While I didn't love the second-person perspective, Neslon is obviously headed for big things with writing like this. I can imagine an adaptation of this so clearly, it's so vivid.

Open Water by Calum Azumah Nelson is beautifully written and has a heartbreaking narrative arc. It is written in a second-person perspective, which did take me a while to warm to, but I think it added to the positive experience of reading this book.

The repeated references to Zadie Smith warmed my heart and made me want to read *NW*, one of the only Smith books I have not read, even more (a true feat). I was planning to include it in my February TBR anyway, but now it is sealed in.

> The rest of the day, a blanket draped over you, poring over the pages of a novel – Zadie Smith's *NW*

The story is about a slow burn romance between a photographer and a dancer and it is wonderfully atmospheric. Much of the setting is domestic, which I found very cozy, which I especially appreciated because of the cold and misty weather this midwinter. I wish to spend the day draped in a blanket, poring over *NW* – hopefully, I can make that a reality soon.

Open Water is not *just* a cozy romance, however. The main character, the photographer, gives a lot of thought to how others in London see him, as a man inhabiting a Black body. Numerous times, he passes police officers and feels uneasy, with good reason:

> You live broken, you live small, lest someone makes you smaller, lest someone breaks you. You are a Black body, container, vessel, property. You are treated as such because property is easy to destroy and plunder.

I would absolutely recommend this book. It is gorgeous and heart bruising, and I have rated it five stars.

This may be short but it definitely packs a punch.

We follow two black artists as they take the plunge from friends to lovers. We explore their day to day lives as they struggle with issues such as their mental health and racial social norms.

The prose in this is completely stunning and definitely unique. Everything flows together beautifully and some quotes are haunting.

I love how this touched on the common concerns of not wanting to ruin a friendship but also being scared to completely open up to someone.

The racial issues raised in this were completely and heartbreaking. Young black people should not be scared to walk down the street because of police brutality!!!

A fantastic debut and I can't wait to see what the author does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy to read

I finished this and marinated on it for a while. The more time I have away from it, the more that I like it. It was so beautiful, like gorgeously written, and touched on things like trauma, and what it means to try and grasp at life and love in a black body perceived as threatening, as well as how life's afflictions can halt the pursuit of love. I'll be thinking about it for a while.

Beautifully lyrical. A fascinating exploration of love, art, race and masculinity. It reads like poetry in places and is outstanding for a debut novel.
I did think it was a bit of a slow starter but that may be due to me getting used to his writing style. It's written in second person which isn't really my thing. A brilliant read that I will be recommending to people. I think this book is going to blow it big time and deservedly so

Wow. One of the best books I have ever read. It’s so beautiful, poetic and relatable. It balances the feelings and experiences of falling in love with being a black man in London incredibly well, and I will be sure to recommend this book to everyone I know.

This is an emotional, lyrical debut novel about two young Black people in London and how their relationship develops, falling in and out of love. I found it to be quite a mixed reading experience, with many moments of beautiful writing and elegantly expressed ideas, but also a few slightly jarring metaphors and pieces of dialogue that took me out of the story. However I can forgive this for the most part because it's a debut and because the writing shines in so many parts of this book: I loved the explorations of art and how to express emotions that can't be said in words, and how certain phrases were repeated across the novel, appearing in different contexts and meaning different things.

This book really shines in the moments of simplicity, when a lot is said in a few words. There were moments where it felt slightly overwritten or heavy-handed, but also points where I was left wanting slightly more, but instead we were rushed onto something else with not much time left for reflection on what felt like points in the characters' journeys that deserved more time. I also wanted a little more from the woman in the relationship - it's narrated in second person from an unnamed man's perspective so it felt very introspective, but there wasn't enough time spent on the characters' early friendship for me to really get to know the other half of the relationship. Much of the story revolves around their communication issues so perhaps this was appropriate, but generally I would have appreciated a bit more all round.

The positives definitely outweigh the negatives because generally I think this is a stunning novel, especially regarding what it has to say about being a Black man in the UK. I just wanted more! More depth, more time with the characters and more of the great writing.

A beautifully tender and evocative debut exploring love, racism and masculinity in contemporary South East London. The story follows a photographer and a dancer who begin as friends and evolve into something more. Their love has a vibrance that’s heart-warming to read, but also sadly laced with fear and insecurity. It provides an authentic and moving portrayal the Black British experience and of modern-day couples.

Caleb Azumah Nelson’s writing is full of soul. There’s a vulnerability to the way he has shaped the characters, despite the book being written is second person. Parts of Open Water feel more like poetry, with the author’s intentional use of emotion and sentiment. It’s clear he is from South East London too; the references feel relevant and help to build the book’s atmosphere without feeling gimmicky.

Racism, microaggressions, and brutality play a major role in the development of the characters. The trauma such injustices create is evident in their expressions, you can almost feel the weight of their exhaustion. Its harshness is heart-breaking, but I do like the rawness to something that is so very real. Still, Open Water has an air of hope that only adds to its compelling power.

Although it is only 145 pages, this book does not feel short. No word is wasted, but no chapters is rushed. Caleb Azumah Nelson’s writing is art-like, perfectly crafted, and more relevant than ever.

Don’t wonder whether to pick this one up, just do it.

I was lucky enough to have an early copy of both audio and hard copy of this book for review.
This book has been getting so much hype, and has been stated as 'one to watch' for 2021. I was super excited to listen to the audiobook and read the hard copy of what is set to be 2021's huge hits. I had high hopes!!

