quotes at one point， and his own books as an explanation for a breakup） this is a gorgeous little novel overflowing with brilliant prose and gripping emotion。 The descriptions of falling in love are outstanding and ring true of the ‘fever dream’ of passing each moment waiting to see the other person again。 The tumultuous love narrative， the introspective anxieties and 'theatrics of playing yourselves' will be appealing to fans of Normal People， but it is this in conversation with the racial discourse where Azumah Nelson really shines。 This is a novel of vulnerabilities， so simultaneously wanting to hide yourself while also desiring to be seen and valued。 A truly moving and remarkable debut。4/5‘What you're trying to say is that it's easier for you to hide in your own darkness， than emerge cloaked in your own vulnerability。 Not better， but easier。 However the longer you hold it in， the more likely you are to suffocate。At some point， you must breathe。’Playlist of songs included in the novel:Curtis Mayfield - Move On UpIsley Brothers - Fight the PowerIdris Muhammad - Could Heaven Ever Be Like ThisKendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered （Album）Isaiah Rashad - BrendaIsaiah Rashad - Rope//RosegoldIsaiah Rashad - ParkJonwayne - Afraid of UsSolange - JunieKelsey Lu - Church（EP）A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory （Album）Walt Dickerson - To My QueenDizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner （Album）Frank Ocean - Blonde （Album） 。。。more

Cris Estes ，

An ambitious novella， Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers a lyrical tale of young lovers who have to navigate their complicated feelings for one another as well as the isolation they have felt growing up as Black British。 Their story is told using 2nd person and is extremely reflective of the emotional struggles that both of the characters face。They meet in a pub through his friend and her boyfriend and soon realize that they care deeply for each other。 Through their connection of art， she a dancer and An ambitious novella， Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers a lyrical tale of young lovers who have to navigate their complicated feelings for one another as well as the isolation they have felt growing up as Black British。 Their story is told using 2nd person and is extremely reflective of the emotional struggles that both of the characters face。They meet in a pub through his friend and her boyfriend and soon realize that they care deeply for each other。 Through their connection of art， she a dancer and he a photographer， they begin meeting to work on a collaberation which leads to conversations about their childhood and shared similarities。 When they realize that these feelings exists， things become complicated with their friends Samuel and even after the friendship and relationships end， the main characters still do not share their true love for one another。As their relationship grows the story takes a turn into deeper issues such as the main characters fear of the police and of feeling like he is nothing more than just a "black body。" There are scenes depicting police harrassment and possible gang violence which all lends itself to understanding why the main character is so closed off and unable of trusting or letting himself be loved by his best friend and now lover。There are both wonderfully beautiful things about this story and very frustrating things about it which might be more of a personal preference。 The good is that Nelson writes so beautifully that it seems as if he is writing the soul of a romantic as true as a soul could ever be written。 The metaphors that he chooses to illicit a feeling of place and emotion are quite masterfully done。 One can really feel the agony of the decisions being made and those left unmade。What I didn't enjoy， however， is the point of view。 It left me feeling quite detached from the characters。 I often had a hard time keeping track of who was being referred to at certain points in the narrative。 Because I felt no connection to the characters， I had a hard time feeling a great depth of emotion either way other than annoyance。 Annoyance was the greatest feeling I had because I felt as if I was reading the diary of an angsty teen who was caught up in the idea of romantic relationships as opposed to the reality。 It reminds me of how whole heartedly kids give themselves to their first few relationships before realizing that the "perfect match" doesn't actually exist。Then， the book takes a turn into the racial injustice part。 It seems to almost come out of nowhere and is not fit into the book seamlessly。 One minute we are reading about two young adults who love each other with a will they/won't they type feeling， and the next we are in this place with the male lead decides that his months or years （hard to tell） of pining after this woman are worth throwing away because of racial injustice。 It wasn't explained enough or melded together enough for my liking。 Both of those topics on their own make sense， but enough wasn't done to fit them together in the same story。Lastly， I'm not sure if I would classify this as a novel/novella as it reads more like the author's stream of concious or rambling thoughts。 While some of it was quite lyricaly and beautiful， a lot of it almost seemed to spill out of the authors brain onto the page with no logic。That is not to say that this book isn't worth reading， it just wasn't for me！Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Toksyk ，

A very slow developing love story。 Caleb writes in a very poetic prose which at times made the story feel like a play。 Listened to it on Audible and will read text version before fully deciding my final thoughts on the novel。

Adrian ，

What a beautifully-written and poetic debut！ Certainly a gift for bookworms like me。 This book really seals my faith in black authors。

Arpit ，

Such an intimate and profound book。 I loved how it flowed like poetry。 Even through such a short amount of pages it proved to be so moving that it brought tears to my eyes more than once。 Truly an unforgettable read。

Liv J Hooper ，

3。5⭐️ that will probably mature to a 4⭐️ overnight。

gina ♡ ，

my heart aches

Lesley ，

I was sent a copy of Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson to read and review by NetGalley。 This was， for me， an unusual novel。 It was written in a way that was seemingly informing the main protagonist what he had done/felt/experienced。 The main thread of the story is the relationship between this man and the woman he was falling in love with， that being said I feel that the book is ultimately a reflection of what it means to be a black male in a white society。 The book touches on the arts but most I was sent a copy of Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson to read and review by NetGalley。 This was， for me， an unusual novel。 It was written in a way that was seemingly informing the main protagonist what he had done/felt/experienced。 The main thread of the story is the relationship between this man and the woman he was falling in love with， that being said I feel that the book is ultimately a reflection of what it means to be a black male in a white society。 The book touches on the arts but most often references music， mainly rap and jazz， allowing the characters， and the reader， to be transported through the rhythm to another place within oneself。 I don’t know quite how to rate this novel; on the one hand it is a fairly innovative piece of writing but on the other I found it to be rather repetitive。 I suppose I should admit that I can’t really say that I actually ‘enjoyed’ it as such， and I was quite relieved when it came to an end。 。。。more

