A beautiful book. Some may find that it was too short in length, but honestly, it was perfect. Two young artists meet at a party and immediately form a connection.

The characters are so vivid and three-dimensional and Caleb Azumah Nelson did a perfect job of really conveying that spirit and character of London that only someone who had actually lived there would know.
Nelson shows such strength and control over his words, each sentence felt so impactful.
If you want a short, but beautiful story about two souls connecting over their shared love of art, music, and everything creative, then this novel is for you. Seeing Black love being so beautifully represented (where there has been a lack in current literature) was a joy to see and read.

I look forward to reading what Nelson writes next.

This was so amazing! At first I had to get used to the writing style but in the end.. I was in love and I just wanted so much more and for it be longer!! I couldn’t get enough of these characters their relationship and the whole story

This is a story of two Black British artists living in London. It follows their, at times, tumultuous relationship in vivid detail and keeps you fully invested in their story.
The writing is beautifully poetic and mesmerising. I'll definitely be checking out more of Nelson's work in the future.

there's something so atmospheric and almost overwhelming about books written in second person perspective and i really loved this one. you're so in tune with all the thoughts and feelings pulsing through the protagonist's brain, as well as it enhancing the intimacy and the stakes of the relationship. i felt like i was in london, soaking up everything the character's were feeling.

i really really loved this one and i think a lot of people will, even if you have to be a little patient with it., don't rush, let it all soak in

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.

This book was not for me. I’ve seen so many people raving about it but I just couldn’t get into the writing style. I found it really boring and I couldn’t finish it.

This book completely blew me away! I fell in love with the writing style almost immediately and couldn't put it down. I hadn't heard anything about Open Water before seeing it come up on NetGalley, but the premise interested me enough to give it a go - two young people falling in and out of love in London will never cease to intrigue me. The vulnerability and intimacy of their budding relationship was written so well, and I thought this was very well-placed within the context of race, both within their relationship and in their lives in general. I was very glad that Nelson didn't shy away from any difficult topics concerning race, as I feel like the more it is talked about, the better! Open Water really read like a beautiful, long love letter and my only complaint is that I wanted more! Definitely the most I've highlighted a book in a very long time.

Caleb has the most poetic writing style you'll ever read. Gorgeous descriptions with such visual writing leaving you wanting more. I longed to pick up this book every day. A gorgeous, tender story. Highly recommend.

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.

Open Water has been my book of 2021! A slim, dazzling volume which is unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Caleb Azumah Nelson is a powerhouse, his writing manages to be both delicate and devastating and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. This is both a love story and an exploration of what it means to be a black artist in the world today. Nelson’s prose is poetic, it ebbs and flows in a way that carries you along with it. I didn’t want this book to end.

All I can say is that this book hurt my heart in so many ways and left me with a fierce longing to be reading it again for the first time.

I devoured this in one sitting, and was implicitly impressed with how much content and emotion was fit into 180 or so pages. The language was soft like melting butter, which absorbed me straight into the heart of the characters. It was bright but solemn, beautiful but painful, and overall just incredible.

A friend described this book as 'feeling like a Sunday morning when there's soft rain on the window and you're under the duvet with clean covers on' and honestly, it is spot on. Go and buy this, go and read this, go and love this,

This is a love story between 2 black artists in London.

This was a beautiful and authentic look at falling in love. The writing was perfection and every word felt perfectly placed.

Behind the love story aspect there was also a look at racism and police brutality which was well examined and poignant.

I adored this novella and it’s one of the best things I’ve read in a long time. I highly recommend this and can’t wait to see what Caleb writes next.

I was gifted this review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

So few books about love get the right balance between romance and reality, but Caleb Azumah Nelson manages to get these elements right and the result is stunningly real to me. It's about two young black British people who meet in South East London. Their relationship starts as a friendship and moves into romance. Immersed with the love story are the reality that a young black man faces with life in Britain. The police, walking while black, driving while black,sitting while black. I loved the unique narrative style, an unknown narrator for most the story but revealed at the end, speaking to the male main character. This is one of my favourite and most beautiful reads so far this year and I know it’s goi g to stay up there. One of the best of this year.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Beautifully written but the 2nd person narration unfortunately didn't click with me. Would still definitely recommend giving it a go!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.