However, I just couldn't get into this. The narrator of the audio book was incredibly monotone and boring to listen to so I found myself reading the hard copy a lot more. (although I did dip-in-and-out while doing housework etc.)
I love the imagery within the book, I love that it's set in London and I could picture every location at every moment. However I just couldn't connect to the characters. I enjoyed the writing style, but there just wasn't enough plot for me. Or enough connection to the two central characters.
It was an 'ok' book - but just didn't get the 'feels' that I wanted or expected.

A lovely lyrical novella about romance, masculinity and Blackness in London. Somehow second person prose really works in this story and manages to invoke an intimacy with the protagonist and the love story that unfolds. I think it loses its way a little in the third quarter or so but the development of the relationship and also the ending really work - I felt invested in the intimacy the characters develop. The beginning in particular I personally loved because I love London and miss dating very much. The exploration of masculinity and vulnerability in the context of relationships is always a worthy subject and it was done beautifully here, with lots of introspective prose on family, love and racism. I loved the way music, art and books were discussed throughout too.
My only criticisms would be that the sparse dialogue between the two main characters felt a little indistinguishable at times and it occasionally is a little unpolished - the end of the relationship is quite abrupt - but a wonderful short debut and I will definitely keep an eye on what this author does in the future!

Thanks so much to Viking for allowing me to read Open Water in advance. This is a much-hyped book, and I was really looking forward to reading this love story between two Black artists in London. The observations were often astute and there were some moments I really appreciated, but on the whole I never quite gelled with Caleb Azumah Nelson's writing. This was entirely an issue of personal taste - I'm never a fan of deliberately abstract writing, and I often felt distanced from the narrative in a way that I didn't really enjoy. But this is a book that has received much love and praise, so I'd definitely recommend reading it if the blurb piqued your interest.

Beautifully written, a poem even.
I did struggle a bit with following the timeline, at times.

It narrates the love story of two Black British artists, who are first best friends and then can no longer contain their feelings. It also narrates in details about the struggle of being Black in this society, highlighting fears and worries.

Two young, black, British artists living in South London meet through a friend at a pub. Gradually, and inevitably, they fall in love.

Written in second person, this is a beautifully written debut that gives an insight into race, love, intimacy and vulnerability.

This is a short read, but there's so much packed in here. A heartbreaking look at the experiences of being a young black man in Britain today, but also a tender love story. I've never read a book written in second person before, and it took me a while to get used to it, especially because the main characters are unnamed, but I think that made it all the more intimate. There were parts that I wish had been stretched out a little more - it was maybe too short for me - but definitely worth a read.

I loved this book. The second person narrative is lyrical and moving and I found it flowed well an was easy to read. It's an emotional story and well worth the time it takest o read it. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel.

Many Thanks to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book before being published in exchange for an honest review.

I really didn´t enjoy the way this book is written. 2nd or 3rd person. Quite a few times I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to understand who he/she was talking about. It is a romance story but it didn´t add up anything for me. It wasn´t funny, it didn´t have any mystery, any intrigues, anything really.
It is about a friendship that it develops into a love story and that´s it. Too simple for me.

The writing style didn´t help me to understand the book either.
It's written in the second person narrative which I personally found very confusing. I didn't entirely understand what its purpose was.

It took me a few days too long to finish the book.

Caleb Azuma Nelson’s debut novel is a strong piece of writing about two young black friends in London and their changing relationship.
The sense of helplessness and injustice of living and working as a black man was powerfully written and really highlighted to me the racism targeted at members of society purely based on the colour of their skin.
I did find the second person narrative challenging but maybe that was the point.
In these BLM times and the rise of fascism across the world this book has an important place in making the reader think and feel how black men, in particular, feel
4 Stars
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.

I think the writing style threw me off, the writing was very prose-like but I found it quite hard to want to read it. I felt a bit disconnected from the characters sadly. Wanted to like this a lot more than I did.

I must admit it took me a while to get into the flow of the book as it's not written in prose in the normal sense, it's much more poetic, with repetitive sentences and dreamlike sequences. But once I was in I was hooked. It gives you an insight into the mental health of black men who are consistently only seen as a 'black body' and all of the negative connotations that go alongside that within the police force. A real eye opener, plus it's a really interesting love story too.

Oof. A tale of falling in and out of love, of vulnerability, of being seen, of feelings that words cannot articulate. It is incredible. Moving, entrancing, powerful and lyrical, it aches. I - aptly, I guess - don't have the words to do how much I loved this justice.

Open Water follows two young creatives from South-East London who fall for each other. But they are pulled apart by fear and struggle.

I honestly don't have the right words to describe this book. At first I thought this book was going to be a romance novel but it is so much more than that. Nelson offers insight into the mind of a young Black-British man. A man who grapples with what it means to be vulnerable, in love, a black man and of course, human.

The story is told in second person which took a lot of getting used to. But its powerful because you are literally put into the mind of this young Black man. The novel left me challenged, with so many questions that I had to ask myself internally.

Such a moving narrative that is powerful and sweet. It was an achingly beautiful love story that offers more than the typical romance. There is much more depth to this story that Nelson has done really well to portray.

This novel is a gem and I cant wait for its official release in Feb 2021.

Thank you to Netgalley and Viking Books for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.