'Often that apology comes in the form of suppression, and that suppression is indiscriminate.'

Heartfelt, poignant look at what it means to be a Black man in 21st century London, and what it means to be seen. Packs a lot into a short extent. Open Water leaves a bittersweet taste long after its end. Caleb Azumah Nelson is surely an author to watch.

Two young Black people meet in a London pub and thus begins the love story. A wonderful sensual book, she's a dancer and he's a photographer and the book is written from his perspective. There appears to be a trend in fiction for books written in the second person and for characters not to have names, for prose that runs in and out of speech. In this book that choice is put to good use, helps to slow down the storytelling which gives a more realistic portrayal of how connections are formed and strengthened. Open water is also a love story about Black culture, art, books, cinema and a wonderfully written homage to the barbershop. Set against systemic racism which serves as a character sometimes in the background and other times very much at the forefront. The film 'If Beale Street could talk' is referenced in the book and in my opinion, the author manages to recreate the feel of that film in literary form. Amazing debut.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

A tale about a set of people destined to be destroyed, and of the dance that we perform that is called falling love. All done to a back drop of art and culture and music.
An interesting read with heartfelt characters

Open Water is an intensely powerful novel about being seen; not observed or objectified, but seen in all the ways that make a person what they are. Because of this Open Water is more than a love story – which it is: two black artists meet, become best friends and fall in love. It is also an exploration of vulnerability and honesty, a search for freedom in a white world that sees the black body, and particularly the black male body as a perpetrator of violence, as ignorant and illiterate, as criminal.

More than anything else I’ve read, Caleb Azumah Nelson explores what it means to feel the inevitable fear brought on by this objectification; the fear that life is survived, not lived, because any day could be the day that your life is cut short by some kind of oppressive act, mostly enacted by the police.

This fear is then compounded by a desire to repress and suppress, a fear mingled with anger, also suppressed. The beautiful central character, a photographer – which intensifies the exploration of image and objectification – even in the act of expressing his fear, anger and depression which pushes the rhythms of his heart off-kilter (more metaphor embodied, trauma literary living in his flesh), has to do so at an awkward distance from himself in the liminal space of the second person.

Moments of police brutality are frequent but when he loses a friend, his pain is intensified. When he is then asked by his girlfriend to talk about what is wrong he can only say ‘nothing’ because the continued witness of structural racism belittles his experience, makes it commonplace when of course it needs to be shouted out, expressed, and yet how can it be when to talk will put him in a place of vulnerability, will have him swimming in open water without a safety net?

Love, like freedom, requires a trust, a faith in the safe space of the relationship. His fear pushes love to the limit.

Beautiful, painful, expressed in rhythmic beats that move through the space of their love in ways that don’t always feel linear, Open Water is a lyrical novel with repeated motifs that pleads to be heard, longs to be seen. I feel it is probably best read quickly, as an outpouring, and then returned to. I highlighted so many sentences and sections, return is as inevitable for the reader as it is for the protagonist.

I don’t always get everything the novel is saying, or all of its references. How could I? But I’m blown away by this book even when I’m lost in it. I really hope Open Water makes the waves it should. Out in February 2021, pre-order it now.

This is one of the most beautifully written books I've read. The second-person narrative is a little jarring at first, and whilst I didn't quite see its purpose on reflection, I got used to it fairly quickly and soon forgot about it. I read this book in one sitting, because it flowed so perfectly like one long breath-taking poem, I couldn't put it down. It's subtle and poetic and the narrative doesn't suffer as a result of the beautiful language. I cried at various points and was completely rooting for both main characters. It explores masculinity, mental health, love, friendship, intimacy, London city life and black British identity – packing so much into a short novel without it feeling forced or half-hearted is quite a feat. I can't wait to see more from Caleb.

I thought this book wasn't going to work for me because it was told in 2nd pov however I was wrong it flowed really well and it worked great for this type of story. This was beautifully written.

This is an incredibly promising debut novel. I think if you love Sally Rooney’s Normal People and compelling literary fiction, you will really enjoy this story. This story follows two young black artists, living in London and Dublin and documents the span of their relationship.