Marina ，

So beautifully written。You dive into many topics that are so wonderfully intertwined。 Heavy talks about race and injustice， but also love and the complexity of it in its different forms。 Talks about the variety of art forms that make you feel seen or heard， that give you an outlet to speak freely， to move and breathe。Raw and vulnerable。 I'm glad I read this！ So beautifully written。You dive into many topics that are so wonderfully intertwined。 Heavy talks about race and injustice， but also love and the complexity of it in its different forms。 Talks about the variety of art forms that make you feel seen or heard， that give you an outlet to speak freely， to move and breathe。Raw and vulnerable。 I'm glad I read this！ 。。。more

Gaby Rattina ，

One of my favourite book ！ It's just stunning。 One of my favourite book ！ It's just stunning。 。。。more

Amy ，

Breathtaking。 Honest， poetic， important。 The best description of Black masculinity I've ever encountered。 I learned a lot。 Breathtaking。 Honest， poetic， important。 The best description of Black masculinity I've ever encountered。 I learned a lot。 。。。more

Stacey Miller ，

Excellent book， the way he writes is so poetic。

LauraJade ，

With thanks to Grove Atlantic， Caleb Azumah Nelson and Netgalley for providing an eARCLyrical， poetic， beautiful。 This debut novella is a moving narration of two young black artists softly， gently， falling in love amidst a traumatic and systemically racist world。 This introspective novella examines themes of love and friendship， trauma and sacrifice， brutality and beauty。 The tender exploration of the male MC's relationship with each of his family members， and the struggle with his mental health With thanks to Grove Atlantic， Caleb Azumah Nelson and Netgalley for providing an eARCLyrical， poetic， beautiful。 This debut novella is a moving narration of two young black artists softly， gently， falling in love amidst a traumatic and systemically racist world。 This introspective novella examines themes of love and friendship， trauma and sacrifice， brutality and beauty。 The tender exploration of the male MC's relationship with each of his family members， and the struggle with his mental health through the lens of toxic masculinity and systemic racism is palpable， and the fear permeates whenever the MC is confronted by police or threatened on any ordinary walk through the city， causing him to constantly evaluate how the world views him as simply 'a black body'， and to consistently dwell on his mortality。Very much enjoyed the black culture and music references which ground the novella in the absolute present day， （or the recent past during recollections）， making it a very modern and relatable book， but also lending a very lyrical quality to the prose。 I also felt it to be very theatrical （in that I can imagine it easily translating into a stage production， not that it is dramatic）。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

A beautiful lyrical love story。 This book was poetry。 It charted the relationship of two black artists who met and became best friends， fell in love and broke apart。 This was beautifully written and I was drawn in from the first page。 The writer tackled bravely the journey that leads to love that is fraught with uncertainty， mistrust and vulnerability all against the backdrop of art and music。Wrapped around the musical notes of their life is the trauma of being male and living in a black body。 I A beautiful lyrical love story。 This book was poetry。 It charted the relationship of two black artists who met and became best friends， fell in love and broke apart。 This was beautifully written and I was drawn in from the first page。 The writer tackled bravely the journey that leads to love that is fraught with uncertainty， mistrust and vulnerability all against the backdrop of art and music。Wrapped around the musical notes of their life is the trauma of being male and living in a black body。 It’s the struggle and injustice of owning this black body that you don’t really own， and coping with mental health， that ruptures a beautiful relationship。 This was pure prose。 I would have given it five stars but for me it did get slightly confusing in some parts。 。。。more

Julia ，

The writing was stunning。 The story was stunning。 The whole book was stunning。

Paul Ataua ，

This is so well put together。 It’s beautifully written， simple and yet poetic， and the unusual second person narrative really worked for me。 It drew me close to the characters while at the same getting me to be aware of the differences in our lives。 It is a window onto the institutional racism that I don’t have to face。

Talia Wright ，

So beautiful。 This book held me and took me apart so effortlessly。

Nz;） ，

This novella was。。。 honest。 I know that sounds weird but it's true。 It was honest。 I found myself in this book。 It showed all the shameful parts of me that I like to hide away。 Especially， when the protagonist was talking about his family in Ghana and that feeling of distance。 I also saw myself in the main characters fear of vulnerability in a world that is just waiting to cut him down。 The love story between the two main character's is written so tenderly。 I have to admit at the beginning I fel This novella was。。。 honest。 I know that sounds weird but it's true。 It was honest。 I found myself in this book。 It showed all the shameful parts of me that I like to hide away。 Especially， when the protagonist was talking about his family in Ghana and that feeling of distance。 I also saw myself in the main characters fear of vulnerability in a world that is just waiting to cut him down。 The love story between the two main character's is written so tenderly。 I have to admit at the beginning I felt detached from the characters but then before I knew it I found myself very invested in them。Although， I have to say the writing of this book is not only its biggest strength but also its biggest weakness。 The writing was so poetic at times that I struggled to understand what was going on， it wasn't too bad but I always felt like I was being kept at a distance。 Also， in the beginning it took me a while to adjust to the writing and get invested in the story。Overall， this book was a beautiful exploration of love and art in an anti-black world。 And any book that references Barry Jenkins' films immediately gets props from me。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Open Water

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Open Water&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Open Water&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0