I love a good love story. So few novels about love get the right balance between poetic feeling and poignantly rendered realistic detail. But Caleb Azumah Nelson confidently combines these elements to produce a debut that's beautifully distilled yet expansive in what it's saying. It's about two young black British people who meet in a pub in South East London. Their relationship starts as a friendship and tenderly eases into romance. They're in their early-mid twenties and trying to maintain their artistic aspirations while earning money. He's a photographer and she's a dancer. Nelson narrates the story in the second person to focus on his perspective. This gives the compelling effect of being at a distance at the same time as being privy to his innermost being. It's like the act of being photographed itself where you feel curiously both inside and outside yourself at once. There's a lot in this book about the act of seeing which develops in nuance and meaning with the impactful refrain: “It's one thing to be looked at, and another to be seen.” There's a freedom in truly being yourself but there are consequences that come from such vulnerability. “Open Water” powerfully captures the longterm effects of two specific people who really see each other as uniquely beautiful and endearingly flawed individuals.

The story references and pays tribute to the influence of current writers like Zadie Smith and Teju Cole – in the case of Smith through a literal meeting with her at a book signing. As well as giving a sweet nod to these figures it makes complete sense that the male protagonist is guided by these writers' words as he ponders what it really means to inhabit a black body. It's powerful how his story shows the complicated formation of his masculinity as he's expected to be both tough and sensitive, grateful for his opportunities as well as resigned to the knowledge that he's undeservedly feared. Momentary respite from these pressures is elegantly captured in fleeting encounters with other individuals at Carnival Sunday or in a barbershop where there's a shared understanding of this ever-present burden. There's a swirl of experiences described in brief, emotionally charged chapters from getting a takeaway after a night out to a joint being shared with a near stranger to tearfully watching the film of ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ to the sobering intrusion of being stopped and searched by the police. And there's also the heat and romance of this young man and woman alternately finding and losing one another. This is such a short book but I feel the resonance of all these moments and sensations like memories.

Caleb Azumah Nelson has written a beautiful, lyrical tale of two people falling in love with urban London as the backdrop. The external and internal battles the main nameless protagonist faces are all to familiar if you are a person of colour, yet Nelson still manages to write in such a way that the reader can't help but feel cheered at the many references and celebration of black artistry. Highly recommend!

'Open Water' is an absolutely phenomenal book that explores the shattering and affirming relationship between two black artists. It doesn't shy away from huge questions and issues. It is captivating and breathtaking.

This exquisitely written novella is so much more than a story about a relationship between a photographer and a dancer. It looks at race and the exhaustion of being a young black Londoner: how racism, police brutality and the need to be constantly alert can be psychologically damaging and impact on relationships. Open Water is a story about love, heartbreak, but ultimately there IS hope. I cant believe that so much has been put in to so few pages, and I finished feeling that I’d read a book of twice the length (in a good way!). Every word feels carefully considered - its just beautiful. Poetry written in prose form.
I have to admit, most of the references to music went over my head, but this didn’t bother me or lessen my enjoyment. In fact, it sent me in the direction of Spotify and caused raised eyebrows from the teenaged sons 🤷🏼‍♀️
Many thanks to Viking for providing me with a copy of this stunning book via NetGalley.

I like book for the most part and the writing was clear and had a good flow to it. Both of the main characters were written well and they had a relatability and depth that made them seem real in the world of the book. There were certain elements that could have been expanded on further as a book was quite short but this meant the romance felt quick and less of us loburn and more than intense passion. There was some phrasing that was a bit awkward and didn't work for me me but it made sense in the world of the character overall all.

This book is written so poetically that some sentences have to be re-read and savoured for their beauty. Although this is fundamentally a love story, it is more an in depth look at what it means to be a Black man in London in modern times. As a White woman I hadn’t really appreciated the diverse ways we are treated and how I take certain freedoms for granted. I felt the fear and almost the inevitability of being seen out on the streets, wearing certain clothes and living with the assumption that you will be involved, even if you’ve done nothing to warrant being stopped. This book opens eyes to those who have never experienced this life and acknowledges the lives of those who live with it.