This book is understated and poetic and subtle. The language within this novel is stunning. While this book focuses on an intimate relationship between a man and a woman, this story is also a love letter to the black community. I loved the black cultural references of James Baldwin, Zadie Smith and Dizzee Rascal and how the author embeds these references into the character’s very sense of self.

This book is especially poignant and powerful in this cultural moment with the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK and the US and the way this novel tackles the issue of police brutality was so raw and heartfelt. This story while slow in pace was constructed with care and deliberation and written with a great deal of talent. It is hard to clearly articulate this novel as it doesn’t have a tangible plot but you can get lost in this world constructed by the words and the emotions evoked from the language.

If you are a reader who loves taking a deep dive into character’s intimate relationships or you were really invested in Connell and Marianne’s relationship in Normal People you must read this book!!

Thanks to the author Caleb Azumah Nelson, Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has resonated with me so strongly, I can't stop thinking about it. I love everything about it - the language, the story itself, and the music which is an integral part of the structure and narrative. There is such beauty, vulnerability and strength in the storytelling. Calem Azumeh Nelson writes with insight about love, loss, race, belonging, class, creativity and connection. It is amazing how much is contained within this novel with such lightness of touch and poetic sensibility. Beautiful.

A lovely little story that focuses on what it means to be black and the emotional effect this can have. The main character falls in love with his best friend but ultimately messes it up when he refuses to open up to her.

It's written in the second person narrative which I personally found very confusing and slightly pretentious. I didn't entirely understand what its purpose was, perhaps to create a sense of detachment? Having said that, I do think the language was quite beautiful. It read like a very long poem, so if you enjoy that sort of narrative structure, then I definitely think this is the book for you! I also liked the distinction between dialogue and narrative, wherein the dialogue was much more colloquial. I appreciated how true to modern english slang it was, so it never came across as forced or cringey and painted a much more authentic picture of modern London.

There was an important analysis on toxic masculinity throughout, which culminated in the disintegration of the characters' relationship, as he is unable to open up to his girlfriend and express all the anguish and anxiety and trauma from being black that he feels. Especially with International Men's Day having just passed, this is definitely an essential read if you want to understand how deeply toxic masculinity affects men and the emotional toll of being a black man in today's world.

Open Water, Caleb Azumah Nelson’s debut, is stunning. There is a beautiful lyrical quality to Caleb Azumah Nelson's writing that is so captivating, he is the type of writer who could write about the back of a cereal box and it'd probably still be interesting. However that's far from the story of Open Water, which is immersive from page one. Two artists meet at a pub in SE London and tentatively fall in and out of love. It is an exploration of Black British identity, youthful romance, and the relationships between intimacy, vulnerability and fear – both fears of physical violence, and emotional fears of intimacy, commitment and being honest with yourself. The writer handles these knotty topics very delicately and Open Water is moving as well as thought-provoking.

"Open water" is a book unlike any others. It's such a smooth and poetical read. It almost feels like you're swimming through smooth waters of the book.
Beautifully written story of love, magnetic attraction and finding your soulmate.
I love books that are set in London so no wonder I liked this one so much. Unfortunately life of people of color is not only rainbows and butterflies. It's also prejudice and fear for their life on daily basis. The feeling of never being safe.

I highly recommend reading this breathtaking story.

“The trouble is, this is trouble that you welcome.”

Have you ever accidentally fallen in love with your best friend’s girlfriend, and been terrified to cross the boundary between friendship and love? To swim out into open water and let yourself be completely vulnerable?

This book is absolutely beautiful and hooked me in right from the start. Nelson describes the pain of a deep and forbidden connection so perfectly.

The writing is beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I just want to write ‘beautiful’ a thousand times!

I love the poetic repetition throughout and found myself going back to read over my favourite sections again and again. It was so refreshing to read about love and real emotion from a male perspective, I look forward to being able to hold a physical copy in my hands.

Favourite quote:

“The two of you, like headphone wires tangling, caught up in this something. A happy accident. A messy miracle.”

Thank you to Penguin for the arc. Open Water is out on 4th February 2021!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC. It took me a while to get used to characters with no names only ‘you’ and ‘she’. The writing flows easily though and you get swept away in their on off relationship. The book is also heartbreaking and eye opening to life in London and the harsh realities that are witnessed every day.

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson is pure poetry in storytelling. This particular story explores the challenges faced by two artists living in modern-day London. They were introduced at a party by her boyfriend. As they become close, they realize that the stakes of getting intimate are high. How the author teases will they or won't they with tales of their shared experience of struggling to belong makes this book worth reading. The protagonist and deuteragonist are black artists who have a common experience of learning their crafts by winning scholarships to private schools. Caleb Azumah Nelson gets my praise for making these characters believable in this "woke" climate. The style of writing is different but takes nothing away from the message of the book. A new literary voice with potential.

A lyrical, beautifully written novel set in London, centered around a young Black British man and his experiences in life and love. We read as he falls in love deeply with a dancer he meets as if by fate, something connecting them before they even really get to know each other. I loved the exploration of their subsequent relationship and how they go from being best friends to slowly but inexorably falling in love and having a connection that runs soul deep. It's a meditation on love and being known, on masculinity and being a young Black man in the UK, and the disparity between who you are and how you're perceived. The second person narrative really works to bring a reader in and heightens the experience that is this book.

This book is so sensitive and emotional, filled with so many quiet moments where you're just taken aback by Caleb Azumah Nelson's way of capturing emotions and making it feel so universal and at the same time so personal. I foresee this book being immensely popular on its release and rightfully so, a tender book in so many ways and a book I imagine will allow so many readers to feel seen.

The blurb was inviting and beautiful.
Unfortunately the writing style was the bump in the road. This one wasn't for me, it felt a little incomplete and unfinished.

But it might be for you, if you can adjust to the writing style.

*BOOK REVIEW*

‘How does one shake off desire? To give it a voice to sow a seed, knowing that somehow, someway, it will grow’.

Give me a book to read set in London that I won’t love. Even if the plot is semi-okay stroke dire, a book set in my home town will ALWAYS get my attention.

Set in South East London, Open Water is a love story between a young Black British couple, whose sizzling romance will give you butterflies in your tummy. Told in the second person narrative,

It’s not just about love in Open Water. Nelson also weaves in flashbacks of police brutality experienced by the unnamed male protagonist. These moments are raw and remind us how the streets of London, while vibrant and fun at times, can be an unforgiving, hostile environment for a black man.

Poetic in its prose and deliciously short and sweet for anyone wanting some light escapism.

"Youre looking forward to laughing so hard your chest hurts and you feel light headed. You're looking forward to the safety in pleasure. You're looking forward to forgetting, albeit briefly, the existential dread that plagues you."

This book is like poetry, I found myself re-reading lines over and over again, even saying some out loud to really try to grasp what the author meant, I thought that was really special.

Its interesting too, my "usual" genre is thrillers but I found this way more addictive to read. It took me a little while to get used to the you/she second person writing but a few chapters in and it was normal, so stick with it if that is new for you and you're finding it difficult.

The book takes on what it means to find true, true, love, but also takes on a social commentary about growing up black, police violence and death. Bittersweet is definitely the word!

An absolutely stunning debut! The second person writing style was unique and I liked that you didn’t discover the main characters’ names. I’ve never read a book like this and it will stay with me for a long time. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Now this book was so different to anything I’ve read before. It’s all told from a second person POV, and you never know his or her name, which I thought was a great touch. But what got me with that, was because you never know their names, you do hear one name, and that gives that person the stand out and importance they need in this book, and that name is Daniel

You’re drawing a line towards her. No, the line was there, is always there, will always be there, but you’re trying to reinforce, to strengthen.

The story hits hard. It makes you feel so many different things, and they all grab you quite deep. The story is one of love and friendship, a real closeness. Caleb has delivered this so well, that you feel it deep down, and you just know these two people just fit together. But there is a background of sadness too, and a deep rooted problem which is all too real in todays world, racism.

It’s written so beautifully it’s hard to actually put it into